A True “Makers” Color: Handmade

Color Alert^® is an exciting monthly feature from Color Marketing Group^® (CMG), illuminating one color each month from CMG’s World Color Forecast^™ and validating  color predictions in the market.

Somewhat charming, filled with meaning, and inspired by many origins, Handmade is a modern, on-trend take on brown that finds comfort and acceptance in almost any application. Standard Textile’s interior design team has seen and identified this on-trend resurgence of brown hues in both healthcare and hospitality fabrics.

Familiar and comfortable, earthy and practical

This robust, chocolaty brown, with yellow and red undertones, exudes creativity, passion, and craftsmanship sets the hue for this month’s CMG Color Alert^®. Handmade is inspired by the craft of artisans whose specialties are handcrafted pottery, hand-tooled leather, and architectural accents, a true “makers” color. Originating during Color Marketing Group’s Asia Pacific meetings in 2018 to emerge in 2020, Handmade is a hue to suggest all things that come from the hand and heart.

Standard Textile fabrics featured include Reflex in Salt Lake (top left), Junction in Frost (center bottom), and Manchester in Bittersweet (far right).

Exuding richness and warmth, Handmade creates a familiar, inviting sense of comfort for interiors through décor and fabric. Depending on materials and finishes, this can create an atmosphere that appears simple yet stylish, or one that is lavish and luxurious that electrifies all the senses. Evolving as the modern alternative to black, Handmade colors are just as versatile and neutral with the varying light and dark hues, such as those found in shoes, bags, and luggage.

Honey, spice up your color palette!

Cuisine is often a palette of inspiration for Handmade creations in which brown colors create gorgeous interior design inspired by chocolate, honey, caramel, cocoa, coffee with milk or cinnamon colors. Confectioners have culinary crafted “handmade” delights which celebrates the vibrancy and richness of the Handmade color movement.

Standard Textile fabrics featured include Sideline in Spicy (top left), and Queensgate in Tarnish (center bottom).

How our customers are on-trend with Brown

At Standard Textile, we’re seeing requests for fabric samples in brown color tones for both hospitality and healthcare. In hospitality, customers are pairing brown with orange, green, teal, and chartreuse in tones that nod to midcentury modern. Layered neutral palettes leaning into warm colors and tones for that cozy, timeless feel. Big, bold fabrics, custom solar shades, and wallcoverings are just a few ways our customers can craft their space.

We’ve also been combining brown with jewel tones of green, red, purple, and blue to create rich, luxurious spaces. The key here is mixing finishes and materials such as velvet, leather, and tweed. In healthcare, we’re seeing brown paired with light hues of green and blue, which creates a very soothing, comforting palette. Handmade and earthy tones create connectedness and nostalgic reassurance. They infuse warm and calm to create comfort. The neutral and calming color palette gives privacy curtains, upholstery, and window treatments the sense of security in these delicate environments.

Get inspired!

Check out our fabric gallery for Handmade color inspiration for your next project.

Color Marketing Group^® (CMG) is the premier international association for color design professionals. Their mission is creating accurate and relevant color and trend forecast information by connecting global color professionals in their shared passion. Members represent a broad spectrum of designers, marketers, color scientists, consultants, educators, and artists.

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