It might just be the perfect hue for 2017: cautious, reserved, subdued. Paint retailer Sherwin-Williams has just announced its new Color of the Year — a plummy, serious gray called Poised Taupe. No beachy brights this time. No peacock teal. After a pugilistic year, a design trend evoking the color of a bruise feels about right for 2017. Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for the company, said in a release that people want to be in spaces that rekindle the spirit, “that feel welcoming and hug them as they enter.’’ Poised Taupe, a warm neutral, may do just that: Provide a cozy place where we can nurse our wounds. HAYLEY KAUFMAN

Hayley Kaufman can be reached at hkaufman@globe.com.