Designer Amy Lau of New York City
"I’m seeing purple everywhere. "
Jewel tones are huge this season. I’m seeing purple everywhere. Benjamin Moore's Dark Lilac (2070-30) reminds me of the runways during fashion week and looks fabulous when paired with neutrals. It’s easily integrated into any color palette and always looks chic.
Black Forest Green (EXT.RM) is a hue of black that's incredibly sexy. It has a lot of depth with silvery flourishes of chrome or nickel, floors painted in high gloss or mirrored walls. It just demands glamor.
Autumn Cover (2170-30) is a great color that works best in low doses. This color can be quite stunning when used as an accent color for a bed or on a wall in a beach house à la Barragán.
Dew (2146-50 1B) is just a classic color. I love pairing this with a vintage 60s and 70s wallpaper. it's a soothing accent to those sharp retro patterns.
“Green is my new neutral.”
If "personality" was the name of a color, that’s what I'd say will be the new trend for 2008. Clients want their space to be a reflection of themselves. They don’t always see how to make it work but that’s when I come in. For a new neutral that fits any style, I'll have to say green is the best. No more butter yellow. I’ve used Benjamin Moore’s Dill Weed and Danville Tan in many living spaces.
“Colors that make you feel like you've gone on vacation.”
"My favorite new color direction for 2008? I'm pushing myself out of earth tones and going for something a little trendier. It's for a house in the middle of the city (Chicago) with huge windows and lots of sky and water."
Weston Flax (HC-5)
Surf Green (2036-60)
Pale Avocado (2146-40)
Province Blue (2135-40)
To me these colors are all about going on vacation. Very sun, water, sand. Very expansive. I’ll let you know in a couple months when we finish the job.
But my favorite color of all time is Benjamin Moore's Shellburne Buff (HC 28). It’s truly a chameleon color. From tan to green to camel to off-white, it’s whatever you want it to be and looks different at every time of day. I’ve used it over and over and it’s what I live with at home. You can’t ever get tired of this color.
“Fluorescents, magentas and orangey reds."
The colors I am using now and foresee will be hot in 2008: Petrol Blues–Grays. Fluorescents. Metallics: silver and gold. Magenta. Emerald. Lilac. Orangey reds. And lots of jewel tones.
Designer Brad Weesner of Frederick, Maryland
"I find myself leaning towards the classics."
The colors I am using a lot now, and will be classic for a while, I think, are alabasters, smoky blue grays and silvers, grounded by touches of black. When I use these colors in a room, I tend to keep the walls an alabaster color with grays… maybe Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist (OC 27) with Marilyn's Dress (2125-60) and Ice Mist (2123-70) with Fog Mist (OC-31). I am also feeling very partial to crystals, platinum, mirrors, and specialty finishes such as Lumicor’s Cracked Glass.
“Lush and delicious colors—good enough to eat!"
Right now I am designing the color scheme for an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It’s for a young couple who used to live in Tribeca and has now moved uptown to raise their young children closer to their schools.
For the Master Bedroom, I chose a beautiful gray-blue colors, Benjamin Moore's Yarmouth Blue (HC-150), to create a pale and luminescent effect. It has a lot of gray in it, which gives it depth. The fabrics in the room are oatmeal-colored linen, pale creams and white wools. And the hardware is satin nickel or chrome.
We gave the Study a darker funkier feel inspired by African tribal art. The walls will be either Benjamin Moore's Litchfield (HC-78), which is a very warm gray with a lot of brown tones, or Bennington Gray (HC-82), which is a green gray. Grays intensify other colors: for example, they make blues bluer. The hand-woven Tibetan carpet inspired a mix of earthy including: fig, mustard, cerulean blue, chocolate brown, and cream. The sofa is upholstered with chocolate brown mohair and the desk is parchment with dark mahogany wood legs. All the colors are very lush and delicious--good enough to eat!
For 2008, I will continue to select colors from Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection. They have a depth and complexity that I find continually appealing and inspiring. They help me set the mood for each room, and they pull together all the interiors elements into a cohesive visual experience.