2006 Color Forecast: Color-conscious

If there's one thing all the experts are saying, it's that consumers are no longer afraid to use color in the home. While brights have been popular in accents for some time now, the trend is moving toward larger pieces in year-round looks.

"For 2006, I think you're going to notice that there is an extraordinary amount of bright colors," said Dana Poor, manager of home trend forecasting for Cotton Inc. "We always have bright colors for summer and outdoor wear but now you're starting to see it in fulltime home pieces like upholstery and top of bed. It's a natural progression that we were in a tan chenille world for too long and people are starting to look for something new and exciting." Poor forecasts a palette called Overexposed, electrified brights that are intense and saturated. These include Plasma (a bold, bright blue), Optimism (a sharp tangerine/melon hue), and Limelight (an almost neon green).

"Consumers see color as a way to personalize their environments," said Michelle Lamb, senior editor of The Trend Curve. "The selection of color has become a far more thoughtful and exacting process than it has ever been before." Lamb's color forecast includes saturated brights that resemble popsicle hues, as well as some hyper-brights like Blue Splash (a cleaned-up turquoise), Dazzling Green (a kelly-inspired hue, but brighter and more yellow) and Fabulous Pink with a red cast.

Catherine Stein, president of The Color Council, said we can expect to see the bright palette continuing to maintain a presence, but no longer ascending. High chromatic color fatigue is beginning to set in. Stein points toward brights like Kelly green, yellow-orange, and cerise, a deep, shocking pink.

Leatrice Eiseman, author of the Color Answer Book and director of the Pantone Color Institute, uses brights in several palettes for 2006 including Romantic Notions, a funky mix of reds and warm pinks accented by orchid, apricot and mimosa yellow whose overall message is "don't take yourself too seriously." Another festive palette is Pique-Nique, a casual combination of melon and pecan tones mixed with green sheen, a refreshing yellow-green. Paradiso has an exotic feel with deep fuchsia, a blue-coral called Candlelight Peach and deep sapphire and peacock blues.

Overall, the look is color, color, color! Instead of the candy colors of 2005, these brights become saturated and clear without appearing too shocking. Reds make a return with a bluer hint, pink looks hot paired with yellow, and turquoise turns a deeper shade of sapphire. Whether paired with neutrals for a more traditional look, or used in pattern work for a more contemporary edge, bright color will continue in 2006.

The Franconia wall decor from Studio Avo contrasts brights from a range of hues like turquoise, purple, kelly green, orange-gold and red. eLink 755

Maine Cottage presents a chair in a red-on-red pattern in a tomato and shrimp combination. eLink 756