From House To Home

While color expert Barbara Schirmeister is responsible for pinpointing color-related trends for interior design, she also understands they can express themselves differently from person to person, household to household, and region to region.

Schirmeister, esteemed member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the Color Association of the United States (CAUS) Interiors Committee, as well as design/color consultant for porcelain, stone, glass, and metal tile manufacturer Crossville, Inc., is one of nine leading interior designers formulating the annual Environmental/Interiors Forecast palette. Given that her influence has been well received from coast to coast, she offers an eye-opening insight on different ways hues will make news in 2006.

One would think, according to conventional wisdom, that color trends are influenced by different geographic regions. While that concept was true a few years back, Schirmeister affirms that it is a mix of the country’s frame of mind, personal taste, and trends in fashion apparel that influence what colors will emerge as top choices for interior decorators and consumers alike. In fact, the 2006 color palette is so individualistic that many concurrent trends are emerging.

“When it comes to picking the right colors, there is only one faux pas—picking a color scheme simply because it seems to be ‘in style’ right now,” notes Schirmeister. “That being said, the colors the board selected are true colors. With the dark blues, burgundies, and greens, rather than just look black, they are definitive for their color family. While the 1980’s palette was known for bold, in-your-face shades, today’s brights have a similar elegance to the romantic, gypsy, and Russian-inspired looks seen in recent seasons on the New York runways. Rather than an obvious shade of orange, the orange hues are either rich and coppery or juicy, soft shades of mango and tangerine. Browns are emerging as major players, too, but not so much for a ‘natural’ look as they are as dramatic foils for vivid turquoise and pink shades that have recently emerged, just like with clothing.”

In tile and floor coverings, meanwhile, consumers are open to more color and saturation. “Breakout” shades on current Color Association Committee charts include such tempting offerings as khaki with pale aqua and dark chocolate with pink, azalea, raspberry, and watermelon. However, Schirmeister encourages consumers to not just go by swatches and great-sounding names. She advises they scan, scour, and gain inspiration from fashion magazines, home catalogues, and even memories of recent luxury hotel and restaurant visits to find the inspiration for the right colors to distinguish their domestic canvas and make life just a little richer.

“When I tell people that there is a ‘luxury of color,’ I am not only referring to the wealth of decorating options but also the fact that the popularity of luxury goods, hotels, and travel impact the way consumers choose to decorate their homes,” she muses. “We’re talking things like marble flooring, sumptuous and tactile fabric window treatments, combinations of textures, and artisan home furnishings. Whether the impact is nostalgic or exotic (two concurrent trends), certain hotels and restaurants have memorable ambiance because they beckon people from the outside to come in and be transported to a different, wonderful place. Consequently, consumers are now being influenced to bring that kind of impact into their own homes.”