Eye spy with my little eye… something that is…
ORANGE, WHITE, I got it… Vibrant.
Getting close and personal with the Colour Trends of 2011…
What most people don’t realize is that in order to determine what colors will resonate with consumers color professionals must understand the psychological, cultural, socio-economic, art, media, fashion and entertainment influence from around the globe and how they effect the way people feel about color.
Briefly, here is the process:
Every year professionals working independently as well as for a diverse range of companies meet to discuss the direction they see color taking now and for the future. Each color forecaster presents the colors they believe will be the ones that will appeal to consumers over the next couple years as well as their reasoning behind recommending these colors. Then the fun begins as this group of very creative and sometimes very opinionated professionals debate the color choices until they reach a consensus on the colors that will be presented in the final palette that is then shared with thousands of retailers, home furnishing designers and manufacturers.
Four trends that inspire the overall theme of “Balance” have been discussed.
- Farm
- Structure
- Escape
- Tribe
Farm
- That’s right… farm-inspired colors. Getting back to the basics.
- Think cow prints, textured hay and burlap feedbags, and the creative the use of repurposed farm tools.
- You’ll see tea-stained colors for a rustic tie-dye effect. Imagine the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables at your local farm stand.
- Whites will become milkier, and you’ll see more butter yellow and creams.
- Earthy soil will replace the cooler gray tones as the strong neutral.
- Oak cabinets will come back in vogue… you’ll see.
- Begin to see more stencils, and needlepoint.
Structure
- Look for minimalistic, geometric, stacking, sort of a modern influence.
- The use of outlining gives structure, bright stripes and polka dots are easily defined.
- Primary colors are coming back, but look for the use of monochrome color schemes to continue.
- Black and white with pops of color (primary especially) will be in.
Escape
- A translucent, soft retro feeling that inspires elegant fantasies and fairy tales.
- Angelic clouds… misty skies. Lots of frosted, pearl and satin finishes. Pink becomes the new red…
Tribal
- Imagine rich orange and berry hues paired with spicy browns and bronze metallic.
- Tribal accents such as community-inspired sketches, beads and new textures will be key elements in this trend.
Well there you have it… all wrapped up in a few tabs. Personally, I really am happy to see the “Escape” theme. All that natural beauty, great tones taken staight from the source. Looking forward to expanding on those exotic colour schemes!
