Color Forecast for 2007

The 2007 palette is bright. Oranges are still vibrant, continuing to make things feel new. Yellows are brighter and gold hues richer and warmer. Pinks will be replaced with corals. Many shades of reds, blues and greens – ever present in nature – will always be an inspiration for our interior environments. Browns and charcoals are luxurious neutrals that can stand alone or complement many other color schemes.

Also in the forecast are blue-influenced reds, as well as clear, bright red. Take note of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Chinese red emerging as a leading color.

Trendy “pop” colors used for accent are being replaced with those adding dimension and character as consumers look for livable and long-term “friendly” hues. These livable colors are now the colorful neutrals, including blues and greens. Look for these to be used in large areas, not just for a punch of color. Metallics will also become hot accents, expanding the range of pewter, bronze, gold and silver tones.

Is Technology Transforming Colors?

Sherwin Williams suggests that technology is influencing color palettes as it brings us new materials, such as “special-effects textiles with built-in LED lighting or luminescent chameleon fabrics that change color with their light source.” In layman’s terms, this basically means that as luster is being added to the warp and weft of fabrics, they change color as they move in the light. As technology improves, it continues to bring about new styling techniques with contract colors crossing over into the consumer palette to make offices feel like home.

Color Terms

Confused about different paint terms? Following are some examples from Sherwin Williams. Go to swstir.com to access a glossary of others:

Bleeding – The flowing of color matter through a coating from underlying surfaces, causing color change.

Gloss – The shine or luster of the surface of a finish as light is reflected back at a 60-degree angle.

Leafing – The tendency of flat pigment particles, such as metallic powders, to align themselves parallel to a coated surface. The result is often a silvery or brilliant finish.

Sheen – A radiant brightness or glow, due to light being reflected from a smooth surface at an 85-degree angle.

A Bit of Trivia

Ever wonder where the five colors in the Rings of Olympus, the official Olympic logo, come from?

In the flag of every nation you will find at least one of these colors!

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