Gray is now so well established that it has shifted from trend to basic in many home-décor categories. Brown is running in to fill the trend void and warm the color landscape.
Having been overshadowed by grays for so long, browns are looking surprisingly fresh within directional color palettes. For 2016, there will be many more of them to chose from in upholstery, tableware, textiles and lighting, with names like Tender Tan, Distressed Brown and Dried Leaf (all from The Trend Curve Colors™ 2016).
Yet there are still some places where gray is what’s new. In fact, gray washes on wood were trending at both upper and medium price points at the last High Point Furniture market. And smoke glass remains an emerging story for tabletops, decanters and more.
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- Smoke glass at Century Furniture
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- Gray-cast wood debuted at Universal Furniture
When it comes to paint, Erika Woelfel, VP of Color Marketing for Behr Paint, says people aren’t quite ready to give up their gray walls. However, she sees taupe creating a bridge between gray and brown, and says Behr will be promoting taupe in their 2016 trends.
No one knows how long it will take for consumers to begin embracing brown walls and say good-bye to gray. But because there are so many brown products emerging in décor for 2016 and beyond, by the time they are ready to give up their gray, brown will already be firmly established as a trend direction for décor.
