Colour trending for 2010

I recently set up a shop on the crafting network Etsy. For the uninitiated Etsy is a network of shops where handmade or recycled goods are sold from sellers all over the world. Its tag is ‘your place to buy and sell things handmade’ and you could imagine it like ebay but for handmade goods and without the bidding!

I’ve been doing some research into developing product lines rather than thinking about creating individual objects. Part of this research I came across something I’d previously never thought about and that is the idea of colour trending.

This would basically be creating ceramic items with the right colours for interior design trends come 2010 so that lovely bowl or teapot would be in just the right shade of purple. But this principle could easily apply to websites or picking out that winter scarf for next year. Colour trending is of course traditionally associated with the fashion industry where picking out the right colours for the coming season is key to sales.

Pantone publish books of colours every year and typically these are quite expensive but Pantone are a colour authority. Some sites out there list colours and colour pallets pantone recommends but I found the Fashion Trend Setter website contains different colour trend charts for as far into the future as summer 2011.

Trends for 2010 include an increase in the red tonal pallets and neutral natural colours including greens, browns and sandy shades. In a way this lends itself nicely to a range of unglazed or naturally neutral pots and in a way is a backlash against some of the 80’s esque neon colours of last year.

Other great sites out there are colour lovers and lynda.com tutorials which feature a series of video tutorials about developing your own colour charts and themes.

But of course just because your told what the colours of 2010 are going to be it doesn’t mean you have to go along with it! Oh and in case your interested in seeing how things develop in my shop it can be found at http://www.littlewrenpottery.etsy.com – once finished I’ll probably make a fuller post about it.

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