www.BenjaminMoore.com

As we wade through the holiday season our thoughts start to drift to the New Year and what changes it will bring.   Being a “colorista” I am fascinated with how color trends change each year influenced by our economy and general outlook on life.  Benjamin Moore, my favorite paint company has predicted Vintage Wine (2116-20) as their 2011 color of the year according to their website.  This rich hue with a deep brown base and a hint of smoky violet is a warm, bold choice for your home. As an undertone in many of the latest wood finishes, leathers, and other textiles, vintage wine, and its lighter variations, will make a great paint color pick for many applications over the coming years. From deep smoky wine to wildly pumped up fuchsia, purple promises to be a predominant color in home decor in 2011.

Vintage Wine 2116-20

Forecasted Colors for 2011

In addition to their Color of the Year, the Benjamin Moore color team also comes up with a palette of colors they are forecasting for the coming year. The color team reviews cultural, social, and political conditions and looks at how they affect fashion and design trends. Their analysis led to a central Balance theme with three related “style movements”-Soulful, Spirited and Dreamy. Each of these style movements were then defined by six Benjamin Moore colors.

Soulful…

Communications technology has drawn the global cultures closer. What may have seemed strange now appears familiar to us. On the style front, this is visible in ethnic designs, pattern-on-pattern, and handmade decoration such as beading and embroidery. Colors that reflect this include Benjamin Moore’s:

• Vintage Wine 2116-20
• Wasabi AF-430
• Amulet AF-365
• Casco Bay 2051-30
• Hush AF-95
• Etruscan AF – 355

Casco Bay 2051-30

Spirited…

By spirited, this means anything that makes you feel happy, joyful, playful. In fashion and furnishings it’s reflected in designs featuring geometrics, stripes and cubes, and dots and curlicues. Loud and bright colors are balanced with gray, black and white. Benjamin Moore colors comprising this palette are:

• Royal Flush 2076-20
• Grape Green 2027-40
• Wrought Iron 2124-10
• Paper Mache AF-25
• Storm AF-700
• Lucerne AF-350

Grape Green 2027-40

Dreamy…

From a design perspective, dreamy means transparency, sheerness, blurriness and softness. The Benjamin Moore colors that reflect this style or mood are:

• Gray Mirage 2142-50
• Genesis White 2134-70
• Porcelain 2113-60
• Etiquette AF-50
• Kendall Charcoal HC-166
• Smoke 2122-40

Kendall Charcoal HC-166

Each year Benjamin Moore announces their predictions for the upcoming year in a booklet that’s free and available through their stores. The booklet contains decorating ideas, photo illustrations, plus the forecasted palette of 18 colors for 2011. 

Are you planning on changing your colors in 2011?  Let us know what you are planning on working on and we will feature some ideas to get you started.