TRENDS TO WATCH

Thinking about giving your tired walls a makeover? Decorating experts agree that a new coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to transform a room without having to break the bank.

So what’s leading the way in color this year? Here’s a nostalgic hint: tried-and-true aqua blues, butter yellows and pantry greens. Plus, opulent jewel tones and green hues inspired by nature are making color news. And that’s not all. The trend-trackers at The Home Depot have created a comprehensive series of paint palettes that will be introduced this spring. Until then, here’s a sneak peak at what you can expect to be coloring your world in 2008.

Rich & Sophisticated

This trend is defined by colors that ooze opulence: think bold reds, like Glidden’s Drum Beat, glamorous golds, like Behr’s Ripe Wheat and dramatic darks, such as midnight blue, velvet green, and even black, like Ralph Lauren’s Bone Black. The palette works well in décor that’s steeped in tradition, but it’s also a surprisingly fresh way to add richness to an otherwise minimalist décor scheme.

Nature Calls

Bringing the outdoors in has been a major theme in lifestyle products lately, and paint is no exception. The difference this season is that these nature-inspired colors have taken on greater intensity – from earthy browns, like Behr’s Bear Rug, to the old-meets-new shades of green, from classic, deep verdigris, like Ralph Lauren’s Olive Tree to fresh, crisp yellow green, like Gliddent’s Prairie Grass. Asian-inspired interiors as well as contemporary settings will benefit from this deep, warm palette.

Gray Matters

Home décor trends are following more closely in the footsteps of fashion than ever before. Grays, in shades ranging from charcoal to gunmetal to silver, have become a mainstay on designer runways in the fashion capitals of New York, Milan and Paris. This year, walls will get dressed in everything from gray flannel, like Ralph Lauren’s Palais Royale, to graphite, like to sheer, storm cloud gray, like Ralph Lauren’s Pale Gray. Accented with white for a more classic take, or a juicy hit of blue, like Behr’s Tropical Tide, or green, like Glidden’s Fresh Lime, for a modern edge, gray can be tempered to suit any home’s look.

Bright On

This trend is not for the faint of color heart. For the past few seasons, experts recommended adding a hit of color to your décor by way of bright accent walls. But this trend is all about toned-down, less acidic, saturated hues, from deep purples, like Glidden’s Deep Aubergine, and punchy blues, like Ralph Lauren’s Baltic Blue, to golden yellows, like Glidden’s Golden Marguerite, and berry reds, like Behr’s Strawberry Daiquiri. If you like to live life out loud, then this trend is for you.