While we eagerly await trendspotting brands’ Color of the Year 2020 announcements, Glidden Paint has gone and done the opposite.

Instead of selecting an influential Color of the Year projected to take over the new season ahead, the company has instead selected its exact opposite. Glidden, a PPG Group brand, unveiled the shade Whirlwind (PPG1013-3), a reliable blue-toned gray it says homeowners actually use in their designs – and will continue to do so indefinitely.

Glidden chose the recent tongue-in-cheek holiday – Fight Procrastination Day on September 6 – to announce its non-announcement, and encourage homeowners to finally make that leap and tackle the home improvement projects they’ve been putting off. All while resting easy that their “it color” selection won’t soon go out of style.

“Grays have been trending for more than a decade,” said Kim Perry, Glidden color guru, in a press statement. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it! Whirlwind was one of our top tinted colors this year, so DIYers can rest easy knowing they can enjoy it for years to come. Instead of staring blankly at a paint color card questioning all your life choices, you can spend time doing what you really want to do. Like drinking wine or binge watching TV in your freshly painted living room.”

“Think of Whirlwind as your easy-to-get-along-with color that’s an alternative to basic white or beige,” said Perry. “Gray colors whisper, while other colors scream on your wall. Not literally – but who wants a screaming anything in their house?”

We have got to hand it to Glidden for thinking outside of the box on this unexpected announcement. But they also have got a great point: classic gray is always welcome across all kinds of interior design projects, so Whirlwind is a perfect color choice for nervous DIY home renovators!