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Color Trends in Juvenile Markets

By JoAnne Mantz

Colors influence how we feel, how we look, and what our homes and car say about us. People naturally associate certain colors with special people, times and places. And, as we all know, color trends— like fashion trends—tend to repeat themselves.

Well, watch out. The 60's and 80's are coming back… in color! According to trend predictors, the color palettes for the juvenile industry in 2005 will reflect retro and classic hues - from the bold and outrageous to the subdued and calming.

The three main color families that were listed as prominent in the children's market are already being seen in juvenile home furnishings. They are the Mod look from the 60s, the 80's Neon Colors, and Not So Traditional Pastels.

These eras had interesting color. For example, the 60s had bright lively colors, especially jewel tones, and used strong primary and bold secondary colors. The 80s began with some bright cheerful jewel tones, but by mid-decade the rise of street style saw black reduce the color palette to a shade card almost as dull as camouflage. Lucky for us, it is the neon's of the 80s that are popular once again.

We all remember those neon colors. Colors that were so fluorescent you needed to wear shades. They are back and will be seen in bedding for juveniles, especially the teen market. For girls, there is focus on punk pink, bright cherry red, fuschia, and violet. For boys, the trend is toward color combinations like neon yellow and acid green.

Inspired by Pop Art, the 60s Mod Inspired colors include saturated orange, pink, red, and brown as well as royal blue and yellow. Patterns with stripes, large florals, checks, and plaids will play a role in fashion but it is unclear whether they will make the switch to the juvenile market.

The Not So Traditional Pastels continue the metallic trend of Fall 2004 and include soft background neutral colors for girls, and silver and gold tones for boys. Also coming up are splashes of quartz orange and sand tones for boys, and shell pink and robin's egg blue for girls. A little twist on the traditional!

Colors to choose from for 2005 include:

Green will be very big this season and luckily there are many shades to choose from:

With so many fun and exciting colors, it is easy to incorporate them into one's home and steer clear of those primary colors typically used for juveniles. Recently, Designer Show House featured a baby nursery done in white, bright greens, and fuschia. The room included a skirted crib, topped with a sheer white canopy. The furniture was hand-painted with a fun mix of florals, checks, and dots. The hip colors and vibrant patterns, however, were cooled with white in the flooring, trim, and fabrics.
For nurseries, the trend seems to be going away from a room that baby will outgrow quickly to creating a room that the baby can grow with. Personally, I am not a big proponent of "theme" kid's rooms, and definitely not juvenile themes. I think it is nice to decorate around a child's interests.

The trend in kid's furniture is maple furniture and furniture with mixed finishes such as maple tops and painted drawer fronts. It is fun to play mix and match atop the bed with accessories and necessities— not just one pattern but rather a happy young jumble such as blue and white truck sheets with red white and blue sailboat pillows.

First and foremost when decorating, consider the existing style of the home. If one is working with a traditional home, I would use a softer color palette that works with the rest of the house. If the home is more modern, a bright color palette would be more in keeping with the aesthetic.

When children are old enough to know what their favorite color is, you can have them be a part of the process. When they help make the decision, the room will last longer because they helped pick the colors and won't get as tired of it. We once did a room that was dark purple that the child loved and the mother…well, did not. We added some fun plaids and animal prints and both were happy.

With this all said, it is most important to have fun. Happy decorating!

JoAnne Mantz is the owner of Mama Bebe & Co. Founded in 1999, www.mamabebe.com has become one of the top online baby boutiques by featuring creative, keepsake gifts and nursery décor made primarily in the USA by award winning artists.