Color Trends 2011

Both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-William are making similar forecasts, and they're backed by what I see in the lastest fashion trends. "Why do you watch fashion trends?" you ask. Well, fashion trends eventually find their way to home decor trends. As more fashion designers cross over to home design, they bring with them their fashion aesthetics. The trend is happening much sooner these days . Instead of the four- to five-year lag time in the past, we're seeing fashion trends emerge in home dÈcor in just a year or two.

Neutral is Back!

Although designers have been creating rooms with neutral color palettes for many decades, this year the neutral colors are back in style: white, cream, beige, brown, and black are the colors that anchor a room. Taupe with a warm mauve undertone is also big this year.

Gray is the New Black

Shades of grays are hot this year, too. Warm grays blend especially well with shades of cream and beige as you can see in this room by Ironies.

Ethnic Chic

Patterns and colors from traditional American and South American Indian cultures are seen everywhere on textiles, most notably in home accessories such as throw pillows. A retracing of nomadic roots also extends to other ethnic cultures as well. Moroccan influenced geometric and abstract floral patterns are seen on prints, carpets, etc. Earthy shades of red and yellow such as terra cotta and burnt ocre have gained a strong presence in many color schemes.

Green Nature

Shades of green, aqua, turquoise, denim and indigo blues are still in vogue this year. Both dark and light shades are used widely in accessories and decor. However, gone are the bright and acidic colors. Instead, you will find these colors closer to Mother Nature's palette: soft and refined at the same time.
Kadeer by Decorative Carpets

Pop Colors but Better

This year's accent colors are mauve, cobalt blue, and yellow. But they are slightly muted so they're easier to live with on a daily basis. Bold reds and pinks have warm undertones to better blend with the neutral colors.

Colors in a Glance

I have collected the trend colors from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-William for my readers for a side-by-side comparison:


Benjamin Moore


Sherwin-William

Putting it all together

The easiest way to incorporate strong color palettes and patterns is to support them with a background of neutral colors on either the wall or floor. When you choose to use colors on large furnishings such as sofas, try to keep the use of patterns to a minimum. In this display room by Della Robbia, the deep mauve colored sofa is accented with bold patterned throw pillows and native American vases.

A few well-placed accent colors go a long way and give your decor longevity. In my article, I have used many images from fashion to better illustrate the pattern and color palettes that are the hot trends this year. So next time you're shopping, look for items with these patterns and colors to energize your spaces.

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