Colour forecasts are already heading our way for 2019 and Metropolitan is the colour of choice for the upcoming year. Grey tones have been on our radar for several years and even those who don’t like grey have ‘warmed up’ to this trend setting shade. Your walls stare at you 365 days a year and you want to be sure to choose a colour that will embrace you and not taunt you for the next 5-10 years!
Paint companies got into the design game when they changed from choosing 24-845 to “Raindance”, consumers loved it and this designer was overjoyed because I am not a numbers person. I can relate to Misty Morning and Stout and Nacho Cheese and can remember these because they create a feeling or mood for the project I am working on. Besides, there is less room for error when you choose a colour with a name that co-ordinates – the episode of 1997 where I switched two numbers around and half my client’s home was painted a horrific shade of pink still haunts my memory.
Now it’s all about the feeling, the mood, the atmosphere you are creating when you choose a paint colour. Carpet manufacturers have been doing this for decades and clients will usually opt for the carpet called crème caramel rather than brown. It is a direct marketing attempt to play on our senses and give us confidence in our choices. Do you want power and assertiveness? Choose Metropolitan or City Shadow. If soft and soothing is your forte, then Gray Owl or Grey Cashmere would be your choice to envelop your room. There is also Elephants Breath and Moles Breath for the wacky ones!
People used to refer to their paints just by broad colour descriptions, eggshell, white, grey, blue were terms used when someone asked what paint was on the walls. We have become so much more than just colour, haven’t we? It is now verging on a political or religious statement when you share your paint colour choice with inquiring minds. I think it makes it much more fun to pick and to own a colour choice when you can relate to what the manufacturer wants you to feel about choosing a certain colour. We are easily convinced that we are buying a lifestyle choice with some of our product purchases and this is on purpose.
Years ago, we had a product launch paint naming contest for C2 paint and it was so much fun to see the creative ideas that the clients came up with. We had a party and invited everyone to name a new palette of colours launched by C2. The most memorable one was a pale beige colour that one client named ‘grannie panties’, it was a hilarious visual but I’m not surprised that C2 paint didn’t choose that name as they know that a paint named after a polyester undergarment for senior ladies wouldn’t exactly fly off the shelves.
I encourage you to check out the colour for 2019 Metropolitan, look at the coolness and the strength it offers and surround yourself with the feeling of urban coolness.
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Apology: It has come to my attention that my use of the word schizophrenic in my last column has offended some of my cherished readers. I want to offer a sincere apology to everyone for my careless use of this word which is a medical diagnosis and not a casual description of unpredictable weather. Thank you for your feedback and thank you for reading!
Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Kim Wyse Associate Royal Lepage Tamarack Trail Realty’.
