Colour Trends 2009: From the ME to the RE generation

More than ever, we are conscious about what we are buying and how these decisions will affect our home, family and the world around us. This is the new eco-conscience, designing our space with eco-awareness. There are so many products made from new materials: bamboo in everything, from floors to colourful stockings. Furniture made from re-cycled wood. Green foam made from soya for upholstery. The guilt we feel when using plastic bags instead of cloth reusable ones. These are all signs of a major shift from the ME generation to the RE generation. Key words, recycle, reduce, re-use and re-purpose. Other catalyst words ... relax, rewind, renew and refurbish. Colour and Beauti-Tone paint can deliver these re-sults.

How are we seeing these colours expressed on the home fashion runways?

RED

There is still a sense of red going forward. Reds are both warm and cool. On the horizon we are seeing Burgundy gaining popularity. Rose is Beauti-Tone's answer to pink. It looks fresh and updated when paired with milk chocolate brown.

ORANGE

Orange is not dominant, but hinting at a comeback. In the home, orange is an earthy, clean terra cotta, representing the copper family. A new soft coral warmed with pink is also on the home horizon. This colour works well with neutral, brown and green shades

YELLOW

A classic for home fashion. Today's yellow is influenced by green. Think Dijon mustard. Gold yellow is important, a sophisticated optimistic colour that works well with natural colours and ethnic style.

GREEN

Green moves in all directions. Yellow, blue, greycast greens. Green is the third most popular colour used after neutral grey and brown. While yellow greens dominate now, a shift to blue green is visible and getting stronger. By Fall you will notice the shift. Green will be key due to our interest in environment.

BLUE

Denim and spa inspired hues. The colour of relax. Blues for the home, whether red or green influenced, are greyed for softness. New blues from Europe are showing up on laundry appliances. We are also seeing inky navy blues as an alternative to black.

PURPLE

Purple is moving from blue based to red, verging on a raspberry hue. Purple pairs with grey, brown, green and red for an upscale look.

GREY

Grey has moved from metallics, granite, marble and stainless steel kitchens to grey on walls and upholstery. Greys are still strong with warm greys edging out the cooler tones. This fall, look for the importance of a true grey, grey with silver and blue undertones. A sophisticated green cast smoky black grey reaches to brown, beige and off white.

BROWN

Brown is the popular warm neutral story. Taupe is a strong bridge between warm browns and warm greys. Finishes are extreme -- matte versus gloss: for example, a bright metallic finish with a matte graphic overlay.