2010 Color Trends

Do you remember the scene from The Devil Wear’s Prada when Glenn Close is lecturing Anne Hathaway about how her blue sweater was carefully chosen for her by the powers that be?

Well, there’s a lot of truth to that scene.  There exists a Color Institute whose job it is to travel the world each year and distill what is being introduced in the world of design (from home, fashion, art, jewelry, auto design, etc.) into a cohesive theme.

Perhaps an important member of the Color Institute is Leatrice Eisman, she consults for Pantone- the universal color system used by experts across industries all over the world.  She attends various shows in diverse markets and locations around the world to see what is new.  She then travels the country sharing her predictions and wisdom with various industries.  This helps them stay ahead of the trends and use them wisely.  Whenever she visits Denver, I make it a point to go see her and listen to what she has to say.

This last September she was in town talking about trends in color and some of the psychology behind them.   I thought you might enjoy a brief summary of what she thinks the world has been feeling and where the trends are heading.  You might have seen signs of these trends already.  They will be in vogue for the next year or so until we start feeling a little more confident about our futures.

Color Trends for 2010

At the heart of all of our recent trends are two factors (any guesses?)- The economy and global awareness.

The recent downturn in the economy has been felt all over the world.  This has lead to a return of neutrals and classic colors.  Black, white, beige, grey, and blues all feel safe, and reflect our moods.  They evoke our desire to see a return to the past and simpler, better days.  They also are timeless and therefore more likely to look better longer if needed and can always be paired with accents to make them feel fresh.  Pink and it’s may forms from “barely there nude” to fushia are all going to enjoy favor because they pair well with the neutrals and seem innocent and optimistic.

Global awareness takes many forms, our footprint and being green has played a huge role in our current trends.  The desire for things with a patina (or something that looks like it’s really old) and items that are earth friendly have lead to certain colors that are popular.  Greens and blues have always enjoyed favor but the particular shades we are drawn to change from time to time.  Right now yellows are being browned down so they don’t seem so bright.  Greens and blues in all ranges are “in” because they feel healthy and earth friendly.  In particular clear, bright shades are making headway since they feel fresh and organic.

I have seen these thoughts played out in color palates for homes this year. People are asking for colors that are timeless that will provide a safe, long term backdrop for pops of color and smaller accents that they can change. They cite many reasons for this, but many are driven by money and a more aware conscious of their consumerism and its effects on a variety of environmental factors.  Going forward I expect the theme to be the same for the near future.

The Council does a pretty good job of understanding what we as a world are in the mood for.  Each year they choose a color of the year to sum up what we want right now.  The color for 2010 was turquoise, citing a desire to escape, unplug, relax and feel revitalized.  It always fun to watch how these trends take shape.

This year every girls room I did had to have turquoise in it, my next blog will be all about this so stay tuned….

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