COLOR ME MICHAEL: Color Trends 2010-2011

Silhouette Gray

"It used to be that I'd spec out a red or tobacco brown for a den, library, or dining room — bold, saturated colors with a lot of bluster. No more. Now people are going for the classic, understated elegance of charcoal gray. I can close my eyes and imagine a room painted this shade, with crisp white moldings and black doors. Pure and uncluttered."
—EMMETT FIORE: FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE SILHOUETTE GRAY

According to Christine Pittel [and the following quoted designers] at HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, these are your HOT COLORS for the next year. I have to admit that I'm already seeing allot of these colors trending in the world of home decor textiles- especially with the peacock colors, sophisticated warm grays, smoky lavenders, and liberal splashes of yellow....

Cathedral Gray

"We're introducing a new gray, which goes along with the Belgian look of natural wood and natural linen. In the past, people thought gray was a drab, boring color, but now it feels modern. This is on the warm side, and it works well with other neutrals or brighter colors like yellow or blue. It helps balance things out."
—DONNA SCHROEDER: DUTCH BOY CATHEDRAL GRAY DT 136

Grape Hyacinth

"I think this is the year purple will really get picked up. People want a sense of their own personal space, and this is something different — a grayed purple, like a field of lavender on a foggy morning. It's soft, not scary. I see it in a bedroom, or as a secondary color in a living room with warm beige and camel."
—PEGGY CAN ALLEN: GRAPE HYACINTH 31-24

Maple Glaze

"All the trend reports have been saying purple, purple, purple, and I want to say something different. I think a color like this rich saddle-leather brown speaks of our American heritage — Craftsman homes and Native American textiles. It's earthy and sophisticated. And it would look terrific with purple, mossy green, or blackened burgundy."
—ERIKA WOELFEL: BEHR MAPLE GLAZE UL120-5

Cedar Green

"Green is symbolic of growth. It also embodies another word that's going to be extremely important in the next decade, and that's 'flexibility.' Green goes with anything — just look outside. It can work with what you already own, as well as anything you'd like to add. It can feel classic or contemporary. And it's restful. It makes me feel balanced."
—SONU MATHEW: BENJAMIN MOORE CEDAR GREEN 2034-40

Forsythia Blossom

"The hottest color we're seeing for spring 2010 is a high-energy yellow. It's bright and positive — a concentration of happiness that gets you away from the seriousness of the world. It would work really well in a kitchen, or in a sunroom with a lot of white. But not a master bedroom — you'd never be able to go to sleep!"
—DEE SCHLOTTER: PITTSBURGH PAINTS FORSYTHIA BLOSSOM 212-4

Pavilion Gray

"Pavilion Gray is for people rebelling against years of taupe. It's a warm, pretty gray that you could pair with white for that Swedish look, or it could go more urban and industrial with inky black, marble, and stainless steel. It has a cleanness to it that most of the yellow-based neutrals don't have. It sharpens things up a bit."
—SARAH COLE: FARROW & BALL PAVILION GRAY 242

Aqua Chiffon

"I think everyone is looking for a little change, but nothing drastic. Aqua Chiffon is playful and happy, not too dark and not too light. I'd use it as an accent to bring some freshness to a bathroom or a bedroom. And since blue is relaxing, it would bring peace of mind, which everyone is yearning for right now."
—TINA McHENRY: OLYMPIC PAINTS AQUA CHIPPON A58-3

Oceanside

"People want more color, and they're not afraid of it like they used to be. We think teal blue is going to be important. It's already on the fashion runways. This is highly saturated, more blue than green, with undertones that make it feel sultry and mysterious. I could see it in a dining room or a bed-room, paired with red, amber, or earthy brown."
—JACKIE JORDAN: SHERWIN-WILLIAMS OCEANSIDE SW 6496