Sue Wadden [00:01:03]:
Thank you. That was a perfect lead in. Today, we're going to talk about the fascinating world of color trends. It's a subject I am constantly asked about all the time. What's the hottest color? What trends are we seeing? What's the newest and next thing? So we wanted for our debut episode to share those insights and talk about those things and sort of the insider insight into why color trends are so very important to our business and in the world of design. So, Emily, let's start with talking about who you are and what your role is and how you bring this color mix forecast to life.

Emily Kantz [00:01:34]:
Sure. So I'll go back to when I graduated from school, I started work at an architectural firm, and they specialized in healthcare and higher ed and library design. And from there, I was under the mentorship of a senior designer who was really interested in evidence based design. And that's kind of led me down this journey of always asking why. And I think that's a key part when you're talking about color forecasting and color trends and things like that, is to constantly be asking why? And backing that up with research and evidence. So that's kind of my background, evidence based, design certified. So that's in case anybody ever sees, like EBD. That's what that stands for, evidence based design.

Emily Kantz [00:02:16]:
And so it's basically making design decisions off of credible research and evidence and then sharing it out. So that's what we do in color forecasting, too. We kind of where we're looking at color constantly and seeing where it's going and then sharing it out so that designers, homeowners, everybody can know where, where color is going, so we're sharing that expertise with them.

Sue Wadden [00:02:37]:
And I think that's super important because most people maybe don't think about where the insight comes from. They maybe think it's based on artistic or creative license and not necessarily about the research. And that's what's really important to get across, that these insights are coming from the world of what we're tracking. And so I love that about you. You constantly ask questions and you bring such good insights to this team. So we're really excited to talk about our 2025 forecast. Hard to believe, but I wanted to just jump in and talk about the history of color forecasting. This is not a new phenomenon.

Sue Wadden [00:03:09]:
In fact, the early days of forecasting can be traced to the early 20th century. It started with fashion designers and textile manufacturers during the industrial revolution. And it's really like grown because manufacturers started to notice a preference in what colors people were gravitating towards and the clothes that they were manufacturing. And through the years, organizations have developed to sort of help that the earliest was an organization called Cause the Color association of the United States, founded in 1915. And they really started to formalize this process, which is pretty fascinating. So, like anything over the decades, it's evolved into various industries. In the sixties and seventies, with the rise of mass media, it became really important for all product development to have sort of a point of view on color. And that's where organizations like Pantone or color marketing group grew.

Sue Wadden [00:03:59]:
So the process has been in place for quite a long time, and it's fairly sophisticated. There's a ton of research, so I want to talk about that analysis and kind of what goes into it. So could you tell me a little bit about the science and methodology behind this forecasting process?

Emily Kantz [00:04:14]:
So we take in a couple different factors. We take into qualitative, so that encompasses like consumer insights and cultural observations, trends in art and design, and, you know, specific context behind color preferences. And then we also take in quantitative information. So that's when your numerical info, your demographic statistics, your social media analytics, all of those things combined, then go into color forecasting and everything else. Art and design and everything else.

Sue Wadden [00:04:46]:
Yeah, it's the combination, right? Of the two.

Emily Kantz [00:04:49]:
Exactly, yes.

Sue Wadden [00:04:50]:
And then there's some terms that we use all the time and probably take it for granted that most people know what they are, the terms mega, macro, micro and fad. So, can you talk a little bit about what each of those things mean? I think that's a fascinating part of the forecasting process.

Emily Kantz [00:05:05]:
Sure. So when we talk about a mega trend that's going to have a long longevity, so that we're talking 510 years. Take, for example, minimalism. That has a global influence. So it's not only just relevant in the United States, but that's, you know, scandinavian minimalism, japanese minimalism, that really has a global phenomena to it. So that's why we see that have such longevity. Everybody's got a little bit different interpretation, but essentially, it's a very similar kind of design aesthetic. And then when we talk about macro, that has a five to ten year longevity, but that's something that's more specific patterns of trend developments we're talking about, you know, that affects the industry, manufacturing.

Emily Kantz [00:05:45]:
So we're really specific, maybe more on, like, the color side. So that would include something like gray. You know, gray had that long longevity, still not going away. I like gray personally. I think it plays well with others. It plays nicely with other colors. So you're never going to see gray just completely be gone. But certainly we have seen that transition.

Sue Wadden [00:06:06]:
Well, let's go back a second and talk about that. So 2008 in the United States saw the housing crisis, right? Interest rates exploded. People were losing their homes. It was really a volatile time. And out of that sort of macro, or this mega trend of financial uncertainty is where the rise of minimalism came from. So it really emerged that we were not building huge houses. Things were kind of downsizing a little bit. We talked to the Marie Kondo effect, right? We wanted to live simply and more efficiently and have a better quality of life.

Sue Wadden [00:06:38]:
That's where that, like, mega came from. And then it translated into the macro, which is gray. And so all of a sudden, from 2010 to 2020, the most popular color by far was gray. And it sort of upended all of the colors that were there in decade prior. So it's a really interesting way to, like, predict those cycles, but there's faster moving cycles. So talk about the next the micro and the faddeen.

Emily Kantz [00:07:03]:
So the micro would be something that has, like, a one to three year lifespan, right? So if we look at something like shiplap, for example, that came in fast and furious, and it was quickly adopted by a lot of people, was super popular, and now it's kind of, you know, that was a very specific look. That was a very specific farmhouse look. That's, you know, it's kind of not so relevant now.

Sue Wadden [00:07:25]:
Phasing out.

Emily Kantz [00:07:26]:
Yes.

Sue Wadden [00:07:26]:
Yeah.

Emily Kantz [00:07:27]:
And then you've got something that's even shorter lifespan than that, and that's a fad. So when we talk about like neon sides, for example, that's something that's very specific to a certain demographic, too, or it's something that might pop up on social media, but it's a very short lived lifespan.

Sue Wadden [00:07:42]:
Yeah. Which is fun, which is like the inspiration point. And that's what makes design so fun, because these little movements move in and out fairly quickly. So it's great to talk about inspiration and design. It's where we shop. So on Pinterest, we're constantly, constantly seeing those microfads, and they really now impact forecasting much more than they've ever had because so many people are seeing and reacting to these micros and fads that we're like paying attention now in the design community. Like, we talked a lot about unexpected red theory. So talk about that a second and how it's impacted us.

Emily Kantz [00:08:12]:
Yeah. So that actually, I want to say, let's go back to last year. So we talked about Barbie Core and the rise of pink. And I think in the fashion industry, if you looked at fall of 2023, red started to merge in the fashion industry. And that was really interesting. They were starting to add red, just little pockets of reduced. And then beginning of 2024, it started on social media and they turned it this unexpected red theory. And the theory behind it is adding red into your interior space.

Emily Kantz [00:08:39]:
Even if it clashes, it instantly elevates that look. And so it was interesting. It caught a lot of attention. I'm personally not necessarily a red fan, but I started looking at red in a different way. And that's the fun of it.

Sue Wadden [00:08:52]:
Yep. And again, because the exposure and like the high visibility of these moments on social media, it is definitely making its way into like our design lexicon and our vocabulary, which is fun. It makes, I love it more talk about color, the better.

Emily Kantz [00:09:05]:
Exactly, exactly.

Sue Wadden [00:09:07]:
So then these cycles, we talk a lot about these cycles as related to the forecasting process. And what is really important for brands to understand, or a company like Sherwin Williams to sort of get behind is that there's cycles and timelines. So interior design trends, other than those big mega trends, they last about 18 to 24 months. So color moves in and out fairly quickly, which is great. It allows designers to be constantly inspired and working on sort of new palettes and inspiration. But say you're a plumbing manufacturer or designing hardware or appliances, those cycles and timelines, they're much longer. So that forecasting process is five to seven years. Automotive industry, I think their cycles almost like eight to ten years because they have more expensive products.

Sue Wadden [00:09:52]:
And you don't want to constantly be buying a new refrigerator to reflect trends. Right. They have to be, have more of a timeless appeal. So those cycles move much more slow. So again, we factor in all those things when we're putting together our forecasts to really inform where our color direction is going. And that leads us into my next question, which is this is also a big challenge in deciding, you know, what is the one color that we want to talk about, which becomes our color of the year. So talk a little bit about that process without revealing anything we're not ready to have reveal yet.

Emily Kantz [00:10:25]:
Yes, exactly. So I think the color of the year process, it's a lot more difficult than people probably realize because we have to select something that's new, that's directional. So it's going to have some longevity. Right. So it's something that's not necessarily everywhere just yet. But also, I want to say that something that has a lot of relevance in the industry, it's emerging, and it's going to have a wide audience appeal and acceptance and how they're going to use this color. Right. So I think those are a lot of factors that go into when you're finally selecting, going down this road of which one is going to be the one for the year.

Sue Wadden [00:11:04]:
It's definitely a fascinating process. And, you know, you worry a little bit that you're going to pick the wrong color. But it always seems because it's evidence based, because there's so much research that goes into it year over year, I feel like we're making quality decisions, and at the end of the day, if the color is going to look great on the wall, that's what's really most important. So that's what's most fun about it, I think.

Emily Kantz [00:11:27]:
Exactly.

Sue Wadden [00:11:28]:
Which leads us into the very exciting presentation of our color mix forecast for 2025. So, Emily, tell us the macrostrentores for capsules.

Emily Kantz [00:11:38]:
So it's really fun to introduce capsules to everybody. So when we look at, you know, when we think about fashion, like a capsule collection. Right. And so we really want to take this approach of the capsule overview into each one of these palettes. So each one of these palettes are kind of like a capsule collection in themselves. We have four palettes. And so when we dive into, say, for example, our chrysalis capsule, which is our first one, I want people to envision its natural elements, but it's interesting. This palette is very nature based but has no blue in it.

Emily Kantz [00:12:12]:
So that's something that's kind of different to think about, I really been focusing in on, like, stone, like, different stones, because I think it's so interesting, because it's so grounding. It's very permanent, and it has this beautiful natural variation in it. And so I think that's kind of captures the authenticity behind our chrysalis palette. It's quiet luxury. It's just beautiful.

Sue Wadden [00:12:37]:
And I would say what's interesting, it sort of evolved from the nature palette that we've been talking about since COVID really. And you're absolutely right. Right. Not seeing blue is a departure in that sort of space. So it's a gorgeous palette, but it's almost elemental. Like you said, monolithic, very muted and restrained. It's gorgeous. Gorgeous.

Emily Kantz [00:12:56]:
And then our second palette is paradox, and that one is completely opposite from chrysalis. And it's meant to kind of have fun. It's humorous, but it asks some tough questions. And it's a very bright, you know, kind of not abrasive, but it could be. But it's meant to just really have fun. It's meant to, like, kind of have that escape from, you know, the day to day, the stress of day to day, just have some fun. We see this kind of emerging of this kid alt culture. So for those of you that might not be familiar with that term, that's, like, adults that are actually, like, gravitating towards buying children's toys, which actually, I think it was like, 50% of adults actually bought a toy during the pandemic because it's a form of escapism.

Emily Kantz [00:13:41]:
Right. So it's kind of going back to being a kid and, you know, just kind of that nostalgic feeling. Lego has all of those kits that are meant for adults. So if you're, you know, if you want to decompress after a stressful day, you want to work on your Lego set for half hour every night, you know, that's just a way of de stressing from the day.

Sue Wadden [00:14:00]:
Right. Some of those colors are really unexpected, but the applications are beautiful. Right. They're bright, bold colors, but we use them in such a way that, like, it's a little playful. It's not really, like, not, I wouldn't say immersive in most cases, but with small elements that make a really beautiful impact.

Emily Kantz [00:14:17]:
Yeah. So you can think, like, bold stripes. You can do a color drenching moment. So a lot of different avenues that you can approach this palette with. Capsule number three is wellspring. And so, of course, this is something that's not necessarily new, but I think it's as we constantly see new generations come up as being like those creators, those tastemakers, they're still inspired by their personal heritage. That's something that we can all share, is we all have a heritage, but everybody's is different, right? It's a different story. So being inspired by those ancestral roots and then also in alignment with where those kind of design styles of the past and how those kind of blend and merge, and we're having this fresh interpretations of, like, Art deco and Art nouveau is popping up.

Emily Kantz [00:15:03]:
And it looks so fresh right now after all those years of minimalism, right, that we just talked about, all those years of minimalism, the timing feels right to bring a little bit more of that traditional ornamentation and detailing back, just that respect of those artisans of the past, and kind of encouraging generations now to kind of get back into that line of work too well.

Sue Wadden [00:15:25]:
And, you know, we've had multiple conversations about how Gen Z is evolving to be a little bit different in what their mindset is like. And so a lot of that is these cultural references of the nostalgia, the heritage, the connectingness of generations. It's a really beautiful story which kind of leads into our fourth palette.

Emily Kantz [00:15:44]:
Yes. So our fourth capsule is kindred. So you're going to have a little bit of tie with the wellspring capsule. Kindred's really focused on the community. Right. So what's inspiring you within your community? And that might have reference to the heritage, especially if you live in a community that, like, your entire family's from, you know, certainly that has an influence on it. This was one of the most difficult ones to really pinpoint from a design perspective, like, what is the key design factor with Kindred? And I think it's an evolution, and it's very up for interpretation. And I kind of like to think that it's pattern mixing and it's being inspired to what's in front of you makes me think of my grandmother, because growing up through the depression and stuff, she used everything that she could get her hands that was right in front of her.

Emily Kantz [00:16:29]:
You know, she did not have a lot of money, but she certainly used the most out of what she had access to. Sometimes those design trends, they're here in the market. So we started to see references to the first three capsules out there in the design industry. But the last one was difficult because that's so specific, I feel like, to a local community. And again, it's like it's up for interpretation and it's evolving, and so kind of pinpointing where it is.

Sue Wadden [00:16:56]:
Yeah. It's on the rise. So we're going to really start to see these colors building in the next couple of seasons. And so we'll talk about kindred that way, that when we, our color of the year a few seasons ago was red and point, which was really this warm, sort of terracotta baked, sun baked beige. Again, it was about the rise of these colors. And so the storytelling has just continued to evolve. So I think we decided that kindred is my favorite. Or wellspring.

Sue Wadden [00:17:25]:
I don't know. Both of these stories are beautiful.

Emily Kantz [00:17:27]:
Yes. Yes. Same.

Sue Wadden [00:17:29]:
So, as Emily, we have worked together for a long time, almost 15 years, I think, which is amazing. And now, Em, you are sitting at the forefront of our forecast and kind of leading us into this new world of your point of view on color mix. So talk to me about what surprised you in this process, and then what was the biggest challenge? What did you expect? And I want to hear all about it.

Emily Kantz [00:17:51]:
So coming from the commercial side of the business for so long, so I feel like I've got a good understanding of things that pop up in there. I think what surprised me most was seeing the residential design and really digging in on that and just amazed at how residential designers, how much, you know, they're so creative and the way that they pair things, a lot of them are. So they're at the cutting edge of everything. You know, they're really the taste makers. They're exposing everybody to different ways of looking at color applications and pattern mixing and everything else to really create this cohesive look. And so it was really inspiring to see, you know, what the residential designers were coming up with and then seeing that overlap with commercial. So it's really kind of interesting that overlap. People are like, you know, they're separate, but they're not.

Emily Kantz [00:18:37]:
There is some overlap. Certainly when we look at, like, boutique hotels or the hospitality industry, it's definitely influenced from the residential design perspective, even a workplace. Right. We want to have that elements of the home represented in our workplace, and then I think, and vice versa, I think the commercial side influences residential. When we're talking about maybe more about, like, sustainability or colors for aging eye or for neurodiversity or things like that, we can get into some specific research that will influence then the residential side.

Sue Wadden [00:19:08]:
So what was a challenge? What was something that you didn't expect to be so difficult or unexpected?

Emily Kantz [00:19:14]:
I guess so I think it goes back to that kindred palette. I think it was kind of, you know, looking and, you know, I'm always on Instagram, and I'm saving images constantly. And so trying to see then, like, oh, there's something here, and I can't put my finger on it, you know, I'm trying to pinpoint exactly what it was. And that's the important part of color forecasting, too, is that you've got to notice those little nuances.

Sue Wadden [00:19:35]:
Agreed.

Emily Kantz [00:19:36]:
You gotta say, okay, that's different. I'm going to start tracking that.

Sue Wadden [00:19:39]:
I call that pattern recognition. I think that is truly what a forecaster can spot, and that's their gift. Is that, like you said, that nuance, that one thing that's becoming something else, and that's how you really spot a new trend.

Emily Kantz [00:19:52]:
And then seeing it, then, you know, does it emerge from european trade shows? You know, and then you start to see it. Is it just like a small dose here? So it's a fascinating world. It really is.

Sue Wadden [00:20:04]:
So, you know, we've talked about the trend space, but now we're going to have some listeners that want to know about practical applications. So talk about how designers might use this or even homeowners that love color and want to learn.

Emily Kantz [00:20:15]:
Sure. So I go back to my design days of being the firm, and I think you're looking at this as almost like we're doing the homework for designers to some degree, because they're worried about they're doing their project. They're creating drawings or mood boards or gathering materials, you know, so they've got a lot on their plate. And so if we're able to provide them with guidance on where color is going and design direction is going, then that kind of helps them when they're selling things to their client or explaining why they're selecting a specific color. They're educating their client based on the information we're providing them. So we're really like a partner with them. We're providing them with that kind of knowledge on where color is going directionally, which I think they really appreciate. And then for a homeowner, this is kind of like an inspiration guide for them.

Emily Kantz [00:21:04]:
It's to kind of showcase beautiful color applications to say, like, look, don't be scared. This might be a dark, rich color, but just applying it and seeing the beautiful photography then, too, and just kind of, you know, embracing color again, I think people are ready to embrace color again, and it's really an exciting time.

Sue Wadden [00:21:21]:
They definitely are. And again, because so much of this is based on research that they can have the confidence to take on those colors. It's not going to phase out. It's not going to just be a microburst. These are, like, really entrenched trends that people can rely on, whether they're designers or homeowners or color lovers. We talked about that last year with anthology, which was the 2024 forecast, where we focused on color families. We really wanted to talk about where we're moving directionally with color. And so every other year we're going to talk about color families and groups of color.

Sue Wadden [00:21:53]:
And then this is a macro trend. So this is where trends are driving us. And I think it's going to be a really nice variation from season to season to help instruct designers on where colors are going and how our world of color plays in that space.

Emily Kantz [00:22:06]:
Exactly.

Sue Wadden [00:22:07]:
So my next question is really about trends and interiors. There's some fun moments going on and how people can bring color in. So talk about some of those things that we're seeing.

Emily Kantz [00:22:19]:
Sure. So let's talk, for example, for, like, color drenching, right? So that's kind of been out there for a little bit, but certainly I think this is a great, any of these capsules, really, that you could use this color drenching technique. So when we talk about color drenching, we're saying, you know, you're going to be applying that color. Ceilings, walls, trim, maybe your carpet color also. And also, sometimes some people have, the furniture is the same color, so they're really, you are feeling the color, which I love that. I love it.

Sue Wadden [00:22:49]:
I do, too.

Emily Kantz [00:22:50]:
And that's something that you can be, you know, residential and commercial. Certainly there's a lot of different applications for that. So residential, I've seen, like, applications with the color drenching and, like a home office. So imagine, like, your entire home office is that color. Imagine that as your backdrop on Zoom or teams, it'd be absolutely beautiful. Yeah, I'm just picturing, like, carnelian in my mind.

Sue Wadden [00:23:11]:
I know such a good color.

Emily Kantz [00:23:13]:
It'd be just amazing to have that as your background. And then when we talk about immersive color, and so I think immersive color is kind of similar to, like, a color drenching, but I think immersive color is interesting. And I want to say this almost has more of a commercial aspect to it, because when we talk about neuroesthetics, we're talking about our senses, right? So we want to not only see the color, but we want to feel the color, all of our senses we want to smell. So if you're like, if you're walking through an exhibit and it's maybe a bubble gum pink, color, you know, you're almost going to see are the other walls softly going in and out as if you're in like a bubble, like a bubblegum bubble? Are you smelling the bubble gum, you know, scent? So those are kind of things that this is where things are going when we look at, like, retail design, you know, again, how do you get people out of the house and experience things? And it's something that can't be replicated, you know, like, you have to be there to experience it. You can't get it across from, like a video on social media or something. You have to be there.

Sue Wadden [00:24:14]:
You have to be in it.

Emily Kantz [00:24:15]:
Yes, yes.

Sue Wadden [00:24:16]:
And we see that in hospitality. We see that in museum curation. We want people to get into a space and really have a sensory exploration, and that's kind of what neuro aesthetics about. So again, we talked for just a hot second about color, material and finish, but that's a really big part of forecasting as well. So can you explain how we brought that into capsules this year?

Emily Kantz [00:24:38]:
Sure. So each capsule collection have a very specific direction when it comes to CMF. So color, material, finish, like sue said. So, for example, if you're looking, like, at a table, what's a table made out of? Is it plastic? Is it wood? And then what is your finish? Is it matte? Is it shiny? Is it high gloss? So those kind of descriptors goes into what we're talking about for each one of these capsules. So for chrysalis, it's like this juxtaposition of that raw stone mixed with something very smooth. So that juxtaposition of the rough and the smooth is really interesting interplay with chrysalis. When we initially were talking about chrysalis, we kept going to raw, right? We kept talking like, raw luxury, luxurious finishes, tactile finishes as well. And then when you move over to paradox again, it's kind of like pattern drenching almost.

Emily Kantz [00:25:33]:
So it's like really bold patterns. You're going to have things that kind of play tricks with your mind a little bit. So something might appear kind of squishy, but it's actually not. They're going to be, like, hard. You know, there I came across this furniture designer and his, he made stools and chairs that it looks like, you know, balloon animals, but they're obviously not because they're chairs and stools. Also, within paradox, you're going to have, you know, your stripes, your mirrored finishes, too, just kind of out there. And then you're going to also have that playfulness of that kid alt. So you're going to have maybe something that's the Kawaii reference.

Emily Kantz [00:26:09]:
When you think about those kids characters and animals and things like that, it's something that kind of captures that caddelt phenomenon that's going on.

Sue Wadden [00:26:18]:
And then I would put wellspring and kindred sort of similar, like, with that heritage craft. Talk about wellspring a little bit from the pattern perspective, because it's kind of new and the idea of timeless design.

Emily Kantz [00:26:30]:
Yeah. So I think what we're looking at is, again, return to that ornamentation. Return to the kind of art deco, art nouveau references. Right. Those classical elements, too, of, like, ancient Rome and ancient Greece, the columns and those types of shapes, having those brought into our homes. And then just the patterning, too, like, the toile is becoming more and more popular. Certainly saw that emerge with the famous, like, dior tote bag. Right.

Emily Kantz [00:26:58]:
That looks so, like, instantly chic and then certainly kindred again, that hard one to nail down. I want to say that this one is more of, like, your patchwork. You're going to see maybe more of, like, your floral prints in there. Again, maybe that floral print is more kind of representative of what's in your local community, too. I think a lot of it is also artistic expression, and so you're going to see, like, a molding and a collage and marbling. I feel like more on the kindred side when we talk about sustainability, too. That kind of plays a role in each one of these palettes as well.

Sue Wadden [00:27:28]:
100%. So, of course, I'm going to ask which of the four is your favorite.

Emily Kantz [00:27:33]:
So initially. Initially, I was a chrysalis fan because I was like, oh, my gosh, this is kind of, like, aspirational. This is where I want my home to be. But obviously, my home is more of the clutter core aesthetic, which I think kind of falls into the kindred palette more. So those that aren't familiar with clutter core, it's like the opposite of Marie Kondo with. You're actually not throwing away some of those things. And a lot of it's like family heirlooms. Right.

Emily Kantz [00:28:03]:
That you can't possibly ever get rid of, and you're putting them on display. So it's kind of like those. I've got things out that are like nesting dolls that my grandmother bought on a trip to Poland and things like that. It's just kind of knickknacks, but they mean so much to you. You got to put them on display.

Sue Wadden [00:28:20]:
Oh, I love it. I love it. I think we can all totally relate to that. This was awesome. I think we could talk for hours about all the great things that we see, but I certainly appreciate your time so much in telling our audience and the color mix story through color mixology. Anything else you want to tell us about this year's trends that you're loving?

Emily Kantz [00:28:38]:
I think there's a lot of different, you know, looks and design styles to keep your eye out. So certainly, you know, if you see anything, if you're trying anything out, certainly tag us, and we'd love to see it. We love to see color applications and take in risks and just loving color.

Sue Wadden [00:28:56]:
Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for your time. This was amazing. We so appreciate you chatting with us for our debut episode.

Emily Kantz [00:29:04]:
Thank you so much. This is exciting, and I'm so honored to be the first guest on color mixology. This is great.

Interview with Liz -
Sue Wadden [00:29:10]:
You're fabulous. Thank you. Next, we speak with Liz Huxama of KLH custom homes. She is our July designer of the month and an amazing designer. Liz is known for creating light filled, layered spaces filled with warmth and quirk. So I'm really excited to speak to Liz on this episode. Liz, hi. Hello.

Liz Hoekzema [00:29:34]:
Nice to chat today.

Sue Wadden [00:29:35]:
Thank you so much for coming on. We are totally inspired by your work and excited to kind of share your style because it's really unique, really beautiful. So tell me a little bit about your journey, who you are in design, and what's your thing? What's your story?

Liz Hoekzema [00:29:51]:
Sure, it's kind of a long story to get to the whole end result of where we are today, but basically, it started as just Kevin and myself. My husband Kevin, basically setting out to make our mark in this area, West Michigan, known for kind of very traditional design. And it just, nothing ever resonated with us. We really kind of related so much more to that scandinavian mindset of filling spaces with light, bringing natures indoors and so on, and just also really drawn to unique color combinations and shapes and geometry and those sorts of things. Now we've grown to a team of about 15 designers and contractors and so on, and we build homes in this West Michigan area. We also have a design studio that services clients top to bottom.

Sue Wadden [00:30:40]:
So.

Liz Hoekzema [00:30:41]:
So everything from plan design to those last faces and finishing details.

Sue Wadden [00:30:45]:
So when I had a chance to check out your work that's gonna be featured in the designer of the month series, you have, I wouldn't say it's whimsical, but you have, like, this playful edge with materials and, like you said, edging and trim details and color placement. That is kind of perfect for our discussion on color trends and where we're seeing color moving into 2025. So talk to me about your most favorite recent color trends. Like, what's moving you?

Emily Kantz [00:31:12]:
Oh, yeah.

Liz Hoekzema [00:31:13]:
We have really just been loving this butter yellow thing happening, both in fashion and in interiors and kind of stripping away those typical traditional treatments where you might have those frillier kind of pattern details and instead just, like, embracing it for the color that it is and pairing it with chrome and burl and just really good, rich things. That's been really exciting to us lately.

Sue Wadden [00:31:36]:
Are you putting this butter yellow, like, on walls or ceilings or door casings? In trim or cabinets? What applications have you seen?

Liz Hoekzema [00:31:44]:
Absolutely, like, dipping rooms in it top to bottom. We like to say dip when we, like, fully do a room. You know, trim, wall, ceiling, the whole bit, and then also just, like, really great accessories. We just styled at home with really beautiful bee zippy pieces and a butter yellow ceramic and just so fresh and different and beautiful.

Sue Wadden [00:32:01]:
How are your clients taking it? Like, are they a little, like, nervous about yellow first until you kind of show how it can be put into the home?

Liz Hoekzema [00:32:10]:
Everyone's so different, and so every project, we kind of just lean into who that client is and see where we can explore with them. But we never want to push people past what really is reflective of who they are. And so we've got a client right now that's, like, the more the merrier. Like, bring me all the ideas.

Sue Wadden [00:32:28]:
Love it.

Liz Hoekzema [00:32:28]:
And that's where I really get to lean in and suggest all the things. I mean, even, like, stones that have a butter yellow kind of current through them.

Sue Wadden [00:32:36]:
That's amazing. We haven't seen that warmth in a really long time, and I am, like, here for it. I am ready, because I'm tired of the sort of chilliness. So it looks really beautiful and fresh and new. So that's exciting. We had a minute to touch base last week where we talked. I shared our pre look at our color mix forecast, and we shared the palette. So is any of the things that we showed you in the sneak peek kind of speaking to how, how you're styling up color these days?

Liz Hoekzema [00:33:02]:
Yeah, I love that wellspring palette and how it kind of plays at these seventies sort of colorations. Really loving good, weird greens lately, like, avocado green, and that kind of dusty green that was in there was really great. We're also so drawn to, like, a pale, powdery blue and deep brown combination that always kind of gets us. And then how you can play with that, with wood tones and paint and just all the different ways.

Sue Wadden [00:33:29]:
So what is your favorite? Go to neutral. I think everyone always wants to know that.

Liz Hoekzema [00:33:33]:
Oh, I mean, in terms of, like, an actual paint or.

Sue Wadden [00:33:37]:
No, just like a. Just a color family. You don't have to get specific.

Liz Hoekzema [00:33:41]:
Um. Goodness. I mean, we're really kind of always drawn back to, like, a black and white base.

Sue Wadden [00:33:48]:
Yeah.

Liz Hoekzema [00:33:48]:
It's always going to kind of be, like, our heartbeat. And I think it's that scandinavian thing of just, like, the clean. But then bringing in color in a multitude of interesting ways. I mean, even in my own home, the main kind of area of kitchen and living and so on, I keep pretty neutral. But then as you work through the house, you get these little explosions of color, pink and green and yellow and.

Sue Wadden [00:34:10]:
All the things I say that it's like peek a boo color. It's like room. You know, you sit in a neutral space, but you look in an adjacency, and you kind of see a pop of color, and so you can kind of live with it a little bit longer. Yeah. That's awesome. Well, what's new and next for you? Like, have you had a recent color moment that you want to talk about?

Liz Hoekzema [00:34:27]:
Absolutely. We've been so loving this, like, burgundy red kind of family lately, which shocks me to say. I never thought I would lean into a red thing at all. But we've got a red countertop going into a home coming up that we're pairing with, like, a lilac marble and warm wood tones gonna be really, really cool. And we just sprayed out a whole kitchen in, like, a deep Burgundy that's gonna really pop against the pleated ceiling detail. So, yeah, just playing with that kind of color story is really interesting to us lately, too.

Sue Wadden [00:34:59]:
We had gone this spring, the team, to Milan to see the furniture fair at Celona, and red was everywhere, but it wasn't, like, a brilliant bright red. It was this sort of cordovan Burgundy expression, almost brown, like, brown red. And it was really, really beautiful. And it's so similar an aesthetic to your style. So, like, you are on point with, you know, your design and your aesthetic. I love it, love it, love it, love it.

Emily Kantz [00:35:22]:
Yep.

Liz Hoekzema [00:35:23]:
Even taking those reds and just having, like, that little muddy hit or a little dirty base to it is just. Is really, really good.

Sue Wadden [00:35:30]:
So if people, you know, red is like, like, yellow, like, you're in, right? You're committed when you use those colors. Do you have any recommendations for how people might use red if they're not, like, going full immersive. Like, what are some ways they can incorporate redhead?

Liz Hoekzema [00:35:43]:
I mean, I think artwork is such a cool way to bring red into a space because you can shift it room to room, but it's just, it's so eye catching. I mean, it makes a photograph. If there is a cover of a magazine with a red just little dot on it, it's gonna catch your eye and just make you want to pick it up and learn about the space. So I think it's a perfect place to kind of start to explore and play. And I think people need to push themselves out of neutral art anyway.

Sue Wadden [00:36:07]:
I agree. Like, go. Go for it, everybody. Well, Liz, this has been great. We so appreciate you taking your time. So if people want to see your work, how can they find you?

Liz Hoekzema [00:36:16]:
Yep, so they can find us on our website. KLH dash homes.com or Instagram is really where all of the things are going down all the time. Stories and reels and all the things. So KLH custom homes is our handle there.

Sue Wadden [00:36:30]:
Awesome. And of course, Liz is going to be on our Sherwin Williams design pro channels in July, and so you can certainly check out one of her projects there. I think we feature one of the homes, but certainly go check out Instagram because it's beautiful. So again, thank you so much for joining us. This has been great and can't wait to see what you do next.

Liz Hoekzema [00:36:50]:
Absolutely. This was so much fun.

Sue Wadden [00:36:52]:
Thanks, Liz.

Liz Hoekzema [00:36:53]:
Thanks, Sue.

Outro -
Sue Wadden [00:36:57]:

Thank you so much for listening. To learn more about the 2025 color mix forecast, visit swcolorforecast.com and see the show notes to get in touch. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing. Leave us a review and tell the other design and color curious people in your life about color mixology. Tune in next time for a conversation about the intersection of timeless design and personal style in the fast paced world of trends. See you next time on color mixology. This podcast was produced in partnership with Amaze Media Labs.