Trends: 2009

I love color. Color is wonderful and a much talked about topic in the design world, whether you work in the fashion industry, interior, graphic, etc. Some of my favorite blogs, such as Coco & Kelley, has been talking about color trends for 2009 and have had some really interesting feedback from their readers. I know that Pantone has predicted a vibrant yellow as the hot color for 2009, however, personally, I'm not so sure. As pointed out from a few others, we have seen a lot of yellow and perhaps need something else beyond it...a great site that I often check on has their own predictions, with several swatches of color options, which includes yellow but offer others as well - to view their site click here.

For home decor, I see grays, whites and black sticking around as the basis for color, almost like a canvas - with spurts of brighter, more rich colors such as aquas, purples, blues, greens, oranges, reds and even some pinks. I feel that modern, sleek metals combined with unrefined, raw woods and a sense of hand-crafted flavors in accessories will be strong this year...for window coverings, I see minimal (blinds/nothing) or heavy curtains made out of velvet, velvet/linen combinations, taffeta, and silks. They seem to be making a strong statement.

For fashion, I'm getting mixed signals. Scarves galore, layers of fitted and loose combined - fashion seems to be taking on a very "artsy" look. Imperfection with beautiful lines... wonderful, small details combined with luxurious fabrics. A mix between "romance and futurism". A number of colors seem to be showing up as well as the odd brights. I think monochromatic outfits will be huge, single shoulder dresses, oversized pants, slouchy handbags as well as long-strapped handbags will be showing up in many designer's collections.

"Personalized" seems to be at the forefront of today's living...personally, I am influenced by a variety of things; A large part is from magazines such as: Living Etc., Wallpaper*, Vogue Living, Maison Francaise, Vogue Paris and a few others. They offer different opinions, but in general, I select what I like. If you're really stuck with picking colors for your home or wardrobe, the only advice I can offer is to go with what makes you feel happy :) I seem to select colors for the home that I would actually wear and that fit with my personality, style, experiences, etc...above is some photos I've collected from a variety of sources (Living Etc, Domino, Cosmoworlds.com) and I hope they may inspire you. Lastly, this year have fun with color - you might just surprise yourself!