Trendspotting: Color Form

Iridescent finishes, pastel shades and saturated pops of color define this very modern Color Form design trend with a minimal, millennial edge.

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July 30, 2017

By: Felicia Feaster

Related To:

Saturated Pastels

The obvious appeal in this mix of gray and saturated mauves coupled with plenty of natural light make Color Form the ideal trend for a new breed of minimalists.

Embracing the Unexpected

Playful and sophisticated Color Form is inspired by a play of saturated pastels and neons and man-made finishes like resin, plastic and rubber that lend this trend a very modern, hip sensibility. The Scandinavian design company Muuto defines this Color Form style with a mix of matte pastels and modern shapes in this wall vignette.

Hot Tangerine

A hot almost neon tangerine brings a fresh pop of color to Color Form.

Bull's Eye Focal Wall

The graphic, modern bull's-eyes painted on this focal wall in fresh pastels brings a Color Form sensibility to this tween bedroom.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Matte Eggplant

A soft purple-eggplant shade brings a new approach to pastels to Color Form.

Contemporary Meets Cool

The hip Color Form sensibility can be incorporated into even a more transitional or contemporary home by mixing a pared back aesthetic with a color palette of soft pastels against a neutral backdrop.

From: Barbara Gilbert Interiors

French Vanilla

White with a twist defines this Color Form play on the typical white.

Robin's-Egg Blue + Bubblegum Pink

This cool pastel palette keeps the room looking young and fresh.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Classic + Modern

Classic shapes but a modern sensibility using pastels and a pared-back aesthetic can bring the Color Form style into your home.

From: Barbara Gilbert Interiors

Miami Color

Thanks in large part to the '80s television classic, Miami Vice, the pastel-colored Art Deco architecture that dominates Miami's South Beach is the perfect encapsulation of the spare, soft Color Form look.

Art Deco

Art deco comes from a variety of influences and its mix of playful sophistication makes it an apt architectural cousin to Color Form.

Pastel Tea Spoons

Soft but assertive pastels are the essence of Color Form style.

Neon Yellow

A blazing shade of yellow shows how vital a unique color palette is to this trend.

Geometric Bowls

Matte pastel housewares like these clay bowls are both minimal and unusual in keeping with the Color Form attitude.

Saddle Brown

The unexpected is key in Color Form, as in this interesting shade of brown.

Floating Shelves

Show off your minimalist style with these art deco-shade open shelves. Clean, pared-back design with fewer possessions is part of the Color Form ethos.

From: Carley Montgomery

Sherbert Hues

Much of the Color Form sensibility takes its inspiration from food: from the soft pastels of macarons, marshmallows, mints and other confections.

New Teal

Color Form boasts an interesting, vibrant, almost conceptual color palette of saturated pastels and tonal neons, colors that can suggest man-made light sources and factory-made colors.

Buttercream + Geode Cake

The sugary colors of sweets inform the Color Form color scheme.

From: Heather Baird

Contemporary Kitchen

Bold new colors in the kitchen are a new approach to home design.

From: Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects

Sweet Shades

The natural wood of the pendant cage is nicely set off by the more modern, matte finish of the kitchen cabinets in this perfect blend of Color Form elements.

Modern White Kitchen

This modern white kitchen features two round pendant lights over the eat-in bar area, which has two barstools and a waterfall countertop. What makes it new: fresh color and gold accents.

From: Caitlin Murray

A Modern Gray

This modern, matte gray kitchen features gray cabinets with brass handles as well as brass pendant lights with white globes hanging over an eating area with white barstools.

From: Caitlin Murray

Fresh Gray

Soft, matte and new, this gray shade brings a new dimension to the Color Form palette.

Sweet Stuff

The tantalizing hues of macarons are an influence on the equally sweet color spectrum of Color Form.

Tiffany Blue Macarons

More confectionary Color Form shades in these vivid, beautiful macarons.

Modern Mode

Stackable plastic chairs are both useful—easy to stack and keep out of sight when not in use—and made from new materials to play into Color Form's interest in modern, man-made shapes and materials.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Pastel Votives

These swirled, watercolor votives are both classic and modern.

Sugared Turquoise

A sugary spin on turquoise, this shade is the ideal Color Form hue for a statement wall or even an accent chair.

Playful Brights

Details like this robin's egg blue mixer provide the perfect match with the cabinets and play nicely off of the classic subway tiles to give this kitchen a mix of old and new.

From: Jessica McClendon

Simple-Meets-Vibrant

A simple, modern bar table pairs with bold, purple stools to create a young and hip outdoor space.

From: Caitlin McCarthy Designs

Pastel Tableaux

Cutting-edge Scandinavian design firm Muuto features the clean lines and pastel pops that have come to define Color Form.

Millennial Pink

Whether you call it millennial pink, Tumblr pink or Scandi Pink, this dusty rose is popping up everywhere in home design.

Subtle + Soft

Subtle colors and minimal furnishings spell modern in the Color Form trend.

All About the Mix

A blond sideboard helps balance the pink of this Muuto sofa to create a cool, Scandinavian look worth emulating.

Pop of Pink

Not just a girly-girl color anymore, pink is the new orange and adds a welcome sense of levity and cool to the homescape.

Gray Scale

Matte gray pops up in several trends, but it turns out to be the perfect foil and complementary neutral to Color Form's sugary pastels.

Dorm Room Maximalist Style

While Color Form is less mix-and-match than other current trends, when coupled with maximalist tendencies, the cool, soft color palette can really bring a fresh sense of style and attitude that can chill out this kind of visual melee.

Ballet Shoe Pink

Think about adding this chalky pink or soft shades of mint and lavender to freshen up your design scheme.

Pastel Backdrop

This subdued pink Muuto sofa plays nicely with the saturated sunflower yellow in the accompanying pillow.

Shop This Look

Photo By: Muuto

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Barbara Gilbert

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Flynnside Out Productions

Photo By: Barbara Gilbert

Photo By: Jorge Láscar [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Photo By: Anthropologie

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Don Hamilton Studio

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Eric Charles

Photo By: Anthropologie

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Heather Baird

Photo By: Casey Dunn

Photo By: Tomas Espinoza

Photo By: Mary Costa

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Rebecca Yale Photography

Photo By: Flynnside Out Productions

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Mary Costa Photography

Photo By: Caitlin & Caitlin

Photo By: Muuto

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Muuto

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Muuto

Photo By: Jennie Andrews Photography

Photo By: Pantone

Photo By: Muuto

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Trendspotting: Color Form

Related To:

Saturated Pastels

Embracing the Unexpected

Hot Tangerine

Bull's Eye Focal Wall

Matte Eggplant

Contemporary Meets Cool

French Vanilla

Robin's-Egg Blue + Bubblegum Pink

Classic + Modern

Miami Color

Art Deco

Pastel Tea Spoons

Neon Yellow

Geometric Bowls

Saddle Brown

Floating Shelves

Sherbert Hues

New Teal

Buttercream + Geode Cake

Contemporary Kitchen

Sweet Shades

Modern White Kitchen

A Modern Gray

Fresh Gray

Sweet Stuff

Tiffany Blue Macarons

Modern Mode

Pastel Votives

Sugared Turquoise

Playful Brights

Simple-Meets-Vibrant

Pastel Tableaux

Millennial Pink

Subtle + Soft

All About the Mix

Pop of Pink

Gray Scale

Dorm Room Maximalist Style

Ballet Shoe Pink

Pastel Backdrop

Shop This Look

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