Participants at the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance 2024 Fall Conference heard color forecasts from an expert in the field, who shared an exploration of trends emerging and evolving in the building products market over the next three to five years. Kiki Redhead drives all color, material, finish and trend initiatives for Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Performance Coatings, including heading the DesignHouse in Minneapolis. FGIA conference participants were given the opportunity to tour the Sherwin-Williams headquarters, including the DesignHouse, earlier in the week.
Architectural color
Colors apply differently to different market segments, Redhead says. Trend methodology can help you understand the process of identifying color trends and how they relate to manufacturing and architecture. "We categorize when, how and where trends are going to show up," says Redhead. Color trends start in home decor, then small appliances, then large appliances, then exteriors, she says.
Trend management involves identifying trends, analyzing their lifespan using data, observing their evolution and tracking their success and acceptance over time. "After that is trendspotting, or seeing and recognizing trends before, during and after their peak," says Redhead. "This is a validation tool used by forecasters to support the direction of their trends." Finally, management concludes with trend reporting and trend application. "Reporting means presenting the content and spreading the word of your trend forecasting," says Redhead. "This allows the trend to come full circle."
Trend reports are great for sales, says Redhead, but if those colors aren't applied in the marketplace, no one sees them. "Application is key," she says. "You need to show your customers what your products can look like. Color sells, but the right color on the right product sells better." Redhead went on to share three "color stories" that show society's impact on and connection to architectural color trends.
Overall, Redhead recommends not leaving color as an afterthought. "Think about color early and often," she says.
