Color choices in furniture over the past decade have been mostly "brown, brown or more brown," said Louis Slone, owner of Slone Brothers Furniture in Longwood, Fla.
"People are tired of brown. We've been ramming it down their throats for years," he said. "They're ready for a change."
Ready or not, we're getting it.
Bright color is making quite a splash in the furniture market, said Jaclyn C. Hirschhaut, spokeswoman for the American Home Furnishing Alliance in High Point, N.C.
"In home furnishings, we've had a long period of neutral colors in wood and upholstery," she said. "With concerns over the gloomy economy, consumers are looking for a spark of brightness -- something that feels like fun and makes them smile."
Some new designs feature hot pinks, oranges and yellows. Others come in cool but lively blues, greens and turquoise.
"In a tough, uncertain economy, people's homes become their haven," said Kris Kolar, vice president for interior design at Robb & Stucky Interiors. "Bright colors make their haven a happier place."
None of these experts is advocating a total home makeover in lime green or fuchsia.
Instead, Slone expects homeowners will be looking for unique, colorful items to perk up their homes. With that in mind, he is stocking up on pieces such as an aqua-lacquered bar, a deep-red sideboard and sectional seating in a combination of white, yellow and black.
"Using colorful accent pieces is an effective and inexpensive way to add a little lighthearted whimsy to an interior," said Hirschhaut, who spotted a flood of blues and purples at the most recent furniture market in High Point.
Kolar agreed. Homeowners will be injecting color, but in small, whimsical doses, she said. They may add a doormat printed with flip-flops, a bed painted yellow to team with a turquoise chest, or a drum table accented with polka dots.
So long as those dots aren't brown.
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I have three ways to avoid winter blues. First: Engage in some activities that make you look forward to winter. Skiing is my favorite. Second: Pursue volunteer service and home improvement projects that are challenging and interesting. Third: Get outside and walk or run in bright daylight several times a week. We have plenty of bright daylight here! Don't let winter box you in. While living in Germany I learned a valuable truth: There is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes.
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