Market Insider, Spring 2008
Pantone Inc. Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman presented a forecast
of color trends, sponsored by Furniture Style, during Winter 2008
Las Vegas Market and previewed what she called one of the most
directional furniture palettes in the ever-evolving home furnishings
palette.
According to Eiseman, this year will not have one hot color. Consumers
today have dramatically different lifestyles and look for inspiration in
design, color and style.
"Style is not a four-letter word," Eiseman said, referring to generous,
inventive and highly stylized use of color on everything from chairs to
kitchenware. "In real estate, it's all about location, location,
location. In color, it's context, context, context."
 Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Inc. |
Fashion and global trends are also strong precursors to what will show up on home furnishings. Celebrity Bono's red social action campaign took the color beyond trend and influenced Pantone's chili pepper red. Environmental issues are also spurring green beyond a color trend. Blue is the most popular color with consumers and crosses over into many home-decorating areas in shades of pinks and purples.
Forecasters are saying that yellow is the new orange, but Eiseman said that although yellow is making inroads into the color palette, orange will not go away, at least for the next couple of years. Many shades of green are prominent and beyond a color trend, and brown is hot, changing from dirty to rich and robust in what Eiseman called the "Starbucks phenomenon." Browns are also being paired with other colors in edgy ways, such as brown and fuchsia. Black remains hot, and there has been a big return to gray. Adaptation of animal prints will continue to be in vogue.
Eiseman said metallics are hanging on longer than many in the industry would have expected. Finishes have been reworked, so you not only find a bright gold or silver, but also patinas. Metallics are showing up in many furnishings, with technology and advances in fabrics as the great enabler. She showed an example of a chaise she spotted at the Milan furniture fair that she expected to be cold and sterile but actually felt like taffeta. Whimsical uses of color and over-the-top designs attract attention on the selling floor.
 Rowe Furniture |
Pantone's picks for 2008
ReCollections. New color mixes called ReCollections provide a link to the past, while at the same time beckon to the collectibles of the future. Enhanced by tapestry blues and muted blue greens, elegant champagne and warm peachy tones are pivotal to this palette. History invariably repeats itself, but there are interesting new adaptations that energize customary traditional themes, largely provided by new color mixes and materials.
High Profile. High Profile hues are a sexy, contemporary palette, inspired by the stylish icons that have managed to survive the fads and foibles of the past. Often combining techno with retro or mystical with modern, designs are sleek, trim and forever contemporary. These aspirational products (or settings) are newly invented in classic shades of pristine white, ebony black, rich browns or silvery grays accented by the glamorous impact of fuchsia and royal purple, as well as glimmering gold and silver.
Ethnic Chic. Ethnic Chic reaches a new level of sophistication in rich hues of deep purple paired with misted yellow and stone grays, while burnt orange is juxtaposed against vibrant blue and brunette browns. The ethnic chic look has gone uptown and upscale. A brown and purplish combo will be a hot look into 2009. With a plethora of design influences coming from anywhere on the globe, it is possible for "urban nomads" to wander the world (virtually or digitally) looking for the styling and color language of another culture that speaks to them.
Chinoiserie. Defined as a style of ornate art or decoration suggesting the Chinese tradition, Chinoiserie is a blend of graceful shapes and charming motifs. Colors are artfully combined in tones of quiet violet with muted lime, cameo pink and hushed greens with a traditional touch of an antiqued Chinese red. With the Olympics coming up in Bejing, there is an increased interest in Chinese culture. It is a glimpse of China's stylized past preserved in porcelain, ceramics, paintings and silky textiles.
Agrestic. Rooted in rural origins, the Agrestic palette reflects the culture of individually crafted materials that are going more in the direction of upscale than down-home. It is appealingly contemporized country, a rustic re-do of both texturized and smooth surfaces that calls for comforting combinations, for example, of bruschetta browns, tender greens or warming golden yellows with an unexpected accent of a vibrant pink. Eiseman said major retailers are embracing pink ? Neiman Marcus recently ran a pink sale instead of a white sale.
 Sotte le Lune |
Savories. In a world filled with stress, schedules, commitments and concerns, it's important to have some unadulterated fun in at least one area of living space ? to savor a more fanciful "time out" filled or accented with deliciously exuberant, youthful and whimsical hues. The Savories palette includes tasty blends of decadent chocolate and daiquiri green, with dollops of appetizing brights embellishing the mix. These hot colors are not just for kids. Everything from sinks to furniture is sporting these vibrant hues.
Nuances. In the world of home furnishings, there is always a need for neutrals ? the classic, nature-inspired hues that can always be depended upon as background (or foreground). These newly "nuanced" neutrals can also provide a visual pathway to unexpected and intriguing accents or combinations such as rose paired with earthy browns or reddish plums highlighted with a green-tinged bronze tone. Today's mauves are new and fresh. In fact, Calvin Klein is bringing mauve back in a different way.
Eiseman is a color specialist who has been called “America's color guru.” In fact, her color expertise is recognized worldwide. She has helped many companies make the best and most educated choice of color for product development, logos and identification, brand imaging, Web sites, packaging, point of purchase, interior/exterior design or any other application where color choice is critical to the success of the product or environment.
In addition to her post with Pantone, she heads the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training. Eiseman has also authored many books on color.
Pantone Inc. has been the world's color authority for more than 45 years. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone now offers paint and designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.
