In home staging, we like to stick to a neutral color palette so that we can make the home that's for sale appeal to the broadest range of buyers. However neutral does not have to mean boring.
I love to use pops of color (red, turquoise, orange, greens, blues) in throw pillows, artwork and decorative objects against the more neutral background colors (beige, grays, whites) in the furniture, bedding and walls.
Even so, I love to see what colors the major paint companies forecast to be THE colors for the upcoming year.
Benjamin Moore's color designers are forecasting vintage wine (2116-20) as their Envision Color 2011's Color of the Year. According to Benjamin Moore's website: "First seen on the fashion runways of New York, Paris, and Milan, this rich hue with a deep brown base and a hint of smoky violet is just as magnificent in the home. As an undertone in many of the latest wood finishes, leathers, and other textiles, vintage wine, and its lighter variations, will make a great paint color pick for many applications over the coming years. From deep smoky wine to wildly pumped up fuchsia, purple promises to be a predominant color in home decor in 2011."
Forecasted Colors for 2011
In addition to their Color of the Year, the Benjamin Moore color team also comes up with a palette of colors they are forecasting for the coming year. The color team reviews cultural, social, and political conditions and looks at how they affect fashion and design trends. Their analysis led to a central Balance theme with three related "style movements"-Soulful, Spirited and Dreamy. Each of these style movements were then defined by six Benjamin Moore colors.
Soulful...
Communications technology has drawn the global cultures closer. What may have seemed strange now appears familiar to us. On the style front, this is visible in ethnic designs, pattern-on-pattern, and handmade decoration such as beading and embroidery. Colors that reflect this include Benjamin Moore's:
- Vintage Wine 2116-20
- Wasabi AF-430
- Amulet AF-365
- Casco Bay 2051-30
- Hush AF-95
- Etruscan AF - 355
Spirited...
By spirited, this means anything that makes you feel happy, joyful, playful. In fashion and furnishings it's reflected in designs featuring geometrics, stripes and cubes, and dots and curlicues. Loud and bright colors are balanced with gray, black and white. Benjamin Moore colors comprising this palette are:
- Royal Flush 2076-20
- Grape Green 2027-40
- Wrought Iron 2124-10
- Paper Mache AF-25
- Storm AF-700
- Lucerne AF-350
Dreamy...
From a design perspective, dreamy means transparency, sheerness, blurriness and softness. The Benjamin Moore colors that reflect this style or mood are:
- Gray Mirage 2142-50
- Genesis White 2134-70
- Porcelain 2113-60
- Etiquette AF-50
- Kendall Charcoal HC-166
- Smoke 2122-40
Each year Benjamin Moore announces their predictions for the upcoming year in a booklet that's free and available through the company's extensive network of stores. The booklet contains decorating ideas, photo illustrations, plus the forecasted palette of 18 colors for 2011.
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