10 D+D OCTOBER 2014

Color + Design

What Tomorrow’s Can Do for You Today The 2015 forecast is for , soothing tones and value.

sultant at The Color People, Denver, and past president of Color Marketing Group. “There is not a product sold today where color is not affecting people’s buy- ing decisions,” Martin says. That hasn’t always been the case in con- struction, he notes. Up until about 10 or 20 years ago, color was a secondary considera- tion outside the fashion industry. You might remember back in the 1990s, Martin says, when consumer electronics manufacturer Apple Inc. began marketing computers in bright colors — computers that had until then been or . Their colored keyboards, monitors, CPUs and most importantly, soaring sales, got the attention of individuals and industries. By Gary Henry eutral and soft-toned nature col- That was a beginning for the contempo- ors, with an emphasis on , rary cultural influence of color, he says. are forecast by many paint and Now, nearly everyone is sensitive to coatings manufacturers to be color in some degree, and at much higher popular sellers in 2015 for resi- levels than just a few decades ago. dential and commercial interiors, “Color sells,” Martin says. “And the large and small. Zesty, deep and right color sells better.” full-bodied colors are also in the forecasts. Predicting the “Right” Color Why is that important to construction Predicting what the “right” colors will Nprofessionals and building and business be, and what will sell in the coming year is owners? the color forecaster’s job. Many companies Money and marketing, says James Mar- have found at the end of the tin, president and architectural color con- palettes their color forecasters foresee. 11 Color + Design

U.S. paint and coatings manufacturers Along with history — that would be Soft tones are among Diamond Vogel’s top color picks for 2015. The company’s palettes are set to — the U.S. Census Bureau recorded about sales history going back about 18 months, offer “calming, relaxing” grays, , and a thousand of them in 2011 — shipped Lawlor says — they engage with forecast- soft nature colors. Photo courtesy of Diamond Vogel. $23.5 billion in paint and coatings products ing services and trend spotters. The com- (Facing page) For 2015, Behr Paints combines pas- in 2013. That’s up more than half a billion pany navigates a cross-section of design, tels with deeps, aiming for an original and polished dollars from 2012, according to the American home products and furnishings, fashion, ambience. Photo courtesy of Behr Paints. Coatings Association. And the Cleveland- travel and hospitality, and electronics of- based Freedonia Group predicts that by ferings. They track technology break- 2017 the market for paints and coatings throughs and significant architectural will top $30 billion. projects to see what colors are trending in To help that market keep growing, color which industries. forecasters do their homework. Design publications and the news media “Color forecasting is actually very method- — both industry-specific and those cover- ical,” says Mary Lawlor, Kelly-Moore Paints’ ing pop culture — also provide insights manager of color marketing. “There’s a little and influences, Lawlor says. bit of ‘crystal ball,’ but there’s a lot of going Observing emerging design, new con- back and looking at history.” struction and décor trends in the European 12 D+D OCTOBER 2014

Union, Asia/Pacific Rim and across North and South America keeps the company abreast of global influences driving color movement and change, she adds. What do those diverse sources reveal about tomorrow’s colors? “Overall the colors for 2015 are fresher and cleaner than previous years,” Lawlor reports in her 2015 forecast. “We see some unexpected colors like -, and mauve move into the palette, and we also see a dominance of the blue color fam- ily. And , while a letdown of , iden- tifies as its own color family and shows up plenty in the forecast.” Kelly-Moore’s attention to the influences and indicators of what the selling colors are and will be is not unusual in the paint and coatings industry. PPG Architectural Coatings has color stylists located in six countries and in many consumer markets, including auto- motive, architectural, industrial and con- sumer electronics, says Dee Schlotter, PPG’s senior color marketing manager, North America. The company also attends design shows, she says, including the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris; ICFF, the Interna- tional Contemporary Furniture Fair; Neo- Con, a design exposition and conference for commercial interiors; ASID, the Ameri- can Society of Interior Designers’ confer- ences; and kitchen and bath and automotive shows around the world. Based on past experience in these are- women’s hair and nail colors — women Dunn-Edwards Paints’ 2015 offerings nas, Schlotter says her company expects a typically have greater color sensitivity will include palettes that are somber and serene; vibrant and intense; sugary “fierce, clean blue” to trend in 2015. than men, Martin notes — for its forecasts. sweet; and, shown here, dusky and dark. “The color brings positive energy and “True Blue,” a palette featuring shades Photo courtesy of Dunn-Edwards Paints. represents possibility for the future. Blue of blue, along with and creams, can has an impact all over the world and will be used in any combination to create nau- continue to make waves in all industries,” tical, vintage, clean, eclectic or other she says. styles, Summer says. Blue headlines at California Paints, too. Kristin Summer, color and design strate- Trends, Not Fads gist, indicates they follow the economy, It’s important to note that color trends are magazines, furniture design, clothing, even an “evolutionary process,” says Jackie 13 Color + Design

Overall, the colors are fresher and cleaner than previous years, according to Kelly-Moore Paints’ 2015 forecast. Photo courtesy of Kelly-Moore Paints. (Below) Neutral and soft-toned nature colors, with an emphasis on blue, are forecast by many paint and coatings manufacturers to be popular sellers in 2015. Photo courtesy of PPG Architectural Coatings.

Jordan, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “Trends don’t just come and go,” she says. “If they come and go, it’s not a trend, it’s a fad. Trends have longevity, and transition from year to year in some instances.” Her company’s 2015 “Chrysalis” palette, for instance, follows on the company’s 2014 “Reasoned” and “Diaphanous” palettes. Those 2014 color groupings in- cluded dusty, gray, off-white tones. They led to the newer palette, still on the neu- tral, chalky side, still soothing and calm- ing, but with new influences and undertones related to sky and clouds, Jor- dan says. While such forecasts can give construc- tion professionals and building and busi- ness owners valuable insights into what their customers may want in the coming year, both Jordan and Martin advise cau- tion when it comes to exteriors. The color blue for instance, Martin says — even though it’s trending, you don’t want to go right out and put it on a build- ing. It’s okay for interiors, he says, but for outside you should wait until acceptance builds, possibly in a year or two, since ex- 14 D+D OCTOBER 2014

terior coatings are not as changeable as interiors. Also, he says, color changes quite a bit at scale. It’s still something construction profes- sionals should keep an eye on, Jordan says, because if color forecasters have done their jobs correctly, acceptance will build. Valspar’s Jeff Alexander agrees. Alexander is vice president for the com- pany's sales, coil and extrusion division. “We have seen that it can take a couple of years for design professionals to incor- porate these colors in building projects across the world,” Alexander notes. “If it’s a popular color, the color is generally adopted quicker, tends to stick around longer and is widely accepted in the de- sign community.” That means colors, like the trending blues backed up by the intensive scrutiny of color forecasters and a year or two of experience, are likely to keep a contempo- rary look longer — maybe as long as the coatings’ service lives, Martin says — than colors not backed by trend research. Sales is one industry measure of accept- ance, says Andrea Magno, manager of Benjamin Moore & Co.’s Color & Design Studio. Tracking how and where colors are used and mentioned in media is another. Though Benjamin Moore & Co.’s 2015 palette wasn’t available by Durability + Design’s press time, Magno counts their 2014 color of the year “Breath of Fresh Air” — described in its literature as “an ethereal blue serving as a ‘new neutral’ that is livable and functional” — as a fore- casting success. “The message of stopping what you are doing to recollect yourself and to shut off your cell phones and take a breath of fresh air went a long way,” Magno says. Sherwin-Williams’ 2015 “Chrysalis” palette offers “soothing, calming” neutrals, with influences and undertones related to sky and clouds. Photo courtesy of Sherwin-Williams. Tomorrow’s Colors Soft tones are among Diamond Vogel’s top color picks for 2015, according to Sandy

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Agar-Studelska, the company’s color mar- Look for “Poppy,” a trending color be- Red isn’t out of the game either. “Just keting and decorating products manager. tween red and , to show up on look at the Emmy Awards red carpet and Several of its palettes such as “Retreat” everything from walls to commercial prod- note the number of red dresses shown this and “Whites & Neutrals” offer “calming, ucts, she says. year,” she adds. relaxing” grays, browns, beiges and soft She reports the company’s 2015 offer- Behr Paint’s 2015 Color Trends are in- nature colors, she says. ings will include palettes that are somber spired by the emotion color evokes, accord- Not every forecast calls for soft and re- and serene; dusky and dark; vibrant and ing to Erika Woelfel, director of color laxing, however. intense; and sugary sweet. marketing. “We are inspired by colors and Neutrals in commercial spaces, from Trending blue plays a strong role in the tones that maximize the level of energy in way-finding to highlighting architectural Dunn-Edwards vision. The “Into the the room to create a unique style and feel.” elements, will focus on warm and honey Abyss” palette is filled with layers of blue, While its “Deep Dreams” palette offers tones, predicts Sara A. McLean, Dunn- from the inky blues of the ocean depths to colors of charcoal and for an Edwards Paints’ color marketing manager. lighter sunlit blues, McLean says. atmosphere of contemplation and relax- Dissenting Voices Geographic location plays a huge role in would be marketed in the Southeast, and color selection, and can carry more the earthy colors would be found in the weight in color selection than trend Pacific Northwest. The strategy had no forecasts. correlation to what was trending, but re- You will find particular colors look sponded to a deeper level of color prefer- beautiful in one geographic region while ence based on geography, and place. looking foreign and uncomfortable in an- The cost of this type of color market- other region. Light characteristics, cli- ing ultimately was prohibitive and may mate, altitude — all these play into the have contributed to shifting the con- way colors read. Manufacturers have sumer emphasis to following color struggled with this for years with both trends: If you do a trend color, your de- paint colors and carpet and textile col- sign is guaranteed to be successful! lections for the interiors market. We had firsthand experience when a In an attempt to solve consumer taste corporate client hired a well-known ar- preferences, paint manufacturers once chitectural firm to create a global color offered different color cards by region. palette for the company offices. Carpet manufacturers experimented The colors and materials that looked Light characteristics, climate and altitude all play into the way colors read, with this same concept, offering differ- sophisticated and on-trend in Manhat- says Jill Pilaroscia, Colour Studio. Here, a newly painted home in Weston, ent sample books based on location. tan looked depressing and sad in Lon- Vt. — population 566 according to the 2010 census — shows its colors. The sophisticated neutrals would be don, due to low light intensities. They Photo courtesy of Fine Paints of Europe. marketed in New York, the bright looked foreign in Mexico due to cultural expectations. Color selection and design is not just decoration. For color to be successful it Trends alone are not enough to har- do at Fine Paints, and it implies that one needs to be selected using criteria that ness the power of color to shape expe- size will never fit all. bridges multiple disciplines — geogra- rience. — Jill Pilaroscia, Colour Studio Much in this same manner, color phy, culture, psychology, human response palettes need to be individualized to fit and visual ergonomics. This process can Emmett Fiore, staff , the needs of each client while providing help ensure an environment is meaning- Fine Paints of Europe, adds: the very best paint. The high-end market ful to the users and in sync with the tasks My grandfather was a tailor from Italy. is about customization and quality. Jill Pilaroscia and functions taking place. I think the tailor trade parallels what we D+D ShepardColor in Quark_Layout 1 9/26/14 1:31 PM Page 1

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Flat metal panels, coated to look like , gleam in early morning sunlight at Judson University, Elgin, Ill. Though color forecasts mainly target interiors, experts say they can benefit exteriors too, given time and perspective. Photo courtesy of Valspar Paint.

ation, “Social Brights” features vivid blues, , oranges and that ex- cite and energize, balanced by deeper , Woelfel says. “We are intrigued by the combination of brights with neutrals, and pastels with deeps, to create an original and polished ambience,” she says.

Beyond Value “Color is so personal,” says Agar- Studelska. Construction professionals and their clients often approach projects with their own ideas of what they want. In those situations, forecasts can be valuable as guidance and validation, she explains. “Are we on the right track? Are we look- ing forward?” Forecasts carry more weight, since most are backed by extensive research, than random guesses. “Our color forecasts are written for the professional design community, architects and designers,” Jordan says. “We use those same stories for consumers. We pare them down a little, make them more DIY-oriented. But the forecast in our pres- entation is for professionals.” Forecasts give architects and designers new avenues to explore for their specifica- tions; opportunities for using tried-and- true colors in new ways; and the possibility of whole new insights into color and design, she says — insights that may transcend mere utility. D+D Excel Dryer in Quark_Layout 1 9/26/14 8:29 AM Page 1

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