Top Trends of 2018: Colors
Nothing dates a home more than color trends, but whether you realize it or not, you will likely be drawn to the latest trends. It is also next to impossible to find fabrics for colors that are not trending. What I have found is that if I use just one color that is trending and mix it with something more timeless, that space is going to have a longer life. People are always asking me when they are selecting a color palette, “Is this going to end up looking dated?” I always answer truthfully and the answer is most often “yes”. Most color combination palettes have an average life span of about 10 years and some might be able to stretch to 15 years if it is a great combination. If a timeless combination just happens to be trending (like blue and white is right now) and that is your cup of tea then your space will have a long span that might just need to be tweaked here and there.
I started out designing my own spaces from the time I moved out of my parents’ house, and I always seemed to use black and white as a base. As I am getting older, I have made up my mind that my final home will, once again, have a black and white base. Black and white is not only timeless but also tends to trend fairly regularly. Pair it with a pop of color such as red, yellow or lime green and you will not tire easily of this type of dramatic contrasting combination.
The yearly color trends do impact everything from fashion to interiors. Here are just a few that are my top picks for 2018.
As I mentioned black and white before, you’ll know that I am very excited that PPG Paint’s color of the year is a black. Black Flame is a little bit of a twist, though, since it has undertones of deep purple. Interior product manufacturers are still trying to get the public to be bold enough to go with purples in their home, and this is another attempt. We are also starting to see a lot of fabric books coming in with some beautiful dusty purples that are not too extreme. If your favorite color is purple then now is the time to have this palette implemented in your home in a sophisticated way.
I do have one such brave client who is pulling some purple and deep blue tones into her whole house color palette. It is going to be fabulous. I will start releasing some construction phase photos before too long and the furnishings should be photographed this summer.
My office has black walls and I love it. I feel like I am working in a peaceful cocoon. People are always afraid that dark walls will make a space feel small and closed-in, but that’s really not true at all. Dark colors actually reflect light and allow furniture and artwork to pop.
I paired a bright lemon yellow with the black in my office which pops like popcorn. The yellow is cheerful and extremely opposite of the black. If there is any fear of a black space being dreary, add in some lemon yellow and voila, there is suddenly not a chance the space will feel dreary.
Benjamin Moore’s color of the year, Caliente, is a true red, which is a classic that I just love. It’s often seen as a part of Chinese design and also pairs well with black and white. I am predicting that this red is going to be a big hit, and will be a safe bet that will age well. It will stick around even longer if used alone with white, or black and white. Everyone was so OVER that rusty red that was paired with gold and was oh so popular about 15 or so years ago. Admit it… you remember it and probably even had it in your home. All of us who loved design had this combination, which unfortunately died about as hard as it trended, and now no one will touch that combination with a 10 foot pole. No worries with this new red, though. It will not look dated in the least.
Renee is always mentioning that we tend to be ahead of the trends around our office. The room that we featured in our newsletter to kick off the new year has a version of the color below as the dominant color in the palette we used for her family room. Little did we know when we put the room together in late summer of 2017 that we would already be on-trend for 2018.
Designing spaces you love to live in,
