PPG Pittsburgh Paints Launches Up North Color Collection

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PPG Pittsburgh Paints launched the Up North Color Collection, a new palette of 25 colors representing the significant shades of the Up North region. Created by top local interior designers and paint store owners, the palette captures the relaxed beauty and uniqueness of the area, allowing homeowners to bring their favorite landscapes into their homes to enjoy every day.

"Residents and visitors of the Up North region create vivid memories and feelings associated with the natural colors found here," said Tom Bischoff, owner Northwood Paint and Supply and contributor to the palette. "Every shade in the palette reflects something that is ours. From the sand dunes to the vineyards, the collection is defined by the local landscape and identifies the unique moodiness and beauty found here."

Interior designers Rita Whaley, Allied ASID Member, and Ann Freckelton, ASID, of Design2, LLC, said the palette was inspired by the surroundings of the region. From the Beach Glass colors, a soft green, fresh blue and pale yellow all named for the smoothed glass found on the sandy shore lines, to Morel Mushrooms, a muted brown, every color in the palette has a story. Much like the casual, relaxed lifestyle of the Up North region, the organic palette includes soft and rich colors like Land of Delight, a watercolor blue and Farmer's Market Red, a bold, saturated shade.

The timeless colors were selected by area designers with the goal of bringing the beauty of nature indoors. "Homes in the Up North region often have large windows allowing the scenes of nature to flow right inside the home," said Lynn Pettyjohn, Allied ASID Member, designer and contributor to palette. "This palette allows what we see outside to continue right onto the walls and fill the room with warm, current tones that take on the hues of their surroundings."

The palette includes popular shades mixed with the influence of the regional water, landscape and natural components according to designer Linda Dean Stallman, ASID. She said the Up North colors are heavily saturated with deep tones creating a look unique to the Up North area.

The Up North Palette is part of PPG Pittsburgh Paints Voice of Color Program and is available at Complete Paint and Supplies in Harbor Springs and Petoskey and Northwood Paint and Supply in Traverse City. Contributors to the palette include Tom and Gwen Bischoff, owners of Northwood Paint and Supply; Chris Smrekar, owner of Complete Paint and Supplies; and Interior Designers Rita Whaley, Allied ASID Member, and Ann Freckelton, ASID, of Design2, LLC; Lynn Pettyjohn, Allied ASID Member, of Lynnteriors; and Linda Dean Stallman, ASID, of Interior Design Inc.

PPG Color Leadership

PPG employs more than 20 color stylists around the world, each specializing in different markets, who collaborate to determine styles and color trends for the home, electronics, and automobiles. PPG's unique position as a color leader in multiple markets allows it to observe and translate emerging global color trends for its customers' applications – from consumer goods to automotive color, from residential to commercial to industrial design.

About The Voice of Color

PPG Pittsburgh Paints and PPG Porter Paints developed The Voice of Color program on the premise that every color has an emotional association and that individuals are drawn to different colors for reasons inherently tied to their unique personalities. With more than 2,000 colors to choose from, the program offers their signature five-color decorating color chips to assist homeowners in choosing colors for all the decor elements in their space. The Voice of Color is an integrated, comprehensive design system that offers tools and materials to redefine the world of color. Through an engaging on-line experience, the homeowner can identify their color personality, and find the colors that best suit their style, personality and five senses. Among The Voice of Color elements are the Color Sense Game, yearly color trends, exclusive color families and color palettes – such as Hacienda Style and Fallingwater® inspired colors – unique decorating color chips, wet paint sample program, and Web site: www.voiceofcolor.com.

About PPG

PPG Industries' vision is to continue to be the world's leading coatings and specialty products company. Founded in 1883, the company serves customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion. PPG shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: PPG). For more information, visit www.ppg.com.

SOURCE PPG Pittsburgh Paints