Palette of the Earth
The environmental palette for interiors

The emphasis on green design is influencing material and color trends around the world, says Trend Curve, a newsletter that focuses on interior color trends. Across the board, color forecasters predict a continued interest in organic materials and neutral colors like taupe, gray and soft brown. These neutrals will be accented by colors from nature--pale gold-yellows, soft lily pad greens, ocean blues, and soft rose.

As synthetics take a backseat to materials derived from nature, wood is emerging as the preeminent surface material on walls, floors, and cabinetry. And it's cropping up in new and unusual places... ceiling panels and accent walls. Hot veneers are medium to deep brown woods that work well with the natural color palette, and exotics--likely the result of globalization and an interest in global cultures. Think rich, deeply colored woods from India, Africa, and Eastern Europe--like Makore, Mahogany, Bubinga, and Rosewood.

But you can't overlook this paradox: that the "green" movement is spurring interest in exotic woods. Green exotics--those certified FSC--are still hard to come by, but there is momentum in that area. Until they're more widely available, you can still satisfy the demand for exotics by using sustainable FSC-certified woods like cherry, ash, and sycamore that can be readily finished to achieve the look of the rainforest exotics, without the toll on the rainforest.