As designers, we rely on color to add life and personality to a room, and to set the mood for the spaces we’re working on. There are the basic principals of color design – for instance, horizontal lines to widen a space or bring the ceiling down, or a dark or intense wall of color at one end to make a long narrow space less so. Of course, we must consider our clients’ preferences and existing color patterns in making these decisions.

Beyond that, however, we look to the trends in color. In doing so, it seems they are almost always related to current lifestyle trends and general concerns and values, which is the aspect of color trends we’ll consider here as we look to the colors of 2008.

All about Green

There is no question that the green revolution is here. It’s not just a trend but a serious concern, and one that our clients and society in general are embracing – a respect for the environment. With this as the strongest single influence on today’s color story, we are seeing the colors and textures of nature dominating.

On the warm side, such examples include cork floors with textured wall finishes and cabinetry in deeper stains, or reclaimed darker wood floors with cabinetry in linen-like whites or, as Color Marketing Group says, the “unbleached look.” Hardware may be an oiled bronze or other warmer finish. Clever appliance manufacturers are offering us finish options, and maybe this will be the year that we get more choice in the deeper and warmer versions of stainless that everyone hopes for.

On the cool side, those cabinets might be a more pure white, to blend with the water blues, which have earned names like “spaqua” or “oxygen.” This time that hardware might just be chrome, with floors anywhere from black and white to sand-like stone or porcelain tiles. Patterns are often botanical, and are most commonly seen reflecting nature’s colors. Yellows are golden and bright as the sun, and earthen browns can make a great pairing with those cool, watery blues. Where haven’t you seen that mocha brown with a pale silver blue or sage?

Whatever the color, though, we seem to be using lots of texture, creating a sort of less processed look that once again takes us back to nature.

Reason to be Neutral

We have a war, challenging economic conditions and environmental issues to be concerned about, and all of the color experts suggest that these bring on a conservative approach to color, or at least a comfort with neutrals. It seems to me that these neutrals are more interesting than the subtle stories of classic neutrals.

Pewter, graphite and even black continue to be strong neutrals, and white never goes away – a look at cabinetry and even appliance options throughout the years will confirm this thought. With these starting points, however, high contrast, patterns and textures are being used to add depth to these color stories. Then there is the shine – glass, metallic finishes, not gray but silver – which maybe signifies the hope we are feeling about society’s major issues.

Trends and Counter Trends

At last year’s Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, I enjoyed a presentation by Robyn Waters, marketing guru and author of The Hummer and the Mini, which pointed out the paradoxes of today’s marketplace, and encouraged us to “embrace the trends and counter trends.”

How does this translate into the colors of our kitchens and baths? It’s there in the warm and vibrant colors of our kitchens, our entertaining space and in the counter-colored, spa-like retreats that are our baths. We use color to invite people into our kitchens and to create our “away space” in our baths. It’s the pumpkin-colored accent in that spa-colored space or the vibrant red accent in that Asian-influenced neutral color scheme.