High Point Market Trend Report
HIGH FASHION COLORS FOR HOME
TRENDING TO HUES FROM NATURE

By Arthur Douglas Thayer

HIGH POINT, NC -- Home  fashion colors for 2008 home are hues from nature including blue, green and brown, according to color guru Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

The trend story applies to all points of the price spectrum, Eiseman told a color seminar at the International Home Furnishings Market held here March 26 to  April 1, 2007.
 

"Color is inescapable in all types of product design," said Eiseman. "Celebrity chefs,  design divas on TV decorating shows, style magazines, the internet, how to books by top interior designers, all of these raise the bar on what consumers expect in color today.€VbCrLf

In discussing the many influence on color trends, Eiseman emphasized that consumers expected style and good color stories at all price points, from high style to very promotional.

"Today's consumers are both aspirational and experimental. They stretch to reach a higher plane of style for their homes and they are willing to play around until they achieve it,€VbCrLf said Eiseman.

"Industry professionals have an obligation to satisfy the needs and desires of the American consumer,€VbCrLf she stressed.

Color is rarely used as a single component of design, Eseman pointed out. Instead of one color being the critical factor, it is how colors are put in proportion to one another and how they work together. Most importantly is how the consumer reacts to them.

Hollywood Guides and Reflects Taste

Hollywood both guides and reflects the tastes of the public, said Eiseman. "Hollywood blockbusters can have a profound effect on consumers pocketbooks. Moviegoers see a luscious interior and they want to emulate it in their own home,€VbCrLf she said.

"Have you noticed in the last year or so, how many critter films have been released?" she asked the audience. "We are seeing a lot of animated films where the main characters are woodland creatures all in natural colors. These neutral shades are unusual in children's products, but are being mixed successfully with the typical bright colors associated with kids. That trend will go through 2008 into 2009,€VbCrLf predicted Eiseman.

Fashion Influences Home Furnishings

Fashion always influences home furnishings, according to Eiseman. Fall 2007 runway shows in New York reflected music business hotspots. The flash and glitter associated with rap and rock stars, bling-bling included, will be ubiquitous in the home, she predicted.

Red comes and goes in fashion. It will return via charitable campaigns fighting AIDS in Africa, according to Eiseman. Red was the chosen color for these ads. Pantone featured this hue as "chili red.€VbCrLf

"Animal patterns continue, from feline to zebra. Leopard skin is now a true classic,€VbCrLf stated Eiseman.
 

Hand-Crafted

Hand-hewn remains a key element in color. Customized colors, processes and surfaces, that are hand crafted and special continue a trend that helps differentiate product from the norm. Metal, a natural element, is enhanced by  hand processes.

"Metallic surfaces don't go away. In home fashion, the interest is in manipulating the surfaces, such as a striated patina in silverware or a brushed silver front on a dining room cabinet," said Eiseman.

"At the most recent Milan Furniture Fair, homage was paid to technology. A chaise seemed covered in slick uncomfortable metal, but in fact it was upholstered in a very supple, comfortable polyester taffeta. One always looks to the automotive industry for the latest in metal finishes.€VbCrLf said Eiseman.

Pairing Opulence and Simplicity

Opposites attract these days, Eiseman noted. As an example,  a Louis XVI bergere chair is covered in a silk Chinese tapestry, with wood finished in a lustrous metallic finish, and explained the contrast of opulence and simplicity.

Design Icons

Andy Warhol rug from Sphinx by Oriental Weavers
retails for $299 in 5'3€VbCrLf x 7'9€VbCrLf  (Image courtesy of Oriental Weavers Sphinx)

Iconography is a growing trend in the home furnishings industry, said Eiseman, explaining that there are many different kinds of icons: religious, cultural, historical, literary, artistic and design. In design, icons include the Mont Blanc pen, the Barcelona chair, a Chanel suit.

Two recent examples are the Disney collection at Drexel Heritage, and the Andy Warhol rug collection at Sphinx by Oriental Weavers. No soup cans, or Marilyn Monroe images, instead Sphinx focused on more painterly designs by the artist.

Casual Trend is Tops

The top trend category is casual/rustic, according to Eiseman.

"When I forecast future trends, I first look at surveys. No matter how much we may want to see a growth in modern or traditional style, surveys indicate otherwise. The top trend is casual and rustic, " said Eiseman.

Eiseman hesitated to use the word "country" to describe this trend. "In its updated form, it's not your mother's or grandmother's Early American, but its roots are there," she said.

According to Eiseman,  traditional/formal and contemporary came in second place, running neck and neck.

Popular Home Colors

Eiseman  gave an overview of popular colors in the home.
 

• Green has gone beyond a trend color.
  
  After a full decade of transforming from khaki to olive and moss to spa green then on to kiwi, lime and chartreuse, green shows no signs of fading away, noted Eiseman. Today, the color is the symbolic of the sustainability movement, according to Eiseman's research.
  
  "Time Magazine referred to the 21st Century as the green century. Note also that green is Mother Nature's favorite color. It works well with neutrals and can be considered one itself, by virtue of its omnipresence, said Eiseman.
   

• Blue
  
  "Natural colors are here to stay, no matter what," said Eiseman . "They are not a trend, they are a fact of life. As green is a color of nature and considered a natural color, so is the color of the most basic and abundant substance on the planet, water. Blue evokes a particular palette for everyone, from cool ocean blues to very warm royal blues. It remains America's most popular color, and interestingly enough, it is listed as the top color in many other nations," said Eiseman.
   

• Purple
  
  "Because  of fashion's strong influence on the home, purple has staying power. New York designer Zac Posen, advocates plum, lavender, aubergine and especially purple in his new collection,€VbCrLf said Eiseman.
   

• Yellow
  
  "The home furnishings business got the message on yellow before fashion. They thought of yellow in all its variations, not just taxi cab primary yellow, but shades toning all the way to beige,€VbCrLf Eiseman said.
   

• Orange
  
  "Orange is still out there, it's been around for a while. The critical issue is its value. As people get used to it, the value calms down a lot,€VbCrLf Eiseman noted.
   

• Brown
  
  "Brown as a pigment, used in paint, textiles, ceramics, accessories, has been stigmatized because of its enormous popularity," Eiseman noted, pointing out that brown is also the color of  the wood in our homes.
  
  A new direction for the pigment brown is to mix it with fuchsia or purple for a truly warm combination, according to Eiseman.
   

• Gray
  
  There was a great resurgence of gray last year, said Eiseman. " The menswear influence clearly leads this. The most directional gray hovers in the middle, a true medium gray," stated Eiseman.
   

• Black and White
  
  "Black and white never went out of fashion. Its success depends on texture and patterning, like houndstooth weaves or raw silk dupiones. Purple will also work as an accent color here, as with the brown story, " according to Eiseman.

EIGHT HOME TRENDS FOR 2008

Eiseman identified eight home trends for 2008 and beyond.

1. Recollections

metallic finished  chest

jadeite and champagne tassels

Recollections give a link to the past. "Consumers want a connection to the past through their family heirlooms, said Eiseman. "It's a great way to uncover classic color combinations. Color combinations include tapestry blues. Chain mail, as in mesh purses are very influential in this trend,€VbCrLf she added.

2. High Profile


High Profile: Silver metallic pillow


High Profile:  Wine colored cushion on dark mahogany bed.

High Profile is Eiseman's sensuous take on the iconic look. Key are brown and gray, through 2008. The same applies to  black and white with purple accents.

Ethnic Chic

Maroon colored bed on chocolate carpet

Charcoal colored bust of Buddha

"Ethnic Chic isn't your mother's Pier One Imports," Eiseman remarked. It's a very stylish mixture of many cultural backgrounds embraced together."   Incorporated in this trend are yellow green with black and white, and brown with baja blue and purple.

Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie: floral velvet tapestry

Chinoiserie: silk embroidered Chinese comforter

Chinoiserie obviously refers to Chinese. However it goes beyond the expected Chinese red, and into a pastel direction. The palette is more muted, grayed down, with punch provided by holly berry, an antiqued and softened version of the classic Chinese red.

Agrestic

Agrestic: pine cone in bowl.

Agrestic is a newly coined word which describes a trend that has its roots in agriculture. "Consumers
don't want to part with what they have, these colors show how they can enhance what they have. Tones to note are pinks with yellows and olive green,€VbCrLf stated Eiseman.

Wellspring

Wellspring: detail on fiddle fern

Wellspring: conch seashell
 

Wellspring: Clamshell chair

"Wellspring speaks of the staying power of blue and green. People gravitate to this color combination. New variations are blues with stronger yellow greens, along with sandy tones of the beach, according to Eiseman.

Savories

Savories: clear blue sink with orange accessories

Savories refers to cuisine and dining experiences. The Savories palette includes warm food colors, including  rich reds and browns with an interesting play of texture included in the color combinations.

Nuances

Nuances: golden leather journals
 

Nuances demonstrates how neutrals are taking on an even higher comfort level than before. Adding greens with dark reds like wine and claret kept the natural color story fresh and newsworthy, according to Eiseman.

ED NOTE: Images, except where noted, are courtesy of Pantone.

4.11.07