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I just got the fall PB catalog, and it was page after page of gloomy brown stuff. Dark furniture, drab tan, drab beige. I used to look forward to getting the catalog for decorating ideas, but not this time.
All I've been reading the past year is that brown is out and gray is the "in" neutral. I don't know about other parts of the country, but I'm totally browned-out here in the Southwest. You couldn't possibly put something brown in your house here and have it look new.
The color trend experts at Pantone predicted the emergence of gray in 2010 and the decorators have picked it up. I've seen articles about gray in House Beautiful, House & Home, House & Garden, the New York Times and Real Simple. It's constantly mentioned on HGTV. Decorators like Candice Olson and Jonathan Adler are on the gray bandwagon. Stores are stocking a lot more white items these days because they look cleaner with gray than ecru tones do. White leather is white-hot. I can only imagine that PB took this path because their customers skew "New Traditional" and conservative in style choices AND to differentiate themselves from Restoration Hardware, which has trended gray ever since the Pantone declaration.
PB's customers don't set trends, even though PB itself became a trend for awhile. But that was then, this is now. The younger people want things that are more modern. Their Moms have PB. That's why parent company Williams-Sonoma, Inc., bought and expanded West Elm. CB2 (an off-shoot of Crate and Barrel) is the other growing retailer in the mid-priced trend market.
All I've been reading the past year is that brown is out and gray is the "in" neutral. I don't know about other parts of the country, but I'm totally browned-out here in the Southwest. You couldn't possibly put something brown in your house here and have it look new.
The color trend experts at Pantone predicted the emergence of gray in 2010 and the decorators have picked it up. I've seen articles about gray in House Beautiful, House & Home, House & Garden, the New York Times and Real Simple. It's constantly mentioned on HGTV. Decorators like Candice Olson and Jonathan Adler are on the gray bandwagon. Stores are stocking a lot more white items these days because they look cleaner with gray than ecru tones do. White leather is white-hot. I can only imagine that PB took this path because their customers skew "New Traditional" and conservative in style choices AND to differentiate themselves from Restoration Hardware, which has trended gray ever since the Pantone declaration.
PB's customers don't set trends, even though PB itself became a trend for awhile. But that was then, this is now. The younger people want things that are more modern. Their Moms have PB. That's why parent company Williams-Sonoma, Inc., bought and expanded West Elm. CB2 (an off-shoot of Crate and Barrel) is the other growing retailer in the mid-priced trend market.
Arizona definitely plays on the brown theme as southwest decor is loaded with it along with rust. Gray has been Candice Olsen's signature color along with blues. Watch some of her earlier work and she incorporates these two colors in most of her designs. A interior designer friend of mine hates her work. He always complains she uses the same colors. I like a lot of her work. I would say my only complaint is she seems to cram a little too much into a room.
Pottery Barn is a specific style. Its a traditional/rustic/eclectic style. You can tell the rooms and architectural features are in older style homes. They always use very neutral wall colors as a blank slate and bring in various elements for punch. That style would look odd in a modern space. West Elm obviously is modern. Dark browns are getting old IMO but with fall coming I wasn't surprised PB went this route. People start thinking of the cooler months ahead and want a warm feeling inside their homes. The problem I have is I hate winter and heavy colors and decor make me feeling a tad depressed.
I love PB but my biggest complaint is I think a lot of their stuff is over priced for the quality involved. Their shipping can be outrageous as it goes by price and not weight. There was something I wanted to buy that was a little pricy but didn't weigh much. The shipping costs made it completely unreasonable. Where I used to live there was a PB outlet store. That was cool but no such thing is by me. I end up buying a lot of stuff off ebay.
Personally, I've been craving light airy colors for about a year now....air, water, sky. I'm looking forward to getting rid of the last of the earth tones in this house as soon as I can. My new favorite color is the color of the lichen on the trees down here. I have not yet found the paint color that nails this beautiful gray/green/blue color.
Personally, I've been craving light airy colors for about a year now....air, water, sky. I'm looking forward to getting rid of the last of the earth tones in this house as soon as I can. My new favorite color is the color of the lichen on the trees down here. I have not yet found the paint color that nails this beautiful gray/green/blue color.
^^^This is where I am at now. I re-did my kitchen earlier this year and went with a white kitchen. I have been drawn to light and bright since then. I've been eyeing the coastal look.
I don't get the PB catalog, but it sounds awful to me. Brown is boring (although my new sofas are brown) and gray is life-sucking. I prefer color. It might not be sophisticated, but it makes me so much happier than gray ever could. Whenever I look at PB online, I'm hopeful that I'll find something that I'd like, but it seem mostly overpriced and boring. Sorry.
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There was something I wanted to buy that was a little pricy but didn't weigh much. The shipping costs made it completely unreasonable. Where I used to live there was a PB outlet store. That was cool but no such thing is by me. I end up buying a lot of stuff off ebay.
