Trends

THE hot color trend right now is gray - all shades of light, dark and in-between. 

Walking into clothing stores at the beginning of a new season, it was fascinating to me to see the landscape of color change with the new season and to see so many stores featuring a similar color story. 

In the world of fashion a trend is typically thought of as a popular fad, it will be around for a short time and then fade away, only to reappear again thirty years later for a whole new generation. This year I think it’s all about platform sandals. 

While varying shades of gray are the neutral of choice for many, others tend to find that the color gray can look cold and depressing. What do you do when you want to warm things up and still make a style statement?  Take a look at Knotty Alder, Cashew/Coffee.  This wood/stain/glaze combination falls into the taupe family, a grayish brown neutral. 

Every year The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) surveys their members of kitchen and bath designers across the United States and Canada.  Their responses provide insight into design trends that will take hold in the kitchen and bath market in 2012.  While broad trends won't be evident in every local market, the following are some overall trends for kitchens and baths.

Pantone recently announced it's new "2012 Color of the Year" which gets many people in the design community talking and sharing inspired ideas.  Pantone, which describes itself as "the authority on color, provider of color systems and leading technology for accurate communication of color" is one of many organizations and companies working in the field of color forecasting. 

Color is always a hot topic among designers and it is one of the most noticeable design elements within any home interior project.  Although colors vary seasonally in the fashion industry, with home interiors we recommend taking cues from color trends and working them into a palette of classic colors and old favorites.  After all, the largest investments in your home (like cabinetry, flooring,