FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Submitted by Annette Callari, Allied ASID

In my last Floor Talk entry, I introduced eight of the fourteen new colors for 2011 and 2012 home interiors’ palette.  Hopefully that blog piqued your interest, and, as promised, here are the remaining seven colors that round out the color forecast.

Orange will become much more user-friendly as we edge towards 2011.  The new orange is called Rio-Stat, giving a nod to Rio de Janiero and the honor that city has won to host the future Summer Olympics.  Rio-Stat has a hint of brown to keep it interesting and soft.

The purple family has been pretty quiet the last several years.  Well purple lovers will be pumped to know that future color directions include TWO new purples.  Violet Satin — a soft pastel purple suitable for major interior use, and its counterpart Gotham, which goes deeper and richer.  Expect to see both of these colors used together in the same room for the perfect monochromatic color scheme.

In Part I of the Color Visions ‘expose’, you read that blues were taking on important duty—that of carrying on the message of sustainability.  Given that fact, in addition to Perpetual and X-Hale (which were previously announced) a softly shaded, misty blue named Bar Harbor is also on the color horizon.  This color is going to excite a number of product manufacturers.  Look for Bar Harbor to come alive in technology products, new car introductions, and of course, home interior goods.  Crossing the line to the gray family, we were desperately in need of a true neutral gray.  It’s more difficult than you would think to devise just the right formula to produce an interesting neutral gray, but this has been accomplished with the introduction of Stratus.  As wood floor manufacturers are intently at work creating gray-toned hardwoods, Stratus will become the perfect interior companion.

The color countdown is nearly complete.  You now have learned the names of 13 of the 14 new color introductions.  Number 14 is a classic–always present in the palette—but because of its heightened importance, needed to claim a slot in the 2011/2012 palette.  By definition, this particular color ironically represents the total lack of color.  I’m referring to black, wearing its new stage name of Bon Noir.  It is a classic, without a doubt, and will be employed in some amazing finishes, including pearlized versions, velvety matte versions, and of course (in the case of automotive) executive gloss black. 

Now that we have the words to represent these new colors, here are the definitions and color chips for each of the V.I.P. “fourteen”.

Click here to view the forecast color card