Spring Trends in Design 2011

This last Saturday was beautiful in my neck of the woods.  I spent all day outside enjoying the weather and the new flowers and foliage.  This time of year always energizes me.  I’m not alone since my phone has started ringing off the hook with new clients wanting to start their own projects.  I thought I would take a moment to share the majors trends for spring 2011. I hope hearing what’s hot in the design world helps you see possibilities for your own spaces.

PINK!

I am sure you have noticed that it is everywhere- fashion, home, tabletop, parties, media-everywhere.  Pantone named Honeysuckle color of the year and it seems that they were right- we are tired of the worry and stress in our lives are breaking out.  Now before all of you shout at me that your men won’t let you paint a room pink, take a look at House Beautiful’s issue this month.  The rooms are sophisticated, sexy, relaxed, whimsical and while still being grownup and wonderful.

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.