TRENDY TONES: Colorful changes

Regardless of what manufacturers are creating, they continually introduce new colors in their products to keep consumers in the stores.

"If mauve and gray were the only colors to select from, why buy another gray pillow if the one you have is in perfectly good condition? Manufacturers know we are not going to throw everything out each year when the new colors start coming in, but we may add or change out one of the colors in our home for an updated look," Gail Mayhugh of GMJ Interiors said.

Color is key for any product, and the most effective way to get attention at the point of sale, according to Marketing Directions Inc., a tracker of trends in the home furnishings industry.

"The right color brings (consumers) a step closer to buying. The wrong color turns them away completely. Consumers will compromise on pattern, but they will rarely compromise on color," a spokesperson said.

"In" colors are determined by professionals from various consumer-oriented industries. These colors are selected more than a year in advance by members of Color Marketing Group, an international association of color and design professionals. The members represent industries such as fashion, interior and exterior home décor, durable goods, communications/graphics, recreation and transportation.

Twice a year, 650 members gather to analyze colors. They begin by developing individual forecasts based on trends within their own industries. At workshops, the impact of economic, environmental, political, technological, social and cultural issues are considered. The color forecasts from each workshop are then consolidated into a final palette.

For 2003, the group forecast a prevalence of blues, aimed at providing assurance and stability during cloudy economic times.

"We have experienced newfound energy using full chroma hues that can lift our spirits and provoke our senses," said Barbara Lazarow, co-chairman of the association's consumer color direction committee. "For color, we look to the prosperous times of the 1920s and 1960s and to the glamour of the 1930s and 1940s. Automobiles sport `Gatsby' colors in glittering golds and pearlescent whites, as well as silver-tinted whites and taupes. These colors translate well into luxury fashion as the fashion workshop discussed rich velvets, shimmery satins and vintage Valentino."

In addition to an "energized" shade of mauve for 2003, CMG is introducing "silger," a gold/silver combination.

Also among the colors forecast for this year are: currant, brown veils violet with sophistication; pinkle, an aged, nongender-specific pink; cheeky, reminiscent of the art deco era, blends pink and peach; iron ore-ange, orange influenced by copper; and newtral, a softened matte gray that offers a lower contrast alternative to dark and white combinations.

With the ever-changing market in mind, Leslie Parraguirre, president of Colours Inc. in Las Vegas, said she strives to select "classic" tones for "attached" and permanent fixtures when designing homes' interiors.

"That way you don't have to gut the entire house when you remodel in five years," she said, pointing out that accents with paint and accessories can easily be interchanged to create a new look.

Parraguirre suggests decorating with colors from the cream family, black, earthy shades of green, and, to some extent, navy.

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