COLOR TRENDS & FORECAST
Photo: California Paints
California Paints’ partnership with Historic
New England has resulted in a newly devel-
oped exclusive historic color palette focus-
ing on the authentic colors of the 20th cen-
tury and will be released this April.
changed rapidly. While color still remains
a very important determinant in a purchase today, manufacturers are selecting
from palettes that will enhance their
existing products. This versatility is key
to profitability and salability.
Karen Warman, marketing manager,
Resene: We are seeing paint colors
extend beyond painted walls and more
into being part of a broader solution. For
example complementary surfaces such
as laminates, home furnishings and
flooring actively offering recommended
color schemes that include paint to help
customers put their look together much
faster. Consumers are increasingly
expecting suppliers to give them a more
holistic solution – i.e. how does your
product/color fit into a total look for me,
rather than just one company selling
one portion.
Kim, Valspar: First, color trends are a
reflection of where our consumers are
and mapping out where a majority of
them are driving. I find color trendsetters
in furniture or interior décor industries
but more often, I find our consumers
inspire each other. I love navigating blogs
and pictures of everyday people with
keen eyes and creativity showing more
appealing color designs. We are a creative
generation that seeks personalization
around us. As a color designer, I capture
the movement of colors based on the
macro trends that impact our con-
sumer—housing, education social con-
science. For 2010 color trends, Valspar
shared four trends that reflect what’s on
our consumers’ mind. The key word is
“transition” and reflects back into outr-
timeline and sets an ideal picture for the
coming years. Valspar’s Vintage Romance
and Retro Retreat collections show the
bridge colors from the past. On the other
hand Watercolor Impression and
Peaceful Ambience paint an idealistic pic-
ture of the future.
Mantyla, California Paints: Color is about
trends, but also authenticity, and technology. It is important for us at California
Paints to make sure all fronts of color are
covered. Working with London-based
Global Color Research allows us to stay
on top of all influencers of future color
trends. In addition, our partnership with
Historic New England has resulted in a
newly developed exclusive historic color
palette focusing on the authentic colors of
the 20th century. We feel it is important
to pair our color matching technology
with organizations that have passion and
expertise in all aspects of color.
Prime, NCS Colour: There are a number
of key influences in terms of color trends.
Number one is still fashion, which influ-
ences the rest of the creative industries
and indeed the tastes of the consumer.
Granted there are always brands and
individuals operating outside of these
areas but they have niche markets,
which can be difficult for an outsider to
access. That said, in terms of individual
trends I would say that surface texture is
important at the moment, with designers
exploring the inherent beauty of a raw
material. I’d also say that accent colors
are quite pure and chromatic at present,
while fruity, natural colors are popping
up everywhere but used as accents
against the raw natural materials.
There’s a certain fresh, airy color palette
in design, which is appealing to the eye
and the consumer that allows them to
get their splash of color without being too
over the top. Let’s not forget that trend
colors are not usually used as the main
color block in design, fashion or architec-
ture as people still find color a little scary
in the design community and especially
architecture which still clings to its
monochromatic roots.
How do color trends differ in
terms of working with interior
versus exterior space?
Zimmer, PQI: Interior colors are much
easier to change and therefore change
more regularly. Exterior changes occur
over a longer period of time. How often do
homeowners change their roof color,
which makes up 30% or more of the total
Photo: Valspar
The living room wall above is painted
with Valspar’s Mint Whisper, part of the
Watercolor Impression collection of
colors. Other color collections in
Valspar’s most recent color trends
include Peaceful Ambiance, Vintage
Romance and Retro Retreat.
