As you anticipate what exciting things this year will bring, you might notice your home decor has been left behind. Fortunately, you can easily beautify and modernize your home using hints from design experts on the hottest color trends. Don’t worry that you’ll need to break the bank — simply updating the shades of your walls can create the feel of an entire new home without the cost of buying one. And you’ll enjoy starting the year in fresh, contemporary surroundings.
“Our world has become increasingly complicated and fast-paced in recent years, to the point that many people are now taking steps back to reevaluate their lifestyles and consider what’s truly important,” says Donna Schroeder, Dutch Boy Paints manager of Color + Design. “As we look back to simpler times, we also see how design and style have evolved. Dutch Boy’s 2012 color forecast is based on this reflection and the self-expression of what people find meaningful. This year’s diverse color trends are rich and full of history, helping people create spaces that truly show their inner selves.”
Featuring five groupings of the hottest colors in home decor, the Dutch Boy color forecast offers options for any room or personal taste. The 2012 trends palettes are as follows:
Ethereal
Whether it’s the search for enlightenment or just the best cup of organic coffee within 20 miles, the path is about more than the ground covered. The Ethereal collection floats above other color palettes, airy and atmospheric with tea-stained and faded hues evocative of the lightness of the sky under the midday sun. Light colors from this palette include Epidermal, Faded Mint and Feather Lite.
Primitive
A meandering path through the forest takes us past colors only to be found in nature. Deep barks, shocking citrines and raw earth inspired the natural colors of this palette. The Primitive colors are as mysterious as the shaded canopy of the woods that inspired them. Suffused with energy, they speak to growth, regeneration and life. This natural palette includes Raw Garnet, Symbiotic Green and Indi-genous Teal.
Fundamental
We’ve walked far away from the beige computer housings of the 1970s, only to find the hues from this budding technological era coming back full force. Retro office meets geek chic for a new take on ’70s style, as seen in this grouping.
The Fundamental color palette makes full use of classic, contrasting neutrals like beige and gray — designed to work as the perfect foil for bold main accents of green, orange and vibrant blue. Basic colors in the Fundamental palette include Ink Blue, Aged Cognac and Rudimentary Beige.
Pastimes
The Pastimes color palette is filled with exuberant shades reminiscent of lazy summer days at a lake house without a television, or the intensity of the circus coming to town. It’s a simpler time, an antidote to the fast-paced buzz and hum of modern technology. Bright Pastimes hues include Clown’s Nose, Kiddie Pool and Orangesicle.
Compose
A street of dreams with a focus on soft femininity and vintage 1930s floral fashions are at the heart of the Compose color palette. Rich, dark hues are offset by bright pops of color that despite their origin in an earlier era, look fresh and new. This is a collection that worships the creative being in all of us, and encourages self-expression through home decorating. This inspired palette contains shades such as Purple Pencil Skirt, Lip Stain Pink and Theatrical Teal.
Choose any path to fit your home, whether it’s a light, shimmery mint from the Ethereal palette, or a natural green from the Primitive palette. Using these cues from the color professionals, you can ensure your home stays in style.
