Color Trends

2001 Will Emerge in Techno-color

Color experts forecast commercial and contract color trends for the next millennium.

Colors for commercial and contract markets for 2001 will be micro-refined and full of complex colors perfect for layering. The overall feeling will be serene, relaxing and 100 percent decaffeinated! This was the consensus of more the 650 color experts, all members of Color Marketing Group (CMG), Alexandria, VA, who gathered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in October 1998, to forecast colors for commercial environments in 2001 including retail, hospitality, entertainment, office and health care markets. CMG members develop cross-industry short- and long-range color forecasts for manufactured products defined as emerging colors (those expected to appear and become mainstream in the next 18 months) and forecast colors (those expected to become viable from 19 months to the next 36 months). The process often is described as a collective, collaborative consensus. (See D&WC, "Special Report," June 1998) The palettes provide a guide for integrating new colors into product lines. "CMG members will adjust the strength of the color to fit their particular products, but at the same time, feel comfortable that it will coordinate with complementary products in the contract marketplace," says CMG president Hall Dillon, Dorn Color Card, Inc., Cleveland, OH. COLOR DIRECTIONS The four major color directions identified in CMG's 2001 Contract/Commercial Palette are: • Special Effect and Finishes: These continue to influence the color palette, but with less iridescence and more luminescence. Co-chairman of the Contract Color Directions Committee, Karen Martin, Mannington Carpets, Inc., Calhoun, GA, reports, "The future predicts a shift of lustrous metallics and pearls to velvet, suede and matte finishes. Anodized, galvanized and oxidized surfaces reinforce the current direction." In addition, colors with texture and surface interest remain an important consideration. • New Technologies: These have produced new pigments which literally change randomly from hue to hue. Things are not always what they seem. Multi-dimensional colors ranging from the earth-based to ethereal are emerging. • Techno-naturals: A very strong gray influence was apparent with the inclusion of several grays and gray-tinted hues in both the emerging and forecast palettes. All brown and gray cast neutrals (urban neutrals) are important in light and dark tones. "An interesting interplay of color and light make the usual unusual," says co-chairman of the Contract Color Directions Committee Jon Christian, Len-Tec Corp., North Walpole, NH. • Future Brights: Atmospheric, clean, exhilarating tones emerge from an assortment of blues and greens and a dash of daring red. Future Brights are juxtaposed with Future Grays. Color Marketing Group was founded in 1962 and is based in Alexandria, VA. It is an international, not-for-profit association of 1,500 color designer professionals who enhance the function, salability and quality of a product through their knowledge and appropriate applications of color. For more information, contact CMG at (703) 329-8500; fax: (703) 329-0155; e-mail: cmg@colormarketing.org.

2001 Contract Color Directions Forecast • Wasabi-A non-acidic, minimalistic, muted green similar to an Asian green. • Mist-A not-to-be-missed pure neutral gray. • Ice Crystal-A cool, icy, atmospheric blue on the edge of plate glass. • Bon Soir-A tinted blue-black that's a dia- mond in the rough. • Sorrel Brown-A versatile workhorse for a color-based neutral. • Van Gold-A burnished, opulent, malleable metallic. • Brocade Gold-A sophisticated neutral to coordinate well with the bright accents. • Moulin Rouge-A cosmetic rose that's a kiss away from berry. • Aquarelle-A clear, refreshing water- influenced green/blue. • Beaucoup Blue-A non-aggressive mid- value blue filing the gap between Ice Crystal and Provence. • Provence-A rich, clean Mediterranean red-based blue. "The future predicts a shift of lustrous metallics and pearls to velvet, suede and matte finishes."