Look back for a glimpse of the future.
This season's colour trends are taking their cue from our past.
"Flashback to the '70s," says colour expert Bev Bell.
"The big story is brown, everything from taupe and mocha to a rich mahogany," adds Bell, a creative director for Home Hardware's paint and home products.
Home Hardware is introducing their Colours of Life line of paint products that will see pink peaking by spring, leaving the palette open for new pairings of browns with greens.
The spectrum of yellows have been part of our collective palette for quite some time now, says Bell, and continue to be a choice for many.
"Look for a wider range of hues, from pale vanilla to the deeper amber colours that complement the minty greens and teals growing in popularity," adds Bell.
She says orange -- a favourite accent colour from the '70s -- is still going strong, but has been toned down.
"We are seeing some very nice corals again, which haven't been around in a long time," says Bell, "and terra cottas, coppers and other metallics are now considered classic colours."
The colour forecasters at ICI Canada, have marked a soft, subtle orange (chip No. 52YR37/501) "as the colour illustrating the essence of 2005." It's "known to be an anti-depressant colour, helps celebrate optimism, sociability and fun," notes the ICI 2005 Colour Futures workbook. CIL, Dulux, Glidden and Colour Your World brands fall under the ICI Paints umbrella.
Anne Alexander, a shop-at-home design consultant for Home Depot, is also seeing earth tones -- taupes, browns and creams -- being married with splashes of colour.
"A feature wall in a bright hue like yellow, orange, pink or red works very well within the open concept of today's new homes," says Alexander, who works at the Aurora store and offers free paint consultations to area residents. (Customers interested in getting a free paint consultation must contact their local
Home Depot. Those interested in a free paint estimate from Home Depot may call 1-800-793-3768.)
