Tom Scott Interior Contractors | Patricia Scott Interior Resources

I just finished a wonderful hour long ceu course on line with Benjamin Moore, my paint company of choice www.benjaminmoore.com, and am pleased to announce that the color forecasts are looking UP…yes, I said UP UP and away as in etheral, cloud and angelic colors coming that transcend our daily lives. I found it quite interesting, however, that this was not the only forecast, we are headed for a more grounded sense of community as well. Colors that are forecast sometimes can help to predict the economy and global sentiment. I always hope for a better world and since color is my life I choose to incorporate the forecasts of the color experts who watch and predict with a lot of anticipatipation and enthusiasm. The Benjamin Moore Company broke down the 2011 color forecasts into 4 themed groups:

FARM, ORDER, ESCAPE, TRIBE

• FARM – will bring us “back down to earth” with browns that reminds us of the rich soil of mother earth as well as natural greens and vibrant colors found in the natural colors of fruit and vegetables such as buttery whites, clay browns, and warm golden tones. The most important colors suggested were “Hay” and “Burlap” which will translate further into furnishings in the home with the use of woven textures.

This makes a lot of sense to me considering we are on the cusp of the “Green” movement here in the East. Tom and I have always been recyclers and when we go to our little beach house in North Carolina he spends his time on the beach picking up the trash left by the tourists. I am not a waster, I eat leftovers, recycle containers, and use as many sustainable items as I can. My friends laugh at me because I wil use a fast food cup until it falls apart.

• ORDER – This is the sense of structure and order we require in our lives. Less is More is the mantra here with the basics of black and white as the foundation, but not the stark cold white we have seen in the urban palette. The whites will be warmer, more creamy and delicate. The other color that is shown is red, red seems to run through the entire spectrum from warm to cool reds. Red and black will be a strong, orderly arrangement as well as blue which is clear and vibrant to enhance white/ black combinations. The shapes that coincide with the colors selections for this palette are quite interesting; we are going back to cubes, circles, and “stacking” as a design concept. This will be utililized in our smaller spaces that we will choose to live in. “Form follows function” with be the call of the day. It reminds me of the need we all have coming out of this economic chaos the past two years for a simpler, more orderly way of living. The colors shown to correspond with this theme where we will use the black and white will be accented with colors as in a Mondrian style painting. I don’t know how many remember Marimekko designshttp://www.marimekko.fi/ENG/interior/fabric/maijaisola/1950luku/grid_3.htm from the 70’s, but the designs will be popular again and be seen in fashion as well as furniture textiles, but this time, a little less stiff than before with more fluidity rather than rigidity. We will see structural designs with a bit more flow and a sense of whimsy. For you fashionista’s: One Note – shoes with decorative heels will be the rage! We will see these everywhere with colors and patterns to create important style to our stride.
• ESCAPE Here we are going to be seeing angelic and etheral concepts humanized with a “powdery” or luminescent finish. Chairs and sofas may look a bit “cloud” like in there shapes and the colors that we will see for 2011 will be dream like to achieve the balance and stucture we are requiring. We will see etheral finishes continue with pearlized paint and the ceiling will now really be considered the 5th wall http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=sidebarportlet_1_16&sidebarportlet_1_16_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FselectSideBarArticle&sidebarportlet_1_16np=public_site%2Farticles%2Fget_inspired%2Fgi_forgotten_fifth_wall&sidebarportlet_1_16isNonSecure=true&_pageLabel=fh_ourblogsand be painted to create a sense of wonder. Gone are the citrus greens, we now see a warmer more welcoming softer glass green which then leads as well to into the colors of our former simpler times of the 1950’s , pinks, avocados, turquoise and orange but softer and mixed with a much more sophisticated flare. Armani and Dior have both shown lovely pinks with natural carbon, ombre and black and lavender as new color concepts. Pink will stay an important color through 2012.

There will be a lot of shadow play in textiles and wallcoverings. Sheer fabrics that seem to billow in the wind will remain in drapery textiles as well as wallcoverings. Rice paper, see through type styling as well as tone on tone in varying shades of the same color will show up quite a bit and lighting will become extremely important in enhancing our lives within our the structure of furniture and textiles. Philips Electronics is even show lighting in fashion and anyone who has seen Michael Jackson’s “This is It” will see the latest technology that his young wardrobe designer, Zaldy used on his never to be worn Billy Jean outfit. The socks, up the pants to the world famous glove lit up with diod lighting to create a spectacle we have come to expect from our rock stars. I wonder if we will see this lighting concept soon in textiles and furniture. I bet we do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lxarTRjqH4

• TRIBE our last theme of 2011 will incorporate the elements of EARTH, WIND, and FIRE . RED ,RED, and more RED is the underlying main color suggested for 2011’s Tribe theme. The colors for this palette are inspired by the South American and North American indigendious peoples. Very bright, vibrant tribalcolors reminescient of the color wheel pure primary colors again foiled against black and white.

Also, the sense of living within a community will become more important and will be translated within the colors of our “social tribe”. We will see home as the central theme and entertain more within our own space and comfort. Natural finishes will remain important as we continue to see wood, stone, glass, as well as some new finishes from the animal kingdom such as TORTISE be featured. There is a sense of community in furniture design as well with large benches and and huge tables with the ever important chair featured as the figured head. Different home designs within the urban space will be seen, which are modular in concept and some of which have been inspired by the tee pee of our native brothers and sisters. In fashion we will see breast plates becoming a huge adornment along with “tea stained” fashions and textiles. This sense of community integrates back to the first theme of the Farm by seeing rooftop gardens and urban co-ops that share food, clothes, and furniture. We will all have a better sense of our environment and to not waste what we we have. For me, it will be a long time coming and I look forward to a grounded, more structured, kinder society in 2011.