Top 10 Trend-Setting Color Schemes for 2006

Pale Blue and a Neutral
Soft, pale blues offer a soothing look for any room. It’s a color that works well with white, cream, tan, black, and brown, as well as sparkling accents of silver, glass, and white ironstone.

Pink and Chocolate Brown
Straight from fashion runways to your home, pink continues to be popular in shades of lightest sunrise to brightest watermelon. A secondary hue in deep brown gives pink new sophistication and sets it off with style.

Tan and Black
Neutral tans (anything from barely-there taupe to a deep golden beige) gain added punch as a background for trendy black furnishings. Lighten things up with creamy ivory trim and lots of gleaming accents in ivory, silver or gold.

Golden Yellow and White
Wake yourself up in a bathroom or kitchen done in a sunny golden yellow liberally matched with loads of white. A few darker accents in aged bronze, dark wood, or even a bit of black add a note of elegance.

Pale Sage Green and Walnut
Soft greens can range from dusty to yellow-based to a bit on the blue-green side. Choose your favorite and pair it with furnishings in deep walnut brown. Crisp white trim and accents of a warm golden yellow or tan will be all you need to create a restful retreat.

Navy Blue and White
Classically nautical, blue and white schemes can work with nearly any theme or style of furniture. Try the color pair with red on a porch, with zesty orange in a contemporary living room, with yellow in a kitchen, or with soft green in a bedroom.

Wild Brights
Punch up your interiors with shots of summer color: kiwi green, ocean aqua, hot pink, and fresh-squeezed orange. Homes in warm climes may want to use these colors all over the house, though you’ll need to love the excitement such hot colors will arouse.

Pale Tan and Any Pastel
Start with your favorite pastel (light pink, peach, butter, blue, or green) and accent with doses of light camel tan and whites. This scheme can be a good compromise when she wants color and he wants neutrals.

Golden Yellow and Red
Do you long for warm, welcoming color in your home? This may be the scheme for you. Pretty yellow walls bring sunshine to any room, while reds contribute a strong punch of color in fabrics, rugs, and furnishings. Keep the fresh look by painting trim a bright white.

Tone-on-Tone
Any color is elevated to new radiance when done in a tone-on-tone scheme. It could be wall stripes in identical colors but in 2 paint finishes (matte vs. satin), or a fabric or wallpaper that shows off a damask pattern over a similarly-colored background. The effect is soothing, elegant, and versatile.