Infuse your home with this year's hot new color trends
Publication Date:
January 2010
Article Synopsis:
Find out what the Hot new color trends are this year.
Infuse your home with this year's hot new color trends
By: Hollie Deese
For the Tennessean
In the design world, a new year means more than shaky resolutions and soon-to-be-dusty gym memberships. It also means new color, and after years of stable neutrals, bold, vibrant colors are poised to make their mark on area walls.
These new colors that can also bring about a fresh, positive mindset are perfect for the new decade.
Howard Wiggins of Howard Wiggins Interior Design suggest shaking off the staid neutrals of years past and embracing one of the "new neutrals" that will be big this year--and infusing a little fun by pairing them with a trendy, bold color as well.
As the economy rebounds, the choices of color will broaden says Wiggins, author of "What Were You Thinking?" (Howard Wiggins Interior Design, $24.99).
"Out are the whites, in are the new neutral: stone, zinc, mica, and soot, paired with exotic colors from Russia and Dubai such as gold metallics, a golden umber, summer plum, blue macaw, wild orchid, Persian violet and deep, dusty mauves and granites."
Lighten Your Mood
This follows right along with the 2010 predictions made by the Color Marketing Group, the international organization of color design professionals.
Neutrals should draw inspiration from concrete, minerals and steel, while colors are bright and clean, with blue and gray undertones.
"Another choice is to combine the new neutrals with spice tones found in nature: apple green, tomato puree, peach blossom, super lemon, Dijon chutney, paprika, vanilla ice, Beaujolais, yellow finch and hummingbird, "Wiggins says.
And while the economy may be showing signs of life, not everyone is ready--or able--to redecorate an entire room based on this year's color trends. Luckly, breathing new life into your room is as inexpensive as a gallon of paint.
"Paint is the poor man's best friend because it is not a huge financial commitment but can make a huge impact ," says freelance commercial designer Anjona Pal. "I think that because of the downturn in the economy people are a little bit more reserved in how they spend their money but that the inspiration for design is still there, so neutrals combined with the pop of color seems to still resonate."
Many of the new color trends are also vibrant enough to lift your spirits, another bonus people need as they start a new year. People respond positively to hues such as turquois, and because it has warm and cool undertones, it pairs well with any other color in the spectrum. It adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks and is especially trend-setting with other popular hues such as yellow-greens.
"When the economy gets better, then you see an infusion of more lively colors that can lift your spirits and make you happy," says Wiggins. "When you are happy, you want happy people around you and the same thing is true with your environment."
So go ahead--pick a wall, pick a color and brighten up 2010 right from the start.
