3 Color Trends and Why We Should Care

Color Trends dominate the home interior industry and can have significant input when it comes to marketing, selling or creating a space. According to the Color Marketing Group, "Up to 85% of the consumer decision is based on color". Color trend groups like Paint Quality, The Pantone Institute and The Color Marketing Group spend endless energy tapping into color trends and forecasting. 

Why does this matter? In fashion, things can be quick and inexpensive to produce. If a baby blue tone is trending, a factory can easily crank out t shirts in the same hue and ride the trend wave. For the home interior industry, our products are more costly and need to have a longer shelf life. When it comes to selecting finishes like counter tops, flooring and paint colors, we really have to understand the trends to ensure our decisions are marketable and long living.

 Here are 3 color trends we should care about right now. 

1. Gray still remains strong. We will continue to see the very popular pairing of gray and white tones. Gray has overtaken the home interior market and will continue to do so. Why the love for gray? “It’s understated and sophisticated,” according to the Paint Quality Institute in a 2015 color trends report.

Our favorite gray this season is Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore. 

Revere Pewter - Benjamin Moore

2. Pastels are an actual thing.  Benjamin Moore introduced 23 new colors this year, providing an array of pastel tones. Paint colors like Lavender Mist, Peach Parfait and Iced Mauve were seen through out their new collection. The Pantone Institute recommended similar pastel tones, adding a very sophisticated vibe to the colors we are seeing. 

 Another great pastel is Aqua Marine. This has been a popular color this year and has made way for various softer blues. Softer pastels indicate a desire for sophistication, which some color experts attribute to our economy. We seem to like calmer more sophisticated interior finishes when we have a sense of security. These are great ideas for secondary spaces like powder baths, laundry rooms and model homes. Primary color selection should stay neutral.

One if our favorite light blue tones is Palladium Blue - Benjamin Moore.

Another favorite is Wedgewood Gray - Benjamin Moore

3. Metallic's and anything that shines & sparkles. Shades of copper, gold, and silver is an awesome pop of sheen in the more mundane color palettes. I love the accent of gold and copper in accessories, a toss pillow or even a fun light fixture. 

 

Model Home Design "Extreme Theme-ing"

I called this post extreme theme-ing cause this is a very important topic in model home design that needs some serious intervention. It all starts with a good idea, perhaps a nautical theme or sports concept, but somewhere along the path a model home designer can veer way off track and land in the world of extreme theme-ing.

Evidence of this unfortunate staging problem can be seen in over sized wall murals, an insane amount of props that have no reason of being in the room (IE fishing net on bed) & lots of 3 dimensional accessories that should probably never have been considered for room decor (IE rope, light saber or Lego's).

Let's just say any reference to a motion picture, cartoon character or toy is off limits in home decor. 

So how do you sale a kids room when staging a model home? Well, here our a few basic ideas to keep us on track and not over theme the potential buyer/renter to death.

1. Inspire imagination. A kids room should be fun and make kids say "I want to live here". You can incorporate a creative focal point without a dramatic mural. Kids love function (they spend most of their waking time moving & playing) so appeal to this desire to play/pretend/chill with an interesting piece that gets them excited.

2. Pick a color and find all the tones. Kid's rooms do not need to be rainbow filled messes. A kids room is in a constant stage of chaos with playing, toys, homework & friends. Parents know this and when they tour a home they want tranquil, calm, soothing & organized. A great way to create a great kids space without tapping into a crayola box is to pick one color and furnish the room in shades of that same color. 

3.  Show function. Parents want to know that this room can be multi talented when it comes to the needs of their adorable offspring. Can they do their homework here? What about a sleepover? Is there enough storage? Can they grow up in this room, will it adapt to the different seasons of their life?A kid model home room should answer these questions. 

4. Accent theme. Kids do have things they are into and you can show this in a design theme, but accent with it. When setting out to showcase a kids bedroom use props sparingly. Create visual interest without turning the entire room into a section at the toy aisle.

Overall a themed room is not a bad idea. Just be cautious to not over theme. Kids are an important part of the home buying/renting decision. Most people move because they are having children or need more space for their existing children. Play to parents good side by creating spaces that are charming, creative and gets them thinking, "this could be (insert kids name here) room".