The Year in Color

Among color forecasters, the Pantone Color Institute of Carlstadt, New Jersey, reigns supreme. Its more than 250,000 clients include big names in home decor, fashion, furniture, and retailing, and the company has an enviable record of forecasting consumer preferences for color combinations. According to Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone's executive director, the eight color palettes that the company predicts will influence consumers in 2003 have several common threads running through them. They are the natural world, cultural diversity, and a need for solace that is often found in the past. Eiseman says that these themes reflect a continued response to the events of 9/11.

"When I was collecting information for this, [9/11] was pervasive in everybody's mind," she says. "It affected designers, colorists, and manufacturers. Everybody was responding in the same way."

In a normal year, the Pantone Color Institute releases six or seven palettes. But for 2003 it chose eight in recognition of a wide assortment of tastes. The following are the eight palettes to watch for the coming year:

"The events of 9/11 made people realize that family and home life are the most important things to hang onto," says Eiseman. "So things that have a history, a sense of connection, are given even more importance." Connections encompasses traditional colors such as deepened and denim blues, hunter greens, winter whites, and warm golden yellows. But traditional connection colors can also be updated to offer something fresh. A burgundy, for example, is transformed into a garnet red.

Think of items that have the look of being passed down through generations. "Retrospective speaks of things that remind us of grandma's kitchen," says Eiseman. "It literally looks like something that's been sitting on a shelf for many years, collecting dust, and then all of a sudden it's rediscovered and spiffed up." Colors in the retrospective palette often have a faded cast or are reminiscent of mid-20th century textiles. Surfaces are often distressed or burnished.

Eiseman describes discretion as being inspired by wabi sabi. Wabi sabi is "next year's feng shui … a sort of Japanese take on all things organic or mineral. It's concerned with natural elements, it's modest, low-keyed, long-lived, and has a sense of some history attached to it." Discretion finishes are not shiny, but aged, so that a garden accessory, for example, would look like it's been left outside for years. Colors include deep earth reds and browns, weathered blue-purples, ochres, spruce blues, "ashy" wood tones, and sage greens.

Dubbed "the fun stuff," by Eiseman, diversity takes the Hispanic cultural theme so predominant in the past few years and melds it with other ethnicities such as Asian and African-American. "It's all about diversity, but diversity within our borders," she says. The eclectic, multi-faceted palette often has a backdrop of deep rich shades and warm neutrals, made complex by throwing in dusty oranges and mineral yellows. Alternatively, shades of spice and ebony are combined with vibrant fuchsia, sultry reds, or bright blues.

Described by Eiseman as the latest incarnation of the French country look, elan is just what the translation suggests — happy and youthful, evoking floral scents and sweet flavors. The pairings include combinations like endive and cyclamen or sweet pea and primrose yellow. Not-quite-bright tones are often paired with a neutral, taffy tan — described as the color of a waffle ice cream cone. Eiseman adds, "This is an area we find particularly appealing for young families who want a touch of whimsy in the house. They might be careful of spending their pennies, but they'll do it in the accessories area."

Renewal is more than just a color palette, it's a merchandising concept. "We've always been accustomed to using like colors together, and maybe bounce a neutral off of them," Eiseman states. "This time we're taking one color family and doing many variations." A true green, then, is combined with green-grays, green-yellows, and green-blues. "It's a great attention-grabber, because people will look at it and say, 'Gee, I would never have put those two colors together, but I like it.' " It can also be done with reds, blues, and other colors.

Moderno plays off the modern, minimalist trend, but with classical touches. "Think of a simple bed topped by a silver-gray quilted bedspread with a light sheen. Very sleek, very plain, but over it is a crystal and chrome chandelier that picks up the color on the bed and brings in a feeling of historical suggestion," Eiseman says. On the moderno palette, look for subtle shades of walnut browns, regal blues, and plums and ash purples, with metallic touches of burnished champagne beiges and sleek futuristic silvers either added in or presented on their own.

"Enlightenment is really more about texture than color," says Eiseman, noting that the sheer coverings that first appeared on window treatments have now transferred to home furnishings and personal accessories. She points out that an address book, for example, can be covered in such a way that it's not quite transparent but has substance and an ethereal quality to it. Alluding to the cultural quest for personal peace, enlightenment colors are either pristine, whites or subtle pastels with hints of a tint. The aptly named members of this palette are Rosewater, Turtledove, Spa Blue, Jade Green, Transparent Yellow, and Summer Shower.

For more information on the Connections, Retrospective, Discretion, Diversity, Elan, Renewal, Moderno, and Enlightenment color palettes, or to subscribe to the company's many services, contact the Pantone Color Institute at (201) 935-5500.