Issues → September/October 2008 → Home & Garden →
Paint Colors: Put New England in Your Home
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Latex $24/quart, $62/gallon; whitewash $45/gallon; primer $21.50/quart, $48/gallon. Hand-painted samples with brochure: $15; P.O. Box 60, Portsmouth, NH 03802.
Sharon Platt Early American Antiques/The Antiquarium
25 Ceres St.
Portsmouth, NH
603-427-1690
The Seer
From her studio in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, Leslie Harrington, makes predictions about what colors will be hot and which ones are not. She consults with manufacturers of paints, pharmaceuticals, building supplies, upholstery, fragrances, cars, and more. "Color isn't as simple as it might seem," Leslie explains. "It has profound psychological and emotional effects on people, whether it covers a bedroom wall, a pill, or exterior siding on a house."
Leslie got her start in color strategy working at her mother's side in a Benjamin Moore paint store in Ontario. In time, she became director of color for the company, revamping its entire contemporary line. Now, as director of the Color Association of the United States, Leslie, with a team of colleagues, forecasts color trends for new products. Organization members -- designers, marketers, and manufacturers -- swear that success lies in these palettes. But Leslie's expertise isn't confined to the commercial realm. "I want people to be conscious of color and its influence," she says. To homeowners she advises, "Before you pick a paint color, know the purpose of the room -- how you want your family, your guests, and yourself to feel. Link the color you like with the emotion you want to evoke. For example, red encourages people to talk and eat, so if you love a red but are on a perpetual diet, don't use it in the kitchen, where everyday cooking and eating occur. Use that red in the dining room, where guests are more likely to eat."
One of the Color Association's three forecasted palettes for 2008-2009 is called "New England Shores." The colors and their names -- "Lobster Pink," "Newport Blue," "Sea Salt," "Clambake," "Nantucket Sand," "Vineyard," "Block Island" -- evoke a family outing, a romantic island getaway, a seaside summer ritual. Leslie describes the collection: "The colors connect us to home -- weathered gray, tranquil blues, soft greens, punctuated by barn red. All of them suggest the region's tried-and-true [motifs], like Edward Hopper landscapes. Solidity and purpose mark these hues, celebrating life and work and at the same time suggesting sophistication and chic." Trends reflect the cultural mood, too: "New England represents tradition and therefore stability, so a palette rooted here will be appealing."
LH Color
23 Roosevelt Ave.
Old Greenwich, CT
203-637-6868
lhcolor.com
colorassociation.com
For colors and ordering numbers: New England Shores Paint Colors
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