Bright New World

Things are really jazzing up in the world of home accents. Splashes of purple, orange, red, blue, and other colors are making a pronounced statement in the new collections, as seen in the High Point showrooms last spring. And pastels and brights dominated the rainbow of hues at the summer gift shows. But it's not just color that is making a comeback. Patterns are also important. From circles and squares to stripes and squiggles, geometric patterns are just as popular as the array of colors they come in.

The 1990s were about nature and simplicity. Designers turned to Mother Earth to give us products such as bamboo vases, rattan chairs, and woven baskets. The minimal look was popular. Monochromatic rooms created sleek and modern environments. But now we've entered a new decade, a new millennium, and we want to add a splash of color to our lives.

"Everything is casual and that is a lifestyle that will continue," said Jill Rosenwald of Jill Rosenwald Home Collection, Boston. "The 1990s were about neutrals, all white rooms. But [now] people may add one color to a room. Just a teeny bit of color to punch up an environment and add a new flavor. In that whole minimalist environment, the human becomes the spot in the room. By adding just a bit of color your attention is turned back to the room."

Jennifer Gibbs of giig & iggi design co., New York, said, "I don't think [color] is going to go full on, but it's a way to bring feeling as opposed to the sterile look with the white and the metal and the blonde wood. Splashes of color bring focus. Otherwise it's too bland. There is nothing exciting to look at."

New York designer and potter Jonathan Adler agrees. "Now that people have a neutral backdrop, I think that color is back."

Adler is focusing on baby blue and "safety orange" paired with chocolate brown, as well as "tonal variations of strong colors like shades of pink and fuchsia, and yellow and brown."

While Rosenwald sees a return to the 1980s and a modern twist on red, orange, purple, and black and white, Gibbs believes that the colors to focus on are different shades of pink and blue that she finds prevalent in fashion. "Everything is influenced by fashion and that's what's hot," she said.

Maureen Welton of 18 karat, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, agrees with Gibbs in that hot pink, fuchsia, purple, and orange are the colors to be on the lookout for.

Both Rosenwald and Gibbs see the influence of apparel fashions in home decor. For example, the monochromatic shirt and tie Regis Philbin wears on the TV game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" created a frenzy in the fashion world and reflected on home decor as well.

Rosenwald even finds that shopping for the home is becoming like shopping for clothes. "With each season, you get bored and need change. You're ready and raring to go. The idea of changing your summer slipcovers to your velvet fall ones. I don't know if people actually do this, but the idea is out there."

While Adler looks to fashion as well, he's more influenced by street styles than runway looks.

Color isn't the only change that's happening. Patterns are popping up on tables, textiles, and vases. Designers are inspired by the past, turning to the '60s, '80s, and '20s and '30s, for ideas. Art Deco, mod, and pop, for example.

"People are responding to pattern. It's a fresh look," said Jennifer Gibbs, who gets her inspiration from fashions, textiles, and graphic designs, as well as cartoons, television, and pop culture icons.

"People will accept pattern in small doses. In a pillow, for instance, as opposed to having it everywhere," said Jill Rosenwald. Gibbs and Rosenwald both believe that pattern brings texture to an environment.

"I love geometric patterns and use them in lots of my work," said Jonathan Adler. "I like to do geometric patterns that are not perfect, that show the mark of the maker's hand. I also love images from popular culture, cartoons, skateboard graphics, and contemporary art."

Maureen Welton thinks that the current mod patterns are fun, especially for the generation that hasn't lived with them. She also finds that mixed color stripes and black-and-white photo silkscreens are gaining popularity. For the less daring consumer, Welton says that there are the more delicate patterns such as florals in the English style, leaf veining, and branches.

What are these designers looking at for 2002? "I'm thinking about yellow, golden tones, bright citrus yellow with some greens," said Jill Rosenwald.

The spring 2002 colors Maureen Welton will be focusing on are feminine — pink, mandarin, lavender, viburnum green, pale blue, light turquoise, orange, and plum, as well as basic neutrals and black and white. She's supported by the fashion runways that are telling us that soft, feminine looks — flowery prints and Victorian styles — will be in.

Jonathan Adler hopes for a more modern, less traditional look. "I hope we're moving away from neutrals towards baby blue, orange, acid green, and chocolate brown. In this office we've been talking a lot about a rustic modern aesthetic: clean lines, lots of color, handmade objects, and, most importantly, happy, happy, happy."

In that case, the current trend in decorative accessories with an emphasis on color and patterns should make Adler a very contented designer.