COLOUR
FUTURES 2009
TM
International ColourTrends
CONTENTS OVERVIEW TheColourFutures™ team introduces you to forecasted colour trends for 2009
WELCOME 02 INTERNATIONAL COLOUR TRENDS 04 TREND MOVEMENTS 06 COLOUR FUTURES™ TEAM 08
COLOUR THEMES These five key lifestyle themes have been submitted by the ColourFutures™ teamfor 2009:
ECOTECTURE 12 WHITE DIMENSIONS 18 LIVING LEGACY 24 EQUILIBRIUM 30 PLAY HOUSE 36
COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2009
COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2009 42 COLOUR TRANSITIONS 46
COLOUR FAMILIES ColourFutures™displays a palette of 76 colours for 2009. All are from the ICI Paints Global Colour System with a unique notation number. These colours are divided into eight families:
REDS 50 ORANGES 52 YELLOWS 54 WARM NEUTRALS 56 GREENS 58 BLUES 60 VIOLETS 62 COOL NEUTRALS 64
REFERENCE An understanding of the science behind colour and useful colour reference details for the 2009 palette
THE SCIENCE BEHIND COLOUR 66 COLOUR INDEX 2009 68
WELCOME ColourFutures™isthecolourcommunicationtool fromourinternationalteamofcolourexperts. ColourFutures™istheresultofongoingworldwide colourtrendresearch,forecastinganddevelopment. Weprideourselvesontheknowledgeofcolourand colourformulations inpaint.ColourFutures™ providesthereaderwith internationaltrendsin colourandlifestyleoneyearinadvance.
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INTERNATIONAL COLOUR TRENDS The ColourFutures™ team draws on a varietyof sources: from research groups, colour marketing and trade and retail exhibitions, to design influences from the worlds of fashion, technology, architecture, music, nature and popular culture. This results in a contemporary colour palette which is driven by society’s changing moods and interests. Trends can emerge out of every possible cornerof society. Some can emerge rapidly; others evolve over several years– or even decades. Some may be slow in evolving and then a sudden major influence can either speed them up or slow them down.
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04
TREND MOVEMENTS Over the past six years we have seen a significant shift in the Colour of theYear – the colour that best represents the prevailing mood and fashion of the time. The soothing turquoise of 2004 which best summed up our interest in a balance between mind and body, gave way in 2005 to a more life enhancing orange that symbolised a sense of vitality and optimism. 2006 featured a restorative yellow-green with a strong ecological bias which, in turn in 2007 became a more masculine pink which symbolised a new urban regeneration in design and architecture. The yellow of 2008 linked the East to the West and illustrated respect for the past and optimism for the future. The calm and soothing cool green that best sums up 2009 can be found in many of this year’s trend stories but at slightly different colour levels – it represents a sense of natural stillness, healing and balance.
HYPE FASHION
TREND
IMPACT
MAINSTREAM
TIME
06
To clarify what a trend is, it is helpful to look at the difference between a hype, a fashion and a trend (seeopposite). A hype is something that emerges suddenly, takes a group of people by storm – and then dissipates rapidly. Hypes are generally born unconsciously and come from some inner drive to be accepted by one’s peers, to belong. A fashion is more current and is usually followed consciously– through clothes, toys, food and certain aspects of lifestyle. Trends, on the other hand, are drifts, inclinations and movements in a prevailing direction.
NickiBarton Head of Colour, AkzoNobel DecorativePaints
TM
TM
CatherineFiloche Consultantto DuluxValentine, France
The ColourFutures™ team is a group of international colour consultants, both internal and external, to our company. They are the recognised experts within our organisation, responsible for watching and scanning a wide range of industries and environments in order to plan and forecast colour trends. Their work culminates in comprehensive collections and concepts illustrating their selections – it is published one year ahead in ColourFutures.™
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Background:12 years in the Colour/ Design of Wallcovering, 8years with ICI Paints as Colour Consultant. Member of Colour Marketing Group, and member of American Society of Interior Designers. Education: BFA Graphics and Applied Design, Miami University. Specialisms: Colour and design trends, faux finishes and mural painting.
Background: Design Director of Freedom Tree Design, a colour and trend studio based in India. Chairholder with the Colour Marketing Group and the India Director for the PPFCC. Education: Alumni of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. Specialisms: Design and colour strategies for manufactured products and retail collections.
Background: 5 years’ marketing experience for Dulux UK, 6 years in a global role working across the ICI Paints portfolio around the world. Chairperson of ColourFutures since 2003. Education: BSc from University College, Cardiff. Specialisms: Colour trends, systems and collateral,brand communication and media.
COLOUR FUTURES TEAM
KrimDanzinger SeniorColourConsultant, GliddenPaints, USA
LatikaKhosla ConsultanttoDulux,Asia
AnnevanderZwaag ManagerAkzoNobel AestheticCenter
Background: Consultant for ICI since1997. Design for companies such as Saint Gobain Glass, Gerflor, Kohler France. Founded own design office in Montmartre,Parisin1997. Education: École Supérieure d’Arts Appliqués Duperré, Paris. BTS Textiles and DSAA Fashion and Environment. Specialisms: Colour, trends and design for textiles, floor and wallcoverings.
BarbaraRichardson Director, ColourMarketing, GliddenPaints, USA Background: 21years as Colour Consultant, 5 years as Colour Design Studio Manager. Chairholder in The Colour Marketing Group;member of American Society of Interior Designers. Education: Graduate in Commercial and Fine Arts from Cooper School of Art; Interior Design Certificate from the New York School of Interior Design. Specialisms: Colour and design trends, merchandising colour, colour restoration.
MaryWard CreativeDirector, DuluxUK&Ireland
Background: Curator, author and tutor in the field of art, design, architecture and fashion. Head of the AkzoNobel Aesthetic Center since 2007. Education: Master Modern Art and Design, University Utrecht, the Netherlands. Specialisms: Colour trends, concepts and communication.
JenniLittle Consultant to Dulux,Europe Background: MD of Jenni Little Associates design and colour consultancy with over 35 years’experience, including 25 with ICI Paints in UK and Europe. Founder member and Chairperson of The Colour Group in the UK. Education: Graduate of Manchester College of Art and Design– BA in printed textiles. Specialisms: Colour and design trends for paints, textiles, tiles and floor coverings.
PaolaVieira ColourMarketingManager, TintasCoral,Brazil
Background: Head of Dulux Creative Board since 2003, working with media, architects and homeowners. 7years’ marketing experience in UK and globally, creating award winning innovations, new colour ranges, merchandising and colour cards. Education: MSc Materials, Cranfield, UK ; BSc Chemistry,Trinity, Dublin, Ireland. Specialisms: Trends, Innovation, colour communication and design.
Background: 5 years’experience in the Marketing department of Whirpool Corporation, Bang & Olufsen and Merloni Elettrodomestici. 3years’experience in decorative paints in Brazil and international roles. Education: Graduate in Business Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas; graduate in Mathematics from Universidade de São Paulo. Masters in Marketing from Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan, Italy. Specialisms: Colour strategy and initiatives for Latin America, including colour communication.
76 colourshavebeenusedtoform whattheColourFutures™ teamconsiderstobethefivemainlifestyletrendsfor2009. Some colours appearinmorethanonetheme.
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ECOTECTURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
PLAY HOUSE
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WHITE DIMENSIONS LIVING LEGACY EQUILIBRIUM
The elements of air, water and earth are also being regarded as an inherent component of any new building both in terms of its environmental impact but also because of our improved understanding of the human need to inter-react with the natural world in a way that brings self fulfilment and an integrated lifestyle. The palette reflects this new challenging approach to the built environment and the natural world. Soft natural colours such as straw, olive, willow and aqua are enlivened and offset by techno greens, marine blues and deeper architectural tones — a community of colours for the basic bio bodies of the future.
ECOTECTURE
Innovative design and architecture practices are pursuing concepts such as vertical landscaping, sky gardens and integrated community facilities as part of many new office and domestic projects. Green energy and global citizenship are driving issues that will inform much of this debate. Aesthetic ambience and sustainable systems will ensure buildings create both a quality of life experience and a strong sense of community as opposed to the ‘islands in the sky’ so familiar to us now — where little attention is paid either to the lives of the residents within these structures or the impact of the building itself on the ecosystem.
PLAY HOUSE
Sustainable, environmentally friendly building is now going mainstream whether domestic or commercial, rural or urban. Leaving its hippy, alternative roots behind, the relationship of a building and inhabitants to its environment is now a critical issue for all new build projects. This clean green attitude regards a piece of architecture as a living organism that has the need to breathe, feed and dispose of waste in a responsible, non harmful way. Ultra high technology and ‘smart’ systems are being utilised to deliver effective eco solutions as seen in new projects such as the Hearst Tower in New York City. 15
IMAGERY
COLOUR PALETTE
ECOTECTURE
40 YY 49/408
30 RR 30/103
70 YY 72/041
70 YY 55/613
90 GG 30/195
70 YY 25/200
LIVING LEGACY
20YY 57/060
30 YY 58/178
WHITE DIMENSIONS
Tableandchairs,www.twentytwentyone.com
EQUILIBRIUM
30 YY 14/070
70 BB 15/081
20 YY 39/130
10 BB 17/269
10 GY 40/296
10 GG 51/125
PLAY HOUSE
70BB 55/044
70 GG 13/323
43 25 17
ECOTEC TURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
P L AY H O U S E
39 19
ECOTEC TURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS LIVING LEGACY EQUILIBRIUM P L AY H O U S E
Thisthemebringsatouchofmodernmagic,futuristicbutethereal,anewdawnofsyntheticdevelopment.Herewe findhighlyengineeredmaterialsandconstructionsmadeinawaythatdelightstheeyeandintriguesthesenseswith aplayofdimensionandshadow. Surfacesaresculpturedandgeometric,layeredandorganic,facetedandfiltered.Lightisalwaysthemostimportant ingredient,allowingforasubtleinterplayoftoneandcontrast,reflectionandtranslucence,transparencyandsolidity. Ultracontemporarymaterialsaremouldedandfoldedseamlesslylikeapieceofhi-techorigami; surfacesappearfluid andcontinuousbutareconstructedfromrigidmodularunits.Technologycreatesasenseof‘aliveness’oranimation– seeminglysimplesurfacesandobjectsareshapedinwaysthatbeliethetechnicalcomplexityoftheirconstruction. Theappearanceislightandairywithanemphasisondelicatefretwork,achievedbymeansoflasercuttingthatallows lighttopassthrough,castingetherealandmoodyshadows.Nosurfacesaretrulyflatbutaretexturedandmanipulated inordertocreatefascinatingspatialinterplays.CuttingedgedesignersanddesigncompaniessuchasTordBoontje, MarcelWanders,RonArad,DroogandMoooiarepushingcreativityintocyberspacewiththesehi-techmaterials andrapidprototyping.Yetinspiteofthefuturisticaspectofthistheme,averypoeticandmagicaldimensionisstillretained. Thepalettecombinesnewsoftandchalkywhiteswithmutedandsubtleshadowyshadesoffsetbythestronger ‘construction’coloursofrust,clayanddarkslate–coloursthatdrawusbacktoamorehumanaesthetic–anew21st centurydawnofsoftwhite.
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ECOTEC TURE
44YY 84/042
10YR 40/054
60YR 73/015
00NN 72/000
00NN 83/000
10GG 72/022
10BB 40/090
98YR 78/041
50GG 55/049
70BG 07/086
30YY 22/059
www.annekyyroquinn.com
70YR 45/261
EQUILIBRIUM
70YR 68/102
LIVING LEGACY
30YY 71/073
Faceted Futuristic Synthetic Intriguing Complex Engineered
I MAG E RY
CO LO U R PA L E T T E
50YR 23/365
WHITE DIMENSIONS
10YY 44/215
AndrewTyeScreen,www.tye3d.com
P L AY H O U S E 43 25 23
ECOTECTURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
PLAY HOUSE
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ECOTECTURE
This theme sets the tone for a new aesthetic approach to design and craft that both embraces sustainability and is a counterbalance to the worst of mass production. Micro production and limited editions are being created in sustainable communities, drawing on ongoing traditions combined with unique and valued craft skills.
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY EQUILIBRIUM PLAY HOUSE
Objects are unique – they flaunt and celebrate their workmanship,construction and materials whether made of metal,textile,ceramic, glass or wood. Every piece has its own story and can be seen as part of an ongoing dialogue from maker to user through customisation. This new dialogue between manufacture and marketing ensures a greater opportunity for the world’s developing countries and regions, for which artisanship, aided by good design, can be a realistic way of attracting foreign currency,enabling communities to continue. This, in turn, creates valuable links between makers and the real commercial world,and acts as a much needed alternative to the polarisation between discount and luxury. In a more and more impersonal world where people risk loosing touch with local crafts,it is essential that we preserve direct connections between the mind,eye and hand by valuing the human intervention in an object that gives it its sensuality. Pride,integrity and respect are qualities that can be ascribed to both the object and its creator, remixing influences and moving to the future whilst always respecting what has been done in the past. The desire to rediscover functional beauty, to fit the object to the user,enables each item to tell its own story in a way that will combat standardisation and banality – the living craft memories of yesterday will create the new design horizons of tomorrow. The palette combines a rich and varied range of botanical shades such as mustard,aloe, grape and cactus, enlivened by more vibrant and contemporary techno tones – alive yet calming, a palette to nourish the senses and feast the eyes.
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00YY 19/261
30YR 25/463 30YR 07/157
50YR 23/365
LIVING LEGACY
PRIDE REDISCOVERY 70YR 45/261
GENUINE 30YR 31/154
20YY 57/060
CUSTOMISATION
PLAY HOUSE
70BG 56/061 70RR 16/116
30YY 38/370
60YY 67/251
30YY 49/562
30BB10/112
23YR 10/308
Leather,RolfordLtd+44(0)1933461324
44YY 70/110
EQUILIBRIUM
Glassvases,www.parici.com
10RR 24/061
IMAGERY
COLOUR PALETTE
CONTINUITY INTEGRITY
WHITE DIMENSIONS
Beatlights,www.tomdixon.net
ECOTECTURE
LIVING LEGACY
43 25 29
ECOTEC TURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
P L AY H O U S E
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ECOTEC TURE WHITE DIMENSIONS
This soft and gentle palette represents all that is warming and human– colours to wrap yourself in,not in order to retreat from the world but to embrace it together with friends and family– a re-centring of the priorities of life.
P L AY H O U S E
Sharing tea with friends and family characterises the social and human aspects of this theme– a slow fix within our daily lives. A feeling for winding down rather than gearing up allows us to rebalance and rediscover a calmer quality of life that is centred on care and community.
The palette is inspired by the tones of tea and skin like jasmine,rose,linden,moss and mint– calming and satisfying colours that speak of our inherent similarities no matter how culturally diverse we are. Sociable and reassuring shades of great delicacy, like an infusion of pastel flowers,put over a mood of serenity and peace,of comfort and security.
EQUILIBRIUM
It is both introspective and contemplative but is nevertheless inclusive and integrated into our daily life – a far cry from the selfish and self absorbed attitude of the not too distant past. A‘we not me’attitude pervades and acts as a healing balm for the senses,a time to regenerate ourselves and reclaim our reason.
In a world where financial and political turbulence is rife, we move towards values that are eternal and sustaining; the need to nurture and care for our world in order to create a better tomorrow for the old and young alike. A time to be sociable but still,active but rested,human but spiritual.
LIVING LEGACY
This theme exemplifies a new attitude to life and leisure, friends and family, work and play, activity and rest. In short, we are re-evaluating our human relationships to one another, our communities and the rigours of modern living.
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90YY 62/264
80YR 67/085
60YY 67/251
30YY 80/088
10YY 61/136
90YR 51/109
80YR 40/148
10YY 60/224
80YR 17/129
00YY 43/304
NURTURING REFRESHING BALANCED SUSTAINING INFUSION HEALING
I MAG E RY
CO LO U R PA L E T T E
50YR 68/114
P L AY H O U S E
50GY 66/111
EQUILIBRIUM
00YY 83/046
LIVING LEGACY
70YY 65/090
WHITE DIMENSIONS
10YR 50/101
ECOTEC TURE
60YY 33/130
43 25 35
ECOTEC TURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
P L AY H O U S E
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ECOTEC TURE
WHITE DIMENSIONS
LIVING LEGACY
EQUILIBRIUM
P L AY H O U S E
39
ECOTEC TURE WHITE DIMENSIONS
30BB 16/031
30YY 72/018
LaBohemestools,www.icone.co.uk
30YY 47/145 50BG 55/241
EQUILIBRIUM
50YY 65/454
70GG 39/303 08YY 56/528
30RR 15/375
10BG 14/296
ENERGETIC OPTIMISTIC WITTY FUN ADVENTUROUS PLAYFUL
I MAG E RY
30YR 53/188
P L AY H O U S E
CO LO U R PA L E T T E
70YY 46/160
70YY 63/326
LIVING LEGACY
90YY 48/500
25YR 34/473
04YR 11/537 70YY 12/167
43 25 41
10GG 51/125
COLOUR OF THE YEAR
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SOOTHING REVIVING PROGRESSIVE SOCIABLE RESPONSIBLE TECHNICAL
COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2009
10GG 51/125
Green is a highly emotive colour that speaks to us symbolically on many levels – culturally, socially, naturally and futuristically. We have seen a huge growth of importance of all greens in recent years – from soft citrus tints, attention grabbing natural tones to hi-tech futuristic shades. Green represents the close alignment of nature and science in order to create a sense of harmonious and sustainable living. It reminds us of the critical importance of fresh water on our fragile planet, the technology of LED lights and the complex monitoring equipment of the laboratory – all essential to our wellbeing and progress. Currently and in the past, cool jades have been associated with healing and natural protection. Celadon and the ceramic greens popular in the East, put over a sense of beauty, peace and calmness whilst similar tones were much used in the West for clinics, hospitals and ‘green rooms’– where actors and musicians rested before performances. The psychological acceptance of cool green comes from its association with the herbs and plants used in both culinary and medicinal contexts. Green tea, eucalyptus, mint, aloe and willow have calming, healing and reviving aspects that we seek out when under stress or in the midst of emotional trauma – they have the ability to work in harmony with the body’s own healing mechanisms. In both exterior and interior decoration, jade green has an important part to play. In modernist terms it works with glass, steel, concrete and combines with a cool palette of grey, soft blues, taupe and chocolate whilst for a softer and more domestic look it can be combined with warmer tones like plum, terracotta, peach and nude pink. This green is balanced and wholesome – a contemplative and soothing shade that speaks of community care and social responsibility– a nurturing colour for an emotionally hungry world.
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COLOUR TRANSITIONS Thisyearweseeamovetowardscoloursthataresofterandmoreunderstatedbutwhichhavevery stronglinkstothebuiltenvironment,thelandscapeandnaturalcraftmaterials. Eachcolourfamilyiswelldefinedwithlittleambiguity–‘easyontheeye’and‘easytolivewith’quiet shadesdominate. Brighter,futuristiccolours,inspiredbytechnology,arealsoevidentinmanypalettes. Wherecolourisstrongeritstilltendstowardssubtletyandcomplexity–weseemtohavetiredof manyofthestridentshadesofpastyearsinfavourofsomethingsofterbutmuchmoresophisticated. Warmmid-tonesare,likelastyear, stillthemostpopularcolourlevelwithpalerneutralscontinuingto behighlydesirableeitherintheirownrightortocomplementstrongerandmorecomplexcolours. Reds are far softer and neutralised with nude and skin shades predominating over the rich and regal ones so popular in recent years. Oranges still retain their earthy, organic bias overall but are now more influenced by beaten, burnished and crafted metals. Yellows are more subtle with a greater array of tones and the inclusion of more sophisticated mustards, bronzes and golds. WarmNeutrals are less contrasting and have returned to a heartland of environmentally based shades like clay, ecru, bark and timber. Greens reflect the environment with many botanical hues but the palette is tempered by stronger colours inspired by technology and the laboratory. Blues are either strongly linked to earth and space or shadowy and more industrial. A new greener area is emerging that creates a more futuristic image. Violets have now become so understated and subtle that they can almost be regarded as warm neutrals – gone entirely are the vibrant mauves and pretty lilacs. CoolNeutrals have a very soft, shadowy aspect to them which can create delicate layering effects – not quite as neutral as last year.
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ColourFutures™displays a palette of 76 colours for 2009. All are from our global colour system with a unique notation number. These colours are divided into eight families: Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Warm Neutrals, Greens, Blues, Violets, Cool Neutrals.
COLOUR
FAMILIES
48
REDS ORANGES
14YR 10/434
YELLOWS
90BG 17/090
2007
2008
2009
A radical move away from stronger and more saturated shades towards a softer skin-like neutral pink with warm coffee overtones.
The key colour,10YR 50/101, is a subtle neutral – a nurturing and warming shade that is both ultra chic and relaxing.
80RR 07/260
30YR 53/188
30YR 31/154
70YR 68/102
30RR 15/375
04YR 11/537
30YR 07/157
reds
COOL NEUTRALS
2006
80YR 67/085
VIOLETS
2005
50YR 68/114
BLUES
REDS TRANSITION
10YR 50/101
GREENS
SOFT SUBTLE SKINLIKE
50RR 11/286
WARM NEUTRALS
KEY COLOUR 2009
The influence of yellow creates brown–toned shades that are highly usable but sophisticated – colours that are refined, natural and add a touch of understated luxury. Skin tones add a level of softness and subtlety that is warming, delicate and puts over a more caring and nurturing image. Bolder colours are honest and true – fun shades to enliven what is a very restrained palette. A radical change from a few years ago where stronger shades predominated.
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REDS ORANGES
00YY 83/046
30YY 80/088
70YR 45/261
90YR 67/085
YELLOWS
14YR 10/434
2009
A move towards a stronger deep coral strongly influenced by red – although deep and saturated, this colour is still warm and comforting.
The key colour,30YR 25/463, is a muted and burnt red orange – a softly glowing shade that captures the magic of molten metal.
10YR 27/323
30YR 49/097
oranges
COOL NEUTRALS
2008
99YR 82/029
VIOLETS
2007
50YR 23/365
BLUES
2006
23YR 10/308
90RR 08/129
ORANGES TRANSITION
2005
30YR 25/463
GREENS
BURNT BURNISHED RUSTED
25YR 34/473
WARM NEUTRALS
KEY COLOUR 2009
Beaten and rusted metals are the inspiration for the majority of this palette – robust colours that have an eternal sense of strength and beauty. Ultra pale apricots and vanillas lit by the soft afternoon sun – warm shadows to create relaxing and reassuring interiors. Bright and vivid coral has an engaging and sunny energy– a fun colour which can enliven the neutral palettes.
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REDS
CRAFTED CREATIVE COMFORTING
ORANGES YELLOWS
10YY 44/215
60YY 67/251
30YY 38/370
50YY 65/454
GREENS
10YY 60/224
30YY 58 /178
WARM NEUTRALS
00YY 43/304
BLUES
KEY COLOUR 2009
08YY 56/528
2006
2007
2008
2009
A gentle move towards smart and fashionable mustard– a sophisticated colour that puts over an image of craftwork and creativity.
The key colour,40YY 49/408, is an elegant and crafted mustard that works well in modernist settings with cooler neutrals.
40YY 49/408
yellows
COOL NEUTRALS
2005
30YY 49/562
VIOLETS
YELLOWS TRANSITION
00YY 19/261
A palette of great character and beauty– crafted colours that put over an image of soft refinement and attention to detail. New mustards predominate – artistic shades that work alone or with cooler neutrals – a new high fashion favourite. Warmer golds and tans bring elements of the natural world inside and give a look of comforting and calming radiance.
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REDS
ORANGES YELLOWS
98YR 78/041
30YY 71/073
44YY 84/042
WARM NEUTRALS
90YR 51/109
KEY COLOUR 2009
2007
2008
2009
A very subtle move from last year that exemplifies the enduring popularity of this soft but characterful, mid-toned level of colour.
The key colour,10YY 61/136, is an environmental neutral reminiscent of cut timber and cork – a gentle colour that combines beautifully with warm and cool palettes.
80YR 17/129
20YY 57/060
20YY 39/130
99YR 82/029
warm neutrals
COOL NEUTRALS
2006
44YY 70/110
VIOLETS
2005
30YY 47/145
BLUES
WARM NEUTRALS TRANSITION
10YY 61/136
GREENS
NURTURING NATURALISTIC ARBOREAL
80YR 40/148
Orange and yellow based neutrals with an abundance of wood, bark and twig colours reflect our concerns for the environment. Clay and earth tones allude to the natural environment and sustainable craftwork materials for communities across all cultures. Luminous pales create lightness with warmth, calmness with character and softness with neutrality.
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REDS ORANGES
70YY 25/200
10GY 40/296
50GY 66/111
YELLOWS
70YY 65/090
2007
2008
2009
A move towards calming and cooler greens reflects our concern for family and the environment – this soft jade is both serene and sophisticated.
The key colour,10GG 51/125, is a soothing shade inspired by jade, willow and aloe – it represents issues such as wellbeing, healing and nurturing.
60YY 33/130
70YY 55/613
90YY 48/500
50GG 55/049
30YY 14/070
70YY 12/167
70GG 13/323
greens
COOL NEUTRALS
2006
10 GG 51/125
VIOLETS
2005
90YY 62/264
BLUES
GREENS TRANSITION
70YY 63/326
GREENS
ECOLOGICAL HEALING REVIVING
70YY 46/160
WARM NEUTRALS
KEY COLOUR 2009
Botanical yellow–based greens add a touch of futuristic energy– they are reminiscent of both the jungle and the laboratory. Cooler jades and tea greens are creative colours loved by the East and West alike – calming, thoughtful shades for refreshment of mind and body. Subtle, architectural greens remind us of the earth’s natural building materials – clay, timber, stone and thatch– eco-friendly materials for modern living.
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REDS ORANGES
10BB 40/090
70BB 55/044
70BB 15/081
YELLOWS
70BG 56/061
2007
2008
2009
A move towards new environmental aquas and turquoises, strongly influenced by green – these shades have both an earthly and aquatic quality to them.
The key colour,90GG 30/195, is a deep but soft aqua that conveys a strong sense of the natural environment when used with both warm and cool neutrals.
10BG 14/296
10BB 17/269
70BG 07/086
30BB 10/112
30YR 49/097
blues
COOL NEUTRALS
2006
70GG 39/303
VIOLETS
2005
14YR 10/434
BLUES
BLUES TRANSITION
50BG 55/241
GREENS
ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGICAL AIRY
90GG 30/195
WARM NEUTRALS
KEY COLOUR 2009
The futuristic view of the earth seen from space inspires much of this palette – the growing link between technology and our natural world. Balanced and beautiful turquoise and teal allude to both the past and the future – creative colours used for centuries are now centre stage in fashion terms. Smoky and shadowy shades add an airy sense of dimension and definition – structured tones that create depth and interest.
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REDS
DUSTY DEGRADED DELICATE
ORANGES
60YR 73/ 015
WARM NEUTRALS
60YR 73/015
YELLOWS
90BG 17/090
90YR 67/085
KEY COLOUR 2009
2007
2008
2009
A move to almost total neutrality and subtlety – very understated shades that are inspired by dust, ash and shadows.
The key colour,10YR 40/054, is the most subtle of violets – a dusted neutral that exhibits a sophisticated sense of luxury and refinement.
70RR 16/116
10YR 27/323
30YR 49/097
violets
COOL NEUTRALS
2006
99YR 82/029
VIOLETS
2005
10YR 40/054
BLUES
VIOLETS TRANSITION
30RR 30/103
GREENS
10RR 24/ 061
A level of neutrality, never seen before in this palette, creates shades that are highly elegant but with an understated sense of luxury. Both traditional and ultra contemporary interiors benefit from this new subtle neutrality– ethereal, shadowy and delicate. The natural world is evoked via an array of ash, cinder and dust– whether ultra pale or deeper in tone, softness is always the key attribute.
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REDS
LAYERED CONSTRUCTED SUBTLE
ORANGES WARM NEUTRALS
70YY 72/041
90BG 17/090
YELLOWS
30RR 08/044
90YR 67/085
00NN 72/000
KEY COLOUR 2009
2008
2009
A move towards pale greys so discreet that they are almost pure white – this renaissance of white influences all hue areas.
The key colour, 00NN 83/000, is an off white which lends the merest hint of subtlety and shadow– an ethereal pale, a whisper away from white.
30YY 22/059
90RR 28/245
30BB 16/031
30YR 49/097
cool neutrals
COOL NEUTRALS
2007
99YR 82/029
VIOLETS
2006
10GG 72/022
BLUES
2005
00NN 83/000
GREENS
COOL NEUTRALS TRANSITION
30YY 72/018
A series of ultra subtle greys and off whites create a layered look – tiny shifts of colour that create dimension and optical interest. Understated pale greys allow for maximum combination possibilities with hues from other palettes – intriguing but never bland. Architectural light and dark mixes put over a mood of contemporary chic – elegant when used alone, both indoors and out, or with subtle natural accents like slate and rust.
65
We understand both the ‘art’ and ‘science’ of colour. The ‘art’ part of our work relates to the aesthetics of colour, while the ‘science’ is about its technology. The purpose of ColourFutures™ is to marry the art and science in one reference manual.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND COLOUR B
WHITE
A
LRV
99
00
HUE
CHROMA
What is colour? Colour is a sensation that we experience through our eyes with our brain. Colour is all around us, used on a variety of forms and shapes and we all interact with it. It adds spice to our lives and can affect the way we behave, feel, perceive or orientate ourselves in a given space. Research has shown that colour can compensate vision deficiency– visually impaired people can navigate with more confidence in strong colour-contrasted environments as their sense of space and orientation is recreated by contrasting colours. The colour we perceive is influenced by the context in which we see that colour. Lighting affects the appearance of a coloured wall, for example. A small patch of colour in a given wallpaper will look different from an entire room painted in that colour. We use our understanding of colour to describe it in a more user-friendly way. Colour, as perceived by the human brain through the eye, is tri-dimensional. One way of describing these three components is in terms of hue, Light Reflectance Value (LRV) and chroma (see'A'opposite). How we use colour We have developed a unique proprietary colour notation system. It is the result of extensive research and consultation with an international team of experts.
BLACK
The role of our notation system is to make every colour we produce precisely identifiable across the world. Each has a unique reference number made up of three distinct parts: a hue reference, a Light Reflectance Value (LRV) and a chroma value.
C
Our objective is to offer the most comprehensive range of colours in the widest range of high-quality interior and exterior finishes. Hue (see‘B’opposite) It is this aspect of colour that we see in a rainbow. Most colours have a clear hue associated with them – for example, pink has a red hue. The only colours that have no hue are white, black and the pure greys that lie in between.
D
In our notation system, the first part describes this aspect of colour by using two digits and two letters. Illustrated opposite in ‘B’, the colour spectrum has been divided into eight groups as follows:
E
30BB 08 / 263 HUE
LRV
CHROMA
YY RR BB GG
yellow red to magenta violet to blue turquoise to green
YR RB BG GY
In order to give a more precise indication, there is a scale from 00 to 99 that will locate a specific hue within a colour group. The numbers run anti-clockwise, as shown opposite. For example, 50YY is a pure yellow and is found in the middle of YY; 90GY is more green than10GY. LRV (see‘C’opposite) Another aspect that we are all familiar with is how dark or light a colour is. In our notation system, this is described as the Light Reflectance Value (LRV). It is a measure of how much light is reflected by a surface of that colour. It is represented in the second part of the notation and consists of a two-digit number between 00 and 99. Although we are all familiar with darkness and lightness, the actual amount of light we perceive is affected by lighting, shadows and sheen level within a room. This is why our notation system describes this component as the proportion of light reflected by the surface. LRV works on a black to white axis – the higher the LRV, the lighter the colour – hence the lower the number, the darker the colour. In a room painted with colours of a low LRV (darker colours), more light will be required than in a room painted with high LRV colours (lighter colours). Chroma (see‘D’opposite) The remaining component of colour is chroma. It is this that makes a colour either intense or subtle. The higher the number, the more intense the colour will be. The scale runs from 000 to 999. Examples (see‘E’opposite) The colour reference 30BB 08/263 is a strong blue. This can be attributed to its position in the left of the violet to blue group (30BB), combined with a low LRV (08) and a medium chroma value (263). However, 30BB 72/034 is a really pale blue. It is still positioned in the left side of the violet to blue group (30BB) but is combined with a high LRV (72) and a low chroma value (034).
orange to red magenta to violet blue to turquoise green to lime
67
COLOUR INDEX 2009 THEMES
ECOTECTURE P12 10BB 17/269 10GG 51/125 10GY 40/296 20YY 39/130 20YY 57/060 30RR 30/103 30YY 14/070 30YY 58/178 40YY 49/408 70BB 15/081 70BB 55/044 70GG 13/323 70YY 25/200 70YY 55/613 70YY 72/041 90GG 30/195
FAMILIES
� = RICHANDVIBRANT � = FRESH � = WARM � = CALM N = NEUTRALS OW= OFFWHITE
WHITEDIMENSIONS P18 � � �
N N �
N � �
N N � � �
N �
00NN 72/000 00NN 83/000 10BB 40/090 10GG 72/022 10YR 40/054 10YY 44/215 30YY 22/059 30YY 71/073 44YY 84/042 50GG 55/049 50YR 23/365 70BG 07/086 70YR 68/102 70YR 45/261 60YR 73/015 98YR 78/041
N N �
N N �
N OW OW N �
� � �
N OW
ORANGES P52
REDS P50 10YR 50/101 50YR 68/114 80YR 67/085 30YR 53/188 30YR 31/154 70YR 68/102 30RR 15/375 04YR 11/537 30YR 07/157
Cross-reference the ColourFutures™ 2009 palette colours with our global colour system
� � � � � �
� � �
00YY 83/046 30YY 80/088 25YR 34/473 30YR 25/463 70YR 45/261 23YR 10/308 50YR 23/365
EQUILIBRIUM P30
LIVINGLEGACY P24 00YY 19/261 10RR 24/061 20YY 57/060 23YR 10/308 30BB 10/112 30YR 07/157 30YR 25/463 30YR 31/154 30YY 38/370 30YY 49/562 44YY 70/110 50YR 23/365 60YY 67/251 70BG 56/061 70RR 16/116 70YR 45/261
N N N � �
� � � � �
N � � � � �
YELLOWS P54 OW N �
� �
� �
00YY 43/304 10YY 44/215 30YY 58/178 60YY 67/251 10YY 60/224 30YY 38/370 50YY 65/454 08YY 56/528 00YY 19/261 30YY 49/562 40YY 49/408
00YY 43/304 00YY 83/046 10YR 50/101 10YY 60/224 10YY 61/136 30YY 80/088 50GY 66/111 50YR 68/114 60YY 33/130 60YY 67/251 70YY 65/090 80YR 17/129 80YR 40/148 80YR 67/085 90YR 51/109 90YY 62/264
PLAYHOUSE P36 �
OW � � �
N � �
N �
N N � �
N �
WARM NEUTRALS P56 � � � � � � � �
N � �
90YR 51/109 98YR 78/041 30YY 71/073 44YY 84/042 80YR 40/148 10YY 61/136 30YY 47/145 44YY 70/110 80YR 17/129 20YY 57/060 20YY 39/130
N OW OW OW � �
N N N N N
04YR 11/537 08YY 56/528 10BG 14/296 25YR 34/473 30BB 16/031 30RR 15/375 30YR 53/188 30YY 47/145 30YY 72/018 50BG 55/241 50YY 65/454 70GG 39/303 70YY 12/167 70YY 46/160 70YY 63/326 90YY 48/500
� �
� �
N � �
N OW � �
� � � �
�
GREENS P58 70YY 65/090 70YY 25/200 10GY 40/296 50GY 66/111 70YY 46/160 70YY 63/326 90YY 62/264 10GG 51/125 60YY 33/130 70YY 55/613 90YY 48/500 50GG 55/049 30YY 14/070 70YY 12/167 70GG 13/323
VIOLETS P62
BLUES P60 N � � � � � � �
N �
� N N �
�
70BG 56/061 10BB 40/090 70BB 55/044 90GG 30/195 50BG 55/241 70BB 15/081 70GG 39/303 10BG 14/296 10BB 17/269 70BG 07/086 30BB 10/112
� �
N � �
N � � �
� �
60YR 73/015 10RR 24/061 30RR 30/103 10YR 40/054 70RR 16/116
COOLNEUTRALS P64 N N �
N �
70YY 72/041 00NN 72/000 30YY 72/018 00NN 83/000 10GG 72/022 30YY 22/059 30BB 16/031
N N OW N N N N
Design – Freeway Agency London +44(0)20 87441075
TM
COLOURFUTURES 2009
This ColourFutures™ reference manual is and remains the property of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited and is loaned on condition that it is used solely to specify products manufactured/or supplied by Imperial Chemical Industries Limited (and other companies in the AkzoNobel Group) and on condition that it shall be returned to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited on demand. The contents of this reference manual are for information only. No representation or warranty is given, nor liability accepted, regarding the information given. We have reproduced paint colours as faithfully as printing will allow. However, the shape, size and lighting of a surface can influence the appearance of the final colour.
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