It never ceases to amaze me how the colour specialists in the home décor industry come up with great new colours and colour combos every year. The vibrant yellow in our feature photograph, courtesy of CIL, is stunning. This fun new colour is called Lime Twist.
According to CIL, the hottest colour of 2011 is a light, citrus yellow, symbolizing a sense of fun, freedom and positive energy. Think lemonade, fizzy sherbet and lemon-lime chiffon -- a dramatic move away from the banana yellow that was popular last year.
"The new yellow is associated with warmth and sunshine," says Alison Goldman, marketing communications manager for CIL Paints, citing CIL's Lime Twist (89YY 78/269) yellow as the brand's 2011 colour of the year. "It's a very optimistic, cheerful and refreshing colour, sending a clear message that, as a society, we're done with tough times and look forward to brighter days ahead."
In the coming year, we'll see airy light yellow in all facets of home décor, from walls and furniture to accessories, Goldman says. CIL recommends adding a touch of citrus yellow to any room, even dark interiors, to liven up the space. Pairing well with the new yellows are denim and turquoise blues, earthy browns, berry violets or airy pastels.
This year's sunny forecast extends beyond the yellow family as fresh, cheerful colours dominate the entire 2011 palette, says Goldman. Each of the colour families emanates a feeling of optimism, with more brilliant colours taking centre stage across the board.
Black helps define colour
The colour in our feature photograph is vibrant yet calming at the same time. This is a tough combination to achieve. Balanced with charcoal black and pale blue chenille bedding, this colour palette has just the right balance for a restful but stylish bedroom.
The use of charcoal grey and soft black accents in this bedroom really help the colours pop and keep the room from being too feminine. Variations of black-coloured accents can be used to create drama in any room. We often forget about using black in a décor because it's gloomy on its own but when used to accentuate colours and line it can make a huge difference in creating a room that's nice versus stunning. Black accents can turn a cute space into a grown up one and adds a little elegance and maturity a room.
How to use black
The simple black piping, for instance, makes a big design statement. Along with making what could have been a 'pretty' chenille throw more adult looking, the piping draws the eye to the head (or focus) of the bed. The black banding on the cream pillow cases adds dimension and elegance. Black pillow cases on their own might seem dreary but set between the cream and blue pillows they make a style statement. Black and grey Roman blinds frame the bed and create a designer touch. The colourful prints over the bed are framed in black as well and add the final punch to the focal wall. Note that the widths of the black accents are similar and substantial, save for the piping on the bedspread. Keeping the scale of the accents alike helps unify the look. Keep this in mind when accenting with black or any colour for that matter.
As an aside, you may notice that the carpeting is olive-grey green in colour. This could be a difficult colour to work with but it blends in well in this stylish bedroom. The lesson here is not to give up if you have a less-than-perfect stationary colour to deal with in your home. Work with the colour to make it blend in, rather than use complementary colours that will make it stand out even more.
The fresh new paint colours give us great new options for the décor. Bring a little sunshine and style into your home by infusing your décor with some vibrant colour. Maintain a visual balance in your colour palette using accents that will add that designer touch we all desire.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
