The new colors

So what are the new colors? CMG reports that while colors with an environmental tone remain important, the new colors are fresher and cleaner. In other words, colors are less muddy than the khaki tones and deep mossy greens you have been seeing for quite a while. Look for yellow-greens with a sharper, more lively cast. Notice that yellows are fresher and happier, reds have more chili-pepper pungency. These new colors reflect the public’s more optimistic outlook.

Our fears from 9/11 and our long-term cocooning tendencies have created something of a void, and now homeowners want to step out and put some spice back into their lives. We want to re-energize our lives. We are not a country of retiring people, and we are ready to strike a more hopeful note. Color is an easy way to do this.

You will see color in every product on the market, and you will notice people responding favorably to homes that have colored walls, colored appliances and colored facades. So go ahead, try taking a chance on a house with a deeper body color, or interior walls that are not white, or kitchens constructed in some of the new floor and counter materials. I predict you’ll get a response from your buyers that will pleasantly surprise you.

James Martin is a longtime member of Color Marketing Group and owner of Denver-based The Color People architectural color consultants.