Color trends for 2012 arrive in palettes that promise to endure long after being en vogue. Whether you’re repainting your walls, reupholstering your dining furniture, or picking an appliance in a new hue, now you too can take inspiration from these color trend reports.
Hues heat up in 2012 with a move toward deeply saturated tangerines and oranges. Orange has been on the fringe of past popular shades, but its juicy hues burst to the forefront of trends this year. This color turns playful in reddish orange hues that liven up spaces and our lives.
Using reddish-orange as an accent in your kitchen color palette offers a splash of color and character. Applied on accents like textiles and dishware, this red-orange hue is incorporated subtly while creating a strong design statement that complements the kitchen’s gray palette.
Combine the brightness of last year’s popular hot pink with the depth of another 2011 trend, burgundy, and we see juicier tones in 2012.
Dripping with color, this berry accent wall simultaneously offers a bold swathe of color and livens up this room. White painted cabinets keep this room’s look light while textile accents carry the rich berry theme.
Blues in 2012 run the gamut from colonial grays to true blue. Blue has receded in recent years but returns with a wide array of options and applications. This bright blue mixer brightens this kitchen's otherwise neutral palette.
Traditionally used on dining room walls in colonial America, this blue-gray arrives again in 2012. Its strong but subtle foundation works well with contemporary accents and metallic finishes.
With the continued emphasis on sustainable living and farm-to-table culture, green has remained on the forefront of design in one shade or another for the past several years. 2012 sees green take a particularly fresh and bright tone, bringing the lushness of budding nature into our homes.
This vibrant green effuses the most joy of its shade. Used unexpectedly but effectively on cabinets, the color echoes the kitchen’s lush mountainside view.
Past color trends have embraced neutral tones in their palettes. These grays, wheats and caramels deepen in 2012, pushing the boundary of neutral while providing a solid base for their brighter neighbors. A range of dark wheat and brown tiles create a mosaic backsplash that evoke the deeper tones of nature.
The light grays of 2011become charcoal, perfect for an unexpected wall color, such as in this kitchen.
