2009/2010 COLOUR FORECASTS
Paint color trends tend to survive the decade in which they were created. They have a potential of becoming a long-term influence on the color and interior design of our homes.
Resene paint colour cues for 2010 - Contrast, colour and contradiction
The strong push for sustainability as a collective effort has evolved to become a personal responsibility for each of us, shifting the focus of the green palette as we combine our lifestyles with more sustainable living rather than just sustainable living defining lifestyle. Caring for the environment has become embedded in our culture and the way we do and think about things - a part of our daily lives - challenging preconceived ideas of what is truly ‘green'. This underscores a move away from basic earthiness towards the warmth and comfort of copper browns, such as Resene Desperado, a shift from gold towards yellows, such as Resene Ipanema, while healthy oranges and pinks, such as Resene Daredevil and Resene Vibe, pack some punch. A fusion of warmth with the green palette sees brown enhanced gold’s, such as Resene Hot Toddy, warmed yellow greens, such as Resene Kombi, and rich dusty greens, such as Resene Rutherford, growing in popularity. A sprinkling of yellow greens with fresh and acidic undertones, such as Resene First Light and Resene Poprock, is remindful of fresh spring foliage and the energy of youth.
There is a misty soft and thoughtful cast over sectors of the green and blue palette, with frosted, pale aquatic colours, such as Resene Glacier and Resene Comfort Zone. The soft focus hints of subtle depths and lends a sense of ethereality. The feeling is cool, dominated by blues with additions of pale greens, such as Resene Reservoir and Resene Kandinsky, and soft putty hues, such as Resene Fleetwood and Resene Miso, for a complete look. Blues are softened and diluted, moving away from strong nautical influenced shades to hues reflecting the freshwater aquatic. Frosted glass and Perspex reinforce the misty feeling of these ghost colours. The increasing prevalence of blues in the palette reflects their growing popularity. Ambiguous colours, such as Resene Maestro and Resene Patriot, difficult to place in a single colour palette cross the line between blue and green.
Uncertain times surround us and as we enter a new decade this also has a major bearing on the palette. Paring back the complications of our lives, increasing focus is being placed on the luxury of well-being and healthy living, investing time and effort in connecting with nature and enjoying the simpler pleasures of life. Natural materials are becoming increasingly popular and the art of the backyard vegetable garden is experiencing a resurge in interest as people look to grow their own, free of high prices and unwanted chemicals. Escape remains top of mind. With the complications of busy modern lifestyles and the concerns of the economy and the environment we yearn to escape our daily routine. This escape is made possible with refreshing and dynamic colour inspired by exotic places and flowers. Hot reds, such as Resene Jalapeno and Resene Del Toro, meet rust and exotic oranges such as Resene Vindaloo and Resene Ayers Rock, all providing strong punctuation. With information overload, the need for simplicity is being seen as vital heralding in the emotional era of definite likes and dislikes enabling us to make strong choices, including strong colour selections. Creating our own hideaways from the busy world, these spaces span uplifting through to relaxing atmospheres, but all collectively slow down the pace of life. Strong vibrant colours, such as Resene Pulse and Resene Pursuit, encourage risk taking. Their strength is optimistic and invigorating.
We are becoming increasingly sophisticated in our tastes with a growing appreciation for quality and luxury. We may be buying less in response to the economical and ecological environment, but when we buy we buy quality and reputable brands, and when we choose colour, we do so with meaningful intent. The mysterious hues of taupe, such as Resene Perfect Taupe, continue to strengthen as a key anchoring neutral as interior neutrals start to trend away from cooler grey tones. Taupe has many subtle nuances; a colour that tends to defy precise description because of its ability to adapt to other colours and influencers in the space it is used. Browns, such as Resene Stonewashed and Resene Half Pravda, are softening towards taupe. Neutrals are a no colour blank canvas from which to build up the textures, layering and colour that will create the final effect. The neutrals, such as Resene Barely There and Resene Thornton Cream, straddle the gap between the anchoring safer hues and the stronger accent colours.
Soft beiges and nuances of cream and nude are reminiscent of human skin tones, soothing to the senses. Black, such as Resene Blackjack and Resene Blackout, and white, such as Resene White Thunder and Resene Whiteout, are stark contrasts while metallic greys play off against exotic purples. An intriguing lack of colour in each hue, but in combination the contrast brings out the colour.
Wattyl colour trends for Spring 2010. Expressionism Until most recently only the young or brave in the mainstream were determined to make their personal statement in design. This palette delves into the emerging trend of customisation and independent design. Breaking away from the constraints of normality, companies are now offering customised products to stay in touch with and satisfy their customer's unique needs. The desire for individualism, escapism and freedom combine to create a truly juxtaposed palette.
Inventive Exchange Are you a twitter, blogger, facebook tragic or i-phone addict? From social interaction to bio-fuel crops, technology is shaping our future constantly. With technology all invasive and with the dramatic advances almost everyday, it's a wonder science and technology are a major influence on colour and design.
Essential Home This palette, more than any other, reflects our emerging mood. It's positive, encouraging and celebrates people's success, rather than their failures. This is a fell-good palette and these uplifting colours perfectly reflect this sentiment. We can see an optimistic future on the horizon and the 'essential home' colours certainly display this with warm, bright and elevating colours and combinations.
Ethical Conversion The Ethical Conversion palette has an underlying meaning of commerce with a conscience. It reflects the 'human touch' and heightened consumer awareness influencing product choice. Products that are authentic, have integrity, are natural and carbon neutral are the catalysts behind this palette. this is demonstrated by the earthiness of the colours and by their neutral undertones.
De-luxing Luxury has been redefined as a mindset. It's about encompassing discretion, experience, responsibility and worth. Think about when things were made to last. It's not about spending less, it's about spending more wisely. For many years furniture has been bought for the 'now', whereas a trend is now emerging for high quality pieces, which in the end, become family heirlooms.
Stay-cation Home is the newest holiday destination and the best retaurant is all under your own roof. The Stay-cation palette is smart and sophisticated with an expression of personality and atmosphere. Welcome to 'home sweet home' with an emphasis on one's personal space, bringing back the passion for home decoration.
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Porters Paints Colour Choices
Porter’s Paints design consultant Christine McCoy explains where colour directions are heading for the next 12 months and gets you thinking outside the colour box.
Charcoal and soft, grey-based whites
"At the moment black and white schemes are still very strong," Christine explains. "But in the coming months they’ll soften back to warm charcoals and grey-based whites. These whites can be tricky to work with," she cautions. "They often pick up other colours in the space and can even look pink in some lights. So make sure you paint a large sample board, move it around your space and get used to it."
The new blues
"Blues this year are developing away from the icy shades we’ve been seeing and heading towards peacock and really intense shades of aqua," she says. "This new palette’s really quite rich — with deep blues and lots of gold-based metallic."
A fresh take on green
"We all love green," Christine says. "It’ll never leave the Australian colour palette. It’s now starting to come through in bright apple and rich olive tones and moving away from the duck-egg shades we’ve seen recently."
Finally, texture
"With paint, it’s not so much about 'just colour' right now," Christine explains. "It’s about colour and texture. People want an interesting, been-there-forever quality, so we’re seeing rust and iron paints that 'age' on the wall, creating imperfections and a really soulful feel. Use these as you would artwork to create features around your home. They’re great as bedheads, in entranceways, on canvases and for indoor-outdoor transition walls."
A natural palette
In this floor plan colours from the natural landscape evoke a calming oasis. Colours used are raspberry, silk road, glass, rich copper and patina green. All from Porter’s Paints.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT INTERIOR PAINT FINISHES
Even after a homeowner has chosen the perfect colour for a room, there's another very important decision to make. With 5 or 6 paint finishes to choose from, you should learn the benefits of each and determine the right one for your job. Should you use flat or satin and why? Browse these tips on selecting the perfect paint finishes for your interior home applications.
Matte Finish
This type of interior paint has a matte surface. This paint finish is usually used on interior walls, especially ceilings. It's good if you have to camouflage small wall bumps, cracks, or other imperfections, as this finish does not reflect light. While some flat paints are advertised as washable today, you may need to touch up scratches or marks by covering with a bit more paint, so be sure you keep some on hand after you've finished painting.
Flat Enamel
Flat enamel is paint with a durable flat, matte finish. It's a good choice for powder rooms and halls, as it holds up to occasional cleaning.
Eggshell / Low Sheen
With only a slight hint of shine or gloss, it's good for walls and holds up better with cleaning than flat finish paint.
Satin or Silk Finish
Satin finish paint has a smooth, velvety look with a bit more gloss. It is most often used for windows, doors, trim, or ceilings, but can also be used as wall paint. This is particularly suitable for kids' room walls, kitchens, or bathrooms, or in areas which get a lot of traffic. Paint with a satin finish is formulated to hold up to cleaning and light scrubbing.
Semi-Gloss
Semi-gloss paint is most often used on doors, trim, and cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. It is easily cleaned and lays down a nice, subtle shine, without being too glitzy. Take care with pre-paint preparation work, as poorly prepared surfaces can be a bit distracting when highlighted by a semi-gloss surface.
Glossy
High gloss paints have an almost reflective quality, as their shiny finish mimics the look of enamel or plastic. It stands up to a lot of wear and is very tough. This finish will magnify any surface imperfections, so careful preparation and sanding is essential before painting with high gloss paints.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DECORATIVE PAINTING
Humans have always decorated the walls of their shelters. In pre-historic times, the first artists used just a few earth pigments bound with animal fat to paint the walls of their caves with scenes of hunting and daily life. In ancient Egypt, artists painted the walls of tombs and sarcophagi with a still limited palette of earth pigments using waxes and gums as binders; the ancient Greek palette also included primary colours, which they used to decorate their temples. The ancient Romans invented mural painting, mixing their earth and plant based pigments with water based binders to paint frescos featuring faux mouldings, marbleizing and other forms of ornamentation.
During the 19th century, decorative painting reached glorious heights, and again in the 1920's and 30's. Demand fostered the emergence and subsequent growth of art materials manufacturing. Advancements in paint chemistry produced new pigments and the introduction of synthetic resins and binders eventually lead to the widespread ease of use of premixed house paints and wallpapers.
After World War II, the craft declined to its lowest point, a result of the rejection of academic standards of aesthetics and traditional painting techniques, in favour of innovative styles and techniques practices by such influential artists as Picasso and Matisse.
Today, some form of decorative painting most commonly stencilling, glazing, marbling and mural painting can be found in virtually every home. Today's decorative painter is an heir to a legacy that was once passed on from master to apprentice .