B — On Trend
[The design business can be a fickle field, subject to the innumerable, rapidly refreshing whims of an ever-changing world. More than ever before, those of us who make a living in any sort of creative industry must be receptively sensitive to the adaptations in the world around us so that we may respond accordingly in a relevant way. In this post we’ve asked one of our resident creative individuals to share with us some of their insights regarding the current trends on their radar.]
author: Bryan Entzel
OVER GREY WINTER
I think we can all agree, this winter has been extremely stifling, drab and a real test to our mental state. Recently I’ve been perusing the stores now that the veil of winter is lifting, to see what’s new out there. In recent years I’ve been less than impressed with the new trends as the seasons change. I think we were left with a glut of old merchandise that retailers carried over through the recession. But this spring is proving to be a bit different. For the first time in a while, I’ve spotted something new. Not just one little nugget of newness either, but a larger trend for spring. I first saw signs of this in Miami back in February and it’s now spread to half a dozen stores here in the Minneapolis area too. I like being able to spot a movement when it happens so this was particularly exciting.
POINT OF INSPIRATION
A “Color Trend”, which is what I’ve stumbled across, is something broad, across multiple categories and this year I think it reflects the winter we’ve had. There’s dirty snow and bare trees as far as you can see. But at some point we turn the corner and the sun gets more intense. Things start to warm up and you get that first little peek of green on the edges of the lawn or in a flower garden as foliage pokes through the still frozen ground. I feel this is the inspiration for this year’s spring color palette. Warm greys, dusty muted browns, a touch of black and BOOM, a contrasting hit of limey yellow!
My theory for this color story is this… After a long, trying winter, everything mute gives way and with that change comes a burst of color: the fresh greenish yellow hue of new life. Fresh growth is a sign of hope. A burst of yellow sunshine. A kiss of the outdoors. In fact, check with some of the home furnishing stores pushing this color story and it’s “invite the outdoors inside”. It’s still that muted white-washed color palette but with a punch of vibrant chartreuse: a collection of vintage bottles and pottery, a distressed barn-board table. There are vignettes and tabletops featuring herbs and complements from the garden, topiaries and bright yellow bouquets, amidst grey-tone place settings.
BRING ON THE CITRON
This trend carries through the other rooms of the house as well. Accent pillows, bedding, picture frames and furniture pieces have popped up in these hues too–planting the seeds of inspiration in our minds.
The world of fashion hasn’t missed a beat either with this pairing. From the runways to store front windows we can see chic greys dappled with hits of the same warm yellow-green. Plaids woven together with yellow accents and streamlined silver ties offset with a hit of chartreuse.
Take another step down the concourse at your favorite mall and you can see packaging for health and beauty products that mimic the same color . This color trend has descended upon us like that first warm spring day. It’s a hot combo and I think as we look for ways to inspire ourselves this spring, it is sure to get some attention.
A special thanks to the following stores, brands and web sites: Restoration Hardware Crate and Barrel CB2 Express Kenneth Cole Calvin Klein West Elm Origins Ann Taylor OnSugar.com Guess paperiesheep.blogspot.com squidoo.com weddedaway.com Juicebeauty Flicker@deanspic
