Forecasting the Future

Imagine someone projecting your feelings, passions, and desires five years from now. How could they possible know what you could want? What you will love? What will move you to take action?
Do they really know or will they guide you to what you want? And how about not just you, but your friends, your colleagues, a nation, the world?
Welcome to the world of color forecasting. Armed with the past and firmly focused on what they hope we will want, the world's best forecasters (Pantone and the likes) attempt to take the world's pulse years before it knows the answers. Where will the world economy be? What crises or joys will spring up in the next half decade? Their  job is to foresee this through the lens of  color and then guide us to the desired outcome. 
This year is the year of nurture with a side of playful curiosity. The palettes give a nod to the simplicity of centuries gone by. With that is a sense of security and an anchor in what is tried and true. Historic colors that have stood the test of time and therefore have earned our respect and gratitude. But if there is not balance, there is only heaviness. The world must have tradition to fall back on, but also the hope of something whimsical and carefree. To counterbalance this, forecasters have given us a spirited collection of colors that speak to the more adventurous soul in each of us. 

A bit of a dare, if you will.

Pantone's Color of the Year is Radiant Orchid
It's intent is to inspire creativity and curiosity. It is a complex mixture of purple, pink, and fuchsia intended to relate to the complexity in ourselves and the world. It is also a harmonious color in that it plays as well with greens and darker blues as it does with gray's and taupes. 

 Here is an example of how we used a variation on this color in one of our little cottages in Maine.
 We surprised this little guest room with a healthy dose of these vibrant tones, but then downplayed it in the public spaces with calming creams and hits of green.









Farrow and Ball took their inspiration from nature and created a palette that is steeped in history and comfort. Purbeck Stone #275 acts as a strong neutral and allows a room to feel anchored and cohesive.

Similarly, our intent was to invoke a sense of back to nature as we designed this three seasons porch using Ben Moore's Texas Leather. While darker in tone, it still works as a great grounding tone and because of both it's grey and brown undertone, it works well with a variety of metals and woods.

Continuing on the pathway to nature, Ben Moore's 2014 color of the year is 806 Breath of Fresh Air.
A whisper of a blue, this shade is eager to mimic and extend our color vision from afar.  This color proves to be a wonderful choice for those that are just beginning their journey into the world of color. It is highly versatile on walls, fabrics and furnishings. 

Rounding out the forecast, is another welcome bow to curiosity and magic with the Sherwin Williams collection.
Rich, voluminous colors meant to harness the mysterious and perhaps even macabre, this palette pushes the limits of safety and invites the adventurous on a sultry and organic journey of color....

This year's collection of delicious colors provide a little something for everyone from adventure to the comfort of back to nature.

Feel free to let the emotion of color wash over you, envelop you, transform you. Let it be an expression of who you are right now. 
And if that seems like a daunting task, fear not as we at Mandeville Canyon Designs are here to walk the path with you. We guarantee once you have started down the weathered road, you will be glad you took up the journey...

In good health,

Renee