In 2005, color will be less about achieving a particular look and more about discovering your individual style.
By Aimee Desrosiers, special to HGTV.com
Today home decorating is about adapting diverse design influences to fit our own individual taste. Gone are the days of an entirely Laura Ashley bedroom or a Ralph Lauren den that is prematched and packaged. Homeowners are still purchasing items from designers, but they are picking and choosing items from these lines and are combining them with fabrics, furniture, paint and accessories from a wide variety of sources that say something about who they are and what they value. Such sources include found treasures such as shells and sea glass, furniture passed down by the family, personal photographs and artwork, originals from flea markets and items collected during vacations.
When it comes to color, homeowners also take the personal approach and now paint and decorate with colors to illicit a mood rather than worrying about making a statement. In my job as the color expert at
California Paints, I've seen the trend toward styles and colors based upon what the individual needs to feel good. For some, it's important to transform the home into a getaway from the hectic world outside. Others choose colors that fulfill their inner need for motivation and inspiration.
Still, color trends do change every year and home enthusiasts want their choices to be up to date. Numerous factors influence the color direction, including the economy, politics, demographics, world events, consumerism, language, culture and the family. These factors are analyzed by forecast groups such as the
Color Marketing Group to answer the question: What impact will this factor have on color?
