Sherwin-Williams 2006 Color Trends Forecast

Sherwin-Williams color trends forecast for 2006 unites close-to-home comfort with world-view attitude to create a palette rich with potential.

From great escapes to the great outdoors, Sherwin-Williams color trends forecast for 2006 unites close-to-home comfort with world-view attitude to create a palette rich with potential.  In fact, says Sheri Thompson, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing and design, the five trend categories for 2006 can serve as the springboard for countless décor schemes and themes.

Great Escapes
Whether it’s through the big screen, the television screen or the computer screen functioning as their window on the world, consumers are increasingly able to get away from it all without ever leaving home.

“We may not always be able to take a great vacation, but that doesn’t mean that the environments we live, work and socialize in can’t become a refreshing destination,” says Thompson.  Décor themes incorporating influences from faraway places such as Europe, Asia and Africa can deliver a sense of escapism. Colors in this category include rich, saturated shades of coral, pear, topaz, green and warm brown – hues that might be found on a Tuscan hillside, on the Serengeti Plain or at a Moroccan bazaar.

Fifth Avenue
This trend category, says Thompson, is all about sensory input and applies to both traditional and contemporary styling. “Though it’s not over the top, it’s still deliberately focused on details, ornamentation and embellishment represented in a tasteful, sophisticated-manner,” she says. Opulent fabrics such as velvet, silk and damask complement polished glass, marble and metallic surfaces, while jewelry influences of pearl, yellow gold and gemstones add shimmer and sparkle.

Think of elegantly beautiful old-world Flemish tapestries to get a taste of colors representing the essence of luxury and glamour:  rose, Turkish coffee, plum, taupe and silvery gray.

Relaxed Retreat
Soothing as the sound of flowing water and tranquil as a blue sky, the Relaxed Retreat/Spa Experience speaks of our need for privacy in an increasingly 24/7, “always on” world.  Like an afternoon nap, the sensation of dipping your toes in a pool, or the taste of honey and lemon in your tea, Relaxed Retreat/Spa Experience echoes a respite from being too connected too often. “Because water is the most soothing of elements, décor themes for this trend reflect luminosity and fluidity,” say Thompson. “Water washes away the tension of the day at the same time it buoys our spirits.”

Creating a spa experience can mean transforming an entire space – or just the corner of a room – with soft sounds, soft fabrics and soft colors such as palest peach, spring-fresh green, sandy yellow, and watery blue.

Natural Living
Even if we can’t be outdoors year ‘round, we like having a sense of nature around us, notes Thompson. “More and more, we’re blurring the line between indoors and outdoors by incorporating natural elements such as wicker, rattan and bamboo into décor schemes,” she says.  Floral and botanical prints and patterns extend the nature influence to window treatments, upholstery and rugs, while organic materials such as stone and wood bring variety and texture to surfaces.

The colors of nature – clear blue, loamy brown and night-sky indigo – unite with shades echoing minerals and organic materials, including touches of coral and jade, to deliver a gentle transition from outdoors to indoors.

The Browns
Whether you see it being as warm and comforting as a steaming cup of latte, as opulent as mink, or as rich as dark chocolate, brown is a colorful force that – even given its gets-along-well-with-others neutrality – takes a backseat to none. From the boldest, most vivid shades of espresso to the subtle, sublime shades of mocha, brown stands alone as beautifully as it serves as  a foil for reds, oranges, blues and beyond.

---