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Look for muted natural palettes, hot global hues and striking statement walls, Janice Lindsay writes

Trend reports can seem like horoscopes, open to personal interpretation. And that's a good thing, according to the latest thinking in the colour world.

Forecasters for Benjamin Moore, Pittsburgh Paints and the Comex Group (which includes Para Paint and General Paint) say that consumers are becoming more experimental and personal with colour than ever before. We are paying more attention to how colour feels than whether it's in style. And with a lower price tag and lower environmental impact than most decor updates, changing your colours is the feel-good transformation for spring.

That said, there are some strong directions for the coming season.

THE NATURE PALETTE

Nature is a big influence that is not going away, but it is shifting from green (the literal colour of environmental responsibility) to the muted grey-infused colours of air, water and driftwood/bark. Natural effects — aging, erosion, raw edges, wabi-sabi — are more beautiful than industrial perfection. According to Benjamin Moore spokeswoman Sharon Grech, these hues, even in their palest form, are "not pastels" because they are more complex and less clean. Attractive on their own for minimal interiors, they also are replacing white as the background to bolder hues.

For the Comex Group, nature appears in the tranquillity and calm of a deep lagoon, represented by watery blues and turquoise played against greens. As in design, colours and textures are layered and hard edges are softened, left unfinished, frayed and weathered. Watery gloss is juxtaposed with earthy mattes, like sateens with canvas.

NEW NEUTRALS

The trend toward "urban rustic" has hit the colour world. In decor, old industrial objects are the new antiques, humanized by time and wear. In colour, the city's monochromatic palette is meeting and melding with nature's raw, rough textures. In the process, a range of greys is replacing beige, while white is being softened with yellow-green. Josette Buisson, formerly with Pittsburgh Paints, calls this trend "indie," as in both industrial and independent. In such settings, bold statement walls will shake up muted palettes: Sharon Grech at Benjamin Moore recommends black, as it is graphic and has the added oomph of being taboo.

HOT GLOBAL

The fiery colours of warmer climes such as Mexico and India are appearing as hot accents against dark burgundies or bleached and faded background hues. Buisson cites burnt orange and grey as a combination to watch.

Outdoor settings, meanwhile, are also being rethought. Forget greige and taupe; go for colourful and rich. In a single "room," this palette creates a retreat in which you can mix up sari fabrics with paisleys, hand-carved African pieces and a mosaic-topped coffee table.

ROCK YOUR PERSONAL STYLE

As in the fashion world, colour inspiration can come from anywhere. Inspired by posters, hip-hop and graphic art, colour can be the statement of personal style that changes according to whim. According to Para, "your home is your runway." Seen through the lens of fashion blogs and street style, however, colour choices are about being unique and authentic rather than on trend.

SHOCK OF THE HUE

While keeping main palettes calm, designers are packing bold colours into less visible areas, such as poweder rooms, closets and underwear drawers. Just as cups and bowls have boldly coloured interiors, in other words, so do rooms. Colours, though, are not matched, but co-ordinated. They buzz with energy and make the ordinary special. Accent-wise, stripes are also back, as are silver and gold, which make fun colour more luxurious.

Don't worry, be trashy: The message from the housewares world this season is chill out, go green and embrace your inner hoser, Danny Sinopoli writes

Serenity now

After a worldwide winter of discontent, designers want us to chill this spring. Funky new takes on the old-fashioned rocking chair proved critical hits at recent furniture fairs, while Dutch-based designer Jung You's Babyboy in the Cloud "pillow blanket," a blanket/futon made of 30 stitched-together cushions, aims to reinstill the bliss of infancy. (See it at www.jungyou.com.) Of course, the world has seen tough times before, so what better reminder that this too shall pass than those World War II-era Keep Calm and Carry On posters, currently enjoying a comeback? Choose among myriad backdrops at www.sohoframing.com, the exclusive source in Canada.

Trailer park chic

One of the triumphs of last month's Interior Design Show in Toronto was the tacky-glam rolling pad by those hoser-provocateurs behind Castor Design (www.castordesign.ca). Sitting on a bed of Astroturf, their tricked-out Winnebago with classic rec-room interior was a high/low point in the design world's recent embrace of trash. Others include Maarten Baas's Plastic (Lawn) Chair in Wood (www.maartenbass.com) and Lorena Barrezueta's porcelain TV-dinner trays (www.lorenabarrezueta.com). Whether these smart, meticulously rendered takes on traditionally low-brow trappings are a rejection of Wal-Mart culture or an ironic homage to it, they're a lot of fun. Just one thing: Can't we have a true-blue moratorium on icicle lights?

Eco-glam

Green design isn't just virtuous this season; it's also va-va-va-voom. Of particular beauty are all the "flat pack" creations being released, from Australian designer Ross Gardam's lightweight Flat Jack bookcases (each is made from a single sheet of recyclable X-board, which is itself made of post-consumer paper waste) to the Aurea collection of handsome flat-pack kitchenware — draining racks, wine caddies — by Barcelona's Amor de Madre (www.amordemadre.com). We also like the kaleidoscopic Indonesian-made serving trays in Urban Barn's Magazine Line, which repurposes damaged and overstock magazines into remarkable pieces of domestic art (www.urbanbarn.com).

Mellow yellow

In December, Pantone declared mimosa — a bright yellow-orange — the top colour of 2009, giving houseware designers everywhere license to let the sun in. And they have. Whether it's mimosa, mustard, lemon or banana, mellow yellow is the undisputed colour du jour when it comes to home decor. Of particular note is the vibrant Yellow Cab collection of towels, bathroom accessories and garbage bins released by Denmark's Vipp (www.vipp.dk). Available at select kitchen and bath stores across the country, the latter have got to be some of the prettiest trash receptacles in the world.