FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

By Annette Callari, Allied ASID; CMG

It’s time to talk about the trends shaping the color palettes for 2012 and 2013. Working closely with Color Marketing Group International provides great insight as to what designers are seeing across the country as to color “drivers”.

1. “The Good Old Days”
The post World War II era represented a period of growth and patriotism for Americans. Happier times and bluer skies are associated with the colors from that time. With positive associations tied to them, colors popular from the 1940’s through the l960’s are selectively reappearing in the coming palette.

2. “Eco-Friendly Lifestyle”
We’ve already established that personal recycling and preserving the earth’s natural resources are high-priority choices for most Americans. Now a lifestyle (rather than a trend), colors will reflect our commitment to sustainability. Natural hues in their purest form will influence the new color palette. Aqueous blues, botanical greens, earthy browns will anchor the palette and convey the “green” message.

3. “Caution and Care”
We are barraged daily with economic news that is enough to make you want to hide your head in the sand. Hard-working Americans are not to blame for the economic messes our country needs to clean up, but just the same, politicians are laying the sacrifices to be made on our shoulders. No wonder there is such low consumer confidence. No wonder the stock market has resembled an out-of-control roller coaster for weeks on end. And no wonder we are searching for colors that will stabilize our psyche and give us some comfort. Beautiful, tailored shades of gray will be a staple in the color palette for that very reason. It is just the prescription we are looking for as we swing towards conservatism on all fronts.

4. “A Global Perspective”
Most of us are proficiently cruising the internet on a daily basis. We are also devouring HGTV programs with a vengeance. With that said, we are being exposed to color like never before. Global fashions, exotic destinations, luxury interior designs are all available to us now. Because of that, we have developed an appetite for stronger colors. The new color palette will be a genuine mix of safe, comfort colors, punctuated with these global stunners.

5. “The Affordable Luxury”
So maybe we aren’t “trading up” our homes, or buying new cars every two years. Maybe the wardrobe has to last a little longer, and our vacations are closer to home. But we can afford a can of paint or a bolt of fabric, and that means our luxury du jour is COLOR!!! The immense satisfaction we get from surrounding ourselves with a new color goes a long way in making us feel happy. Color in times of stress and economic down-turns is a huge refuge for all of us. So roll up your sleeves, put down those drop cloths, and create something colorful!

That’s where we are headed as to the key color drivers for 2012 and 2013. If you had any doubt that color trends reflect exactly what is happening in our lives, our country, our world, we (CMG) can safely attest to the fact that color is historically the mirror of our society. We are headed for better times (albeit ever so slowly), but we can start the process ourselves, at home, with paint brush in hand.

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.

Annette Callari, ASID; CMG

It happens all the time.  Color preferences that are so divergent there seems to be no happy medium. So how does a married couple (or a designer consulting with them) find a harmonious solution?  What I have found in many years of color consultations, is that there is more than a little competitiveness between husband and wife on this subject.  And both want to get their way on color choices.  You would be surprised to learn that husbands are just as adamant about their preferences as wives are.  They are looking to the designer to take sides, be a tie breaker, (or in some cases, referee), and that is something a professional can not do.  It’s the designer’s job to create a total environment, including the right colors that will reflect the overall ambience they are trying to achieve.

There are some key clues that couples give during the initial consult, and it’s their words, rather than specific colors, which helps determine the final color palette.  For instance:  cozy, homey, warm, inviting are words that indicate the predilection for warm colors:  red, orange, yellow, warm neutrals and any secondary combinations of those colors.  Conversely, relaxing, restful, calming are words that convey the need for cool colors: gray, blue, green, purple, and any secondary combinations of those colors.  A third hugely popular category uses descriptives such as timeless, understated, earthy, natural, and that’s where interesting neutrals come into play. 

What I have found is that, given the clues any married couple provides me, we can come up with a palette that accomplishes the ultimate goal of their interior design, and incorporates individual color preferences–either in one room of the house, or as an accent color in a main living area.  I have yet to work with a couple that feels their preferences were disregarded or that their designer “took sides”.  So how do you find this middle road on your own?  Exactly the way a professional designer does.  Make a list of adjectives (that you both contribute) to define the ultimate look of what you want your new design to achieve.  Based on those descriptives, match the feel of what you want to accomplish to the colors that historically can pull that off.  I have researched color associations thoroughly (with the help of Color Marketing Group International) and devised a chart that will help you make those color connections (see inset).

As long as you remember that color choice isn’t a contest between spouses, you can incorporate the best of both your preferences and (with luck and a bit of compromise) live happily ever after.