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Pittsburgh Paints Issues Color Forecast

Friday, January 16, 2009

PPG Industries Inc.’s Pittsburgh Paints business issued a 2009-2010 emerging color trend forecast, carrying a theme of “Surreal/Real” to convey two divergent directions for interior color directions.

Representing a desire for personal expression, the four Surreal/Real color palettes reflect an interest in creation of “a unique and personalized color story,” says Josette Buisson, artistic director of Pittsburgh Paints and PPG’s The Voice of Color program. “On the one hand, there’s the surreal—surprising and magical. On the other hand, there’s the real—what is logical, tangible, and knowable.”

Buisson says all four palettes feature colors that are more saturated than those of recent years, “the better for creating the kind of contrast that is so satisfying right now.

“Look for a flash of blue, a soft pink, a very surprising green, and plum, which is super-important for the upcoming season.”

The two color palettes from the “Surreal” side of the 2009-2010 forecast are:

·         Avatar—clean matte shades of green, yellow, and new blue exhibit a luminosity stabilized only by flat black and white

·         Wonderland—romantic, proffering a paintbox of soft, warm cosmetic shades in soft pink and ivory against a sumptuous brown note

From the “Real” side of the 2009-2010 Surreal/Real color story are:

·         Indie—a carpenter’s palette of railway blues, patinaed browns, and engineer’s green, inspired by the warm shades of agriculture and the iconic designs of the early days of industry

·         Journey—Down-to-earth tones blend together in saturated harmonies or stand alone as accents against dark browns and inky blacks

“Last year, color was very focused on the external and the environmental; it was concerned and reactive,” says Buisson. While consumers haven’t abandoned their interest in becoming less self-centered and more aware of their impact on the planet, Buisson contends that Surreal/Real represents a shift to a more internalized focus on the human being.

More information: www.voiceofcolor.com.