The Forecast for Inside Includes Warmth, Toned-Down Brights

Next year, the well-dressed house will be wearing colors influenced by water, Latino culture and Harry Potter. That’s the word from Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, who spoke at a press breakfast this week at the International Home Furnishings Market here.

Her color forecast for 2001 includes seven palettes: H20 (colors of water and the beach), fiesta (shades of red, purple and yellow-green), melange (toned-down brights such as soft violet, apricot and warm honeyed hues), gossamer (romantic pastels), subtle nuances (grayed-down dusty, masculine colors), resonance (rich red browns, plum, olive and teal) and elemental (neutrals from gray to rosy taupe to beige).

The art of 1980s star and neo-Expressionist Francesco Clemente, the subject of a recent New York retrospective, is sparking an interest in “exuberant warm tones.”

And Harry Potter? The muted, dusty shades found in the books’ illustrations will influence children’s furniture and accessories.

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Fashion designers continue to expand their empires by adding home furnishings and decorating lines. Jessica McClintock’s Victorian-inspired sofas, beds, chests and armoires were derived from antiques in her San Francisco home. Alexander Julian has debuted his At Home decorating program at Lowe’s stores. The program includes paint, carpet, area rugs and wallcoverings. It’s based on eight American landscapes from “Autumn Harvests of the Appalachians” to “Misty Vineyards of Napa,” and coordinates with his existing furniture and bedding lines.

For those who can’t get enough of the English country look of the late designer Laura Ashley, the company will sell an expanded line of home furnishings in 2001.