Earthy, plant colours have been stylish for several years, but this year, designers are zooming out their camera lens for a landscape view. In 2012, paint colours get their inspiration from the colours of a misty landscape.
Blue Skies
Blue, the colour of the sea and sky, continues its strong trend from 2011. Sky blues impart a feeling of serenity in a room. The blue that’s fashionable this year is the gray-blue colour of the sky on a slightly overcast day. Gray-blue walls blend with the sky beyond the windows and seem to disappear, creating a sense of expansiveness. To keep a blue room from looking too cold on winter days, combine blue-gray walls with furnishings and paintings in warmer tones.
Sea Greens
With the emphasis on earth-friendly homes, green continues to be a popular colour, but with a new twist. Greens are moving away from the past decade’s obsession with yellow-green to greens with a bluish tinge. Many of these blue-greens are toned down with gray, giving a historical look.
In the kitchen and dining room, contrast green walls with warmer-coloured table linens and draperies to keep the rooms from looking cold and unappetizing. Forest greens and teals lend a masculine look to the bedroom, especially when paired with plaid draperies or bedding. Lighter sea-glass greens are refreshing in the bedroom and lavatory.
Purple Mountains and Vineyards
Another colour that’s in vogue for 2012 is the soft, grayed-down lavender of misty mountains. Pair this colour with furnishings that have some dark brown or black to keep the room from looking like a little girl’s bedroom. For a strong hit of colour in a minimalist urban dwelling, try a splash of vineyard grape on an accent wall.
Fiery Sunsets
For a warm burst of colour, consider the orange-red of a brilliant sunset. Use this colour in small spaces, for an accent wall or in areas that are used infrequently. Dining rooms in sunset red are a modern update to the true reds of the past.
Dove and Fawn Gray
This year’s top neutral is gray. Look to the animals for inspiration. Light dove gray, bluish porpoise gray, deeper spalding gray and taupe-toned fawn gray all promise to be fashionable in 2012.
Amber Fields
A warmer neutral is a light golden hue, especially fitting for rooms used for entertaining. The deeper colour of a Bosc pear is another variation.