newjerseynewsroom.com

BY MARGARET MORGAN

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Sherwin-Williams celebrates individualism, a trend towards not being trendy at all, with its thoughtfully-selected Colormix 2011 collection rather than designating one color the color for 2011. The company forecasts that trendy has never been more passé as self-expression now spins the color wheel. According to Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, "Status is no longer about consumption, it is about personal identity and Colormix 2011 evokes that sense of uniqueness."

The 39 colors selected by Sherwin-Williams color experts for Colormix 2011 are grouped into four palettes:

Purely Refined is defined as elegant, tailored and understated. Its color palette is pared down with subtle neutrals — blues, French grey, lavender, buff and cocoa.

Bold Invention has high-energy hues that are experimental, artsy and expressive. They vibrate with spontaneity reflecting the colors of avant-garde art and the vibrant colors of the islands and Latin America — Habañero chile, tempo teal, parakeet and sapphire.

Restless Nomad is a mix that is sultry, exotic and primal creating an eclectic global design stew with Moroccan and Turkish influences. Colors range from dusky darks to hot, vibrant pinks and reds, earthy, food-influenced hues — indigo batik, gypsy red, exuberant pink and glitzy gold.

Gentle Medley exudes fresh, airy innocence, both romantic and nostalgic, with hints of a spring bud or a vintage fabric. The hues are pastels and pale neutrals, delicate and subdued without being old-fashioned, but thoroughly modern — sand dune, chartreuse, soft copper and wheat.

At Benjamin Moore, the color experts predict a purple reign in 2011 with a deep smoky wine to wildly pumped-up fuchsia being predominant colors in home décor. One purple to watch according to Sonu Mathew, ASID, the company's senior interior designer, is Vintage Wine 2116-20. She describes it as an anchoring and rich hue with a deep brown base and a hint of smoky violet. For color with a little more punch, she suggests Royal Flush. Smoke, a subtle blue grey, is another powerful color statement

Mathew says that a quest for balance is driving our life choices. In arriving at its 2011 color palette forecast, Benjamin Moore's color team tracked cultural, social and even political conditions and their impact. "Envision Color 2011" is a free booklet with the team's color predictions and is loaded with inspiring decorating ideas, photo illustrations and the forecasted palette of 18 hues. Emerging from their analysis were the central theme of Balance and three distinct style movements:

Soulful reflects the communications technology that is shrinking the globe. Soulful hues represent an ethnicity and handcrafting, as seen with warm, expressive colors that express a deep, soulful place for family treasures to be shared with loved ones.

Spirited hues create a palette of happy, joyful and playful colors that are spirited and riotous juxtaposed with lots of grey, black and white.

Dreamy is where wishes are nurtured with soft textures, transparency and a color palette with hues that are pale, frosted and opalescent — grey, porcelain and whites.

For help in choosing your new colors, Benjamin Moore offers several color selection tools. Visit the Virtual Fan Deck and the Personal Color Viewer. These are fun tools to explore while seeking inspiration to spruce up your home's interior in 2011.

Visit Margaret Morgan at at Shore Region Food and Drink Examiner, Shore Region Restaurant Examiner and TastefuLiving.net.