Europe
by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
Consumers in Europe are now almost spoiled for choice in the range of colors available in most coatings sectors.
As a result coatings and colorant producers,
as well as suppliers of materials running in-plant coatings facilities, are having to put in a
lot more effort into detecting variations in consumer tastes.
This is especially the case with coatings for
interiors of homes, offices, commercial premises and automobiles, in particular the equipment
and consumer products used within interiors,
such as electrical and electronic devices.
In interiors there is at present a tendency for
a mix of colors with a common theme such as
neutrality and natural hues, but with accented
colors, often bright and vibrant, which compli-
ment the predominant shades. Also within this
color assortments is a growing application of
coatings with metallic effects, sometimes show-
ing a pure metal look such as gold or silver.
Increasingly the objective behind interior design is not just a visual impact but a tactile one
as well so that the coatings have to have both
attractive colors and a haptic quality.
New and improved coatings technologies
are having a strong influence on the choice
of colors.
The ability to apply powder coatings at
lower temperature, for example, is resulting
in stronger and brighter colors appearing on a
wider range of wood and plastic products.
Powder coatings are now being cured efficiently at temperatures of approximately
120˚C compared to the normal range of 160˚C
– 200˚C, which has limited their application
mainly to metals.
New and
improved
coatings
technologies are
having a strong
influence on the
choice of colors.
European Color Trends
Offer Wide Variety of Options
