DESIGNER
TIPS
Nothing
excites the senses quite
like color. Color impacts us from every angle. It
influences virtually every choice we make…the food
we eat, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive and,
most importantly, how we decorate and furnish our
homes. Everyday clients come to me clutching fabric
swatches, paint chips, catalogs, photos and magazine
clippings looking for furniture, seeking out my 'sage'
advice to help them "make it all work."
Savvy
designers are well aware that wise decisions begin
and end with color. In this fickle, trend-oriented
society, we watch colors come into favor, disappear,
and often come back again a few years later. Remember
the avocado green and harvest gold of the late 1960s
and '70s? They have been repeating themselves very
successfully for a few years now, only we're calling
these greens "sages" while the golds appear more metallic
as a result of the return of neo-classicism.
One
thing is certain…that proverbial color wheel just
keeps on turning, making color trends very difficult
to keep up with! However, there are industry gurus
and associations who track these color trends for
us. I will pass this valuable expertise and insight
on to you so that, in turn, you benefit from it and
make wise choices for your color schemes.
2002
Consumer Color Directions
COLOR MARKETING GROUP UNVEILS
CONSUMER COLOR PALETTE FOR 2002
Alexandria, VA, USA
Lighter, Softer, More complex. Those are words being
used to describe the 2002 Consumer Color Directions
Palette from Color Marketing Group www.colormarketing.org,
an international, not-for-profit association of Color
Designers who identify and forecast color as much
as three years in advance.
"The
technology revolution continues to accelerate the
pace at which color evolves in the marketplace," said
Color Marketing Group President, Hall Dillon, CMG,
Dorn Color Card, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, USA. "While
blue will maintain its enviable position as the most
important color of the decade, orange is foreseen
to be the hue of optimism and happiness in 2002. It
will find popularity in all age groups." Dillon added
that colors are increasingly associated with special
effects as technological advances in product finish
spur consumer demands and expectations.
CMG
members develop cross-industry, short-and long-range
color forecasts. CMG's Forecasts serve as a guide
for Designers developing new colors for new and existing
product lines. While CMG members customize a hue or
intensity to fit particular product needs, using CMG
Palettes for overall direction gives designers confidence
that their colors will be complementary to colors
on other products in the consumer marketplace. The
2002 Consumer Palette is the result of input from
more than 700 CMG members who gathered in San Diego,
California, USA, in late April this year. Industries
represented in the forecast process included Transportation/Automotive,
Communications/Graphics, Interior/Exterior Home, Fashion,
and Action/Recreation.
CMG
experts say the influence of nature on the 2002 Palette
is deep-seated and will counterbalance the strong
effects of the technology revolution. This dynamic
relationship reflects a strong and consistent desire
to balance the sensory overload from technology with
the need for human sensory experience. Watery, aquatic-blues
continue to be important, but botanical-blues will
begin to emerge. Yellows and greens will remain strong.
The newest yellows are being inspired by the organic
qualities of fruits, vegetables and grains; the greens
will bring grasslands to mind.
Social,
cultural and economic trends play a role in the process
of identifying future color trends. A strong Latin
flavor is a consistent theme for the 2002 Consumer
Palette, with additional influences from Morocco and
Italy that will result in the appearance of lively
reds, yellows and oranges. According to CMG Co-Chairman
of the Consumer Color Directions Committee, Sue Hannah,
New York, New York, USA, "These influences will result
in the desire for romantic and passionate earth-connected
colors. The strong appeal to the younger generations
will spill over to the Baby Boomers as a spirited,
fresh new look."
As
a result of the technological influence on Color Directions
in 2002, an important issue addressed during the forecasting
process was the relationship between color and finish.
Designers can no longer separate effect and color:
The color is the special effect, and the special effect
is the color. New advances in the field of color and
design are driving the development of new pigments,
materials and products, allowing designers to innovate
with texture and special effects like never before.
As a result, most of the colors forecast for 2002
are just as important in a pearl finish as they are
in a flat color.
"Consumers
are increasingly intrigued by products and spaces
that are sensory," commented Consumer Color Directions
Co-Chairman Terrie Buch-O'Dell, CMG, Nevamar Decorative
Surfaces, Odenton, Maryland, USA. "Special effect
finishes allow us to experience color in dimension,
and that seems to be fueling the demand for pearlescent,
iridescent, metallic and textured finishes. Special
effect finishes add perceived value and have become
an expected product attribute."
Overall,
Color Directions for 2002 are fresh and clean, yet
the colors are fascinatingly adaptable. Hues are ambiguous
with mixed undertones that allow them to cross color
families without being wholly defined by one. The
2002 Consumer Color Directions Forecast includes:
- Rosa
Roja:
A multicultural, non-synthetic red with a strong
Latin influence. A romantic red that comes alive
for both men and women.
- Langostino:
Bridges orange, pink and red, yet it's softened
and veiled.
- Tiger
Lily: A complex and multidimensional orange
combining the vibrant florals of nature with the
satisfying flow of a quiet fire.
- Tangy:
A natural, yet clear orange.
- Eureka:
A cool yellow drawing its influence from Morocco
and Vietnam. It's supernatural and strong, yet provides
an energized contentment.
- Pineapple:
A pale, luminescent yellow with organic overtones.
It bridges spring into winter with a softness that
is almost a neutral, but is able to maintain its
color placement through a sense of light.
- Lemoncello:
The hybridization of nature and technology into
a sophisticated yellow, with a calming green influence.
- Gingko:
The botanical green of dried grasslands, bridging
the fresh excitement from mustard greens with the
relaxing feel of a forest's treasured mosses.
- Mesa
Verde: The
return of true green, heralding a move away from
recent acidity lime-greens. Strongly influenced
by an undertone of blue, it is natural and refreshing.
- Oxygen:
A blue sky as seen through glass block. A breath
of fresh air representing a silver influence on
aquatic blues.
- Blue
Bayou: The shift of classic navy toward an updated
techno-version of blue with a metallic, watery sheen.
- Fathom:
A key bridge of green into blue, it addresses
the continuation and evolution of teals inspired
by blue. Its sophisticated coloration completes
the mind's need for peace and serenity.
-
Essence of Lilac: An extreme, pale botanical
blue with a hint of lilac. It supports the desire
for translucency across all market segments.
- Moon
shadow: Provides a respite from technology and
reflects our fascination with atmospheric grays.
A hueful neutral that allows other colors to retain
their individual appeal.
- Chocolate
Raisin:
With its blending of brown into black, this saturated
hue has a strong horticultural influence. It is
complex, captivating and elegant in its richness.
- Sycamore:
The
evolution of a classic neutral brown. Edgy but luxurious.
High-Tech
and Organic/Hand-Crafted seem to be 'words' that pop-up
in descriptions of the 'new' 2002 colors. Furniture
will also see this combination. In the fashion industry
we already see the combination of hand-craft and high-tech.
For instance, a clothing designer will choose a hand-crafted
silhouette but make the garment of a synthetic, high-tech
fabric. I think the same thing will happen in furniture.
A piece may be constructed using high-tech methods,
but it will look hand-crafted. Manufacturers will
learn to hide their technological capabilities behind
the one-of-a-kind look that we all want.
If
you head to a furniture store and know these basic
color trends I'm sure you will impress them with your
knowledge and help yourself in planning your dream
home.
Joseph
Yorey
President and Buyer
BUYER'S SPECIALS
In
going along with the above 2002 color directions and
the High-tech/Hand-crafted furniture trends the buyers
at Bella Interiors would like to show you their personal
choices for this new palette. The 'Hollywood
Sofa' and Metropolitan
Tables demonstrate perfectly these two new style
trends.
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