Colour Trends for 2011 – Some Interesting Links
December 31, 2010
2011 Colour Trends are more cheerful
While the colour guru’s have already planned our palettes far into 2012 and beyond, most of us don’t pay much attention to what we can expect for the new year until right around the end of the old one. Here is the forecast for colours in 2011. They are not so much trendy as they are simply building on previous trends developed over the past two or three years.
Several companies release useful information on predicted colour trends. None conflict. They are just different ways of describing what’s happening. In each release for 2011, there are a selection of bright and clear hues as well as many sun faded, dusty shades.
Pantone has declared Honeysuckle Pantone 12-2120 their colour of the year. It’s a vibrant pinkish red. You can download the Pantone Spring Palette here http://www.pantone.com/downloads/articles/pdfs/FCR_SPRING_2011.pdf You’ll see it’s a mix of warm and cool colours which will combine with last winters colours to give your spring wardrobe a lift.
Branding experts at Landor Associates have released an interesting report predicting trends many areas, including colours. It’s available here: http://landor.com/index.cfm?do=thinking.article&storyid=837&sct=8&s=8&a=229 Colour expert, Jack Bredenfoerder, catalogues his predictions using an analogy to fire. He tells us we’ll see fire-inspired reds, oranges and ambers, and lighter golden browns. Bright clean blues continue, more aquatic and watery in balance to the fire colours. Greens are reminiscent of the forest floor. Grey’s continue in charcoal, smoke and ash and graphite black. Some taupes and browns are back. The purples will take on more lavender and blue tones as you might see at the bottom of a flame.
If you subscribe to the newsletter on this blog, http://www.sensationalcolor.com/liveinfullcolor/ you can download the Sensational Color for Your Home 2010/2011 Trends Report. It’s well illustrated with examples of the 2011 colours used in various rooms.
Benjamin Moore’s website shows three collections in their Envision 2011. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=fh_color_hiddenPage&np=public_site%2Fapplications%2Fcolor_collections%2FEnvisionColor2011#/view_swatches/view_all/2116-20/ Their colour of the year is vintage wine, a rich hue with deep brown base and hint of smoky violet.
Sherwin Williams has four downloadable colour cards for their four palettes. Start here http://www.sherwin-williams.com/pro/paint_colors/explore/paint_color_trends/2011/index.jsp You’ll see there are two with bold and bright colours and two with soft and faded.
ICI-Dulux colour of the year 2011 in this teapot
ICI/Dulux has a downloadable Color Futures 2011 report here: http://www.colourfutures.com/ It’s a good one to provide ideas on how to combine the various new colours into room schemes. Be sure to also download the Notebook from the same page. Their pick for colour of the year is a light airy citrus yellow with a slight green edge.
While the colours have evolved a little from the previous year they are not abruptly different. However, I find the overall feeling much more optimistic compared to the drab greys and near blacks that have predominated in our stores all winter. It will be uplifting to watch their arrival.
