The economic slowdown and a push to reconnect with nature will result in simpler design styles and color choices heading into 2009, according to one industry forecaster.
Architecture and design emerging next year will be taking cues from four concepts: “raw,” “urban silence,” “simplexity” and “private identity,” says Mary M. Hoffman, a color and design specialist with Benjamin Moore Paints. Hoffman shared these trends during the annual Rocky Mountain Designers’ Market held May 6-7 at the Denver Design District.
“We are going to see more of a ‘make do with what you have’ attitude and paring down austerity in design,” Hoffman said during the standing-room-only presentation attended by more than 100 local designers.
The “in the raw” ideal will be expressed through sustainable living materials and minimalism. Think of how things exist in their simplest, purest form, including the rawness of untreated wood.
Designers who adhere to “in the raw” concepts will find new purposes for old items including cinder blocks, Styrofoam and tires, Hoffman said.
The raw palette will layer white on white, with textures and shapes to add visual interest. Gray and monotones will be embraced with tonal shifts ranging from beiges to near-black.
A splash of chrome and crystalline effects will add sparkle to this otherwise unbleached look. Added dimension will come from textures such as rounded and angular grains of sand, splintered wood and flat finishes. “The soft sands that cover the Earth is the inspiration,” Hoffman said.
“Urban silence” encourages designs of smaller, intimate spaces, organic architecture and community spaces. The global trends Hoffman’s crew uncovered included garden rooftops, treehouses and indoor and outdoor communal lounges that encourage people to slow down and reconnect with the environment.
Architecture and furnishings will mimic nature, like the “Jurassic Leaves” sculpture at the Louisiana light rail station at South Pearl Street in Denver.
Colors in this concept will be greens paired with gray and brown undertones warmed up with high-sheen chromes and coppers. Soft and hard finishes will coexist among organic materials, including peat, grass and foliage.
The crux of “simplexity” design is repetitive patterns clustered into simple formats. Angles and pleating, from wall to ceiling surfaces, will add interest and texture. Hot items in this school of thought include handcrafted furnishings such as crocheted or ribbon-banded chairs, Lego planters and modular furniture pieces that can be easily reshaped.
Color blocking, kaleidoscopes and origami are influences here. Subdued colors will be paired with bright spots for a patchwork appearance. Merlot reds and grays will be used as undertones.
“Private identity” deals with personalization of décor and differentiates between the individual and the world, Hoffman said.
Colors will include organic brights teamed with pales to create unusual pairings. Metallics will be warm and cool, while surfaces, especially blacks and vinyl, will have slick, wet looks. Denim and brass will be key features in this forward-thinking trend.
Sheba R. Wheeler: 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com
