Subtle hues, earthy colors lead in 'blue' decade

When choosing the colors for your new home, the main goal should be to use the colors that are going to be not the colors that have been. Every color palette is in "style." It is the shade, intensity and combinations that fluctuate. Staying in tune with these changes can be as simple as being aware of what is happening.

Color is definitely "in" this year. Consumers desire a choice when it comes to color for their homes, and available color choices are endless.

Blue and green are the important hues of the year. Low-key blues (aqua, watercolor blue and lavender) and celadon green (the shade of celery) are the colors that will be strong in 2001. According to the Color Marketing Group (CMG) and the Pantone Color Institute, the two organizations that are in the business of forecasting which colors will be featured in fabrics, wallpapers, accessories, appliances, etc., soft colors are the ones sought after by busy working homeowners. Seeking serenity at home, soothing soft colors will continue on a trend started last year.

The CMG predicts that blue will be an important color for the entire decade. Blue combined with a wide array of clay, soft earthy reds or blue accented with a vibrant energetic blue and lavender (pale purple) will speak of today. A strong ethnic influence from Asia, Morocco and Turkey bright orange and deep red liven up the forecast. The searing Moroccan colors in textiles are making a major statement.

Using a subtle range of hues makes an interior feel effortless never overproduced. As a good example, sage, ochre, seafoam and taupe, make a gorgeous contribution. Water colors like blue-green, sandy beige and seashell-pink will be "in" for the future. Rich colors like earthy reds, eggplant, olive and gold are readily available and here to stay. Techno-colors, such as gray, taupe, black and pure white will be the new neutrals for the technical equipment that must work in a variety of environments.

More details are available at the HBA Horne Show Seminar "How to Choose Colors for Your Home," at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 4. It is presented by Mary Martin, ASID, and Dawn Woods, allied member ASID.

(Marilyn Raines, ASID, is designer and owner of Final Touch Interiors.)