Apr 6 2009
Are you stuck in an all-beige, monotonous world? Have you ever imagined that you could stay at home and feel like you are in the Caribbean or on a hiking vacation in New Zealand? The feelings you get from your home environment can change dramatically depending on the colors you bring into it. Home-improvement items such as wood flooring that offers natural hues and colors are therefore gaining in popularity. PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG) recently introduced its latest wood flooring color trends and technologies to more than 100 flooring manufacturers and buyers during a seminar in Shanghai.
Research has demonstrated that subtle color differences can greatly affect human beings. Tom Irwin, business director of PPG Wood Coatings, Asia/Pacific, addressed a new macro trend among consumers during the seminar.
“Living in the fast-paced, high-demand, high-technology era that is the 21st century, consumers are now more than ever turning to ‘green’ and natural-looking products,” Irwin said. “Our stylists present colors and designs that, according to in-depth research, consumers nowadays are seeking – colors that are at one with nature.” He said materials that appear to be handmade, undyed and unbleached, and colors found in nature such as off-whites, sandy and lineny tones, rock and soil hues, and brownish-greens are all popular choices for wood flooring.
Other colors increasing in popularity, Irwin said, include blues reminiscent of a clear sky or ocean water and inspired by environmentalism, as well as warmer metallic colors that liven up a room. Moreover, as globalism brings people ever closer to previously unfamiliar ethnic accent color palettes, tones such as Moroccan reds, glowing oranges, rosy pinks, sunny golden yellows and ancient turquoise are being used increasingly.
According to research, a desirable color is not considered a bonus anymore – it’s demanded. PPG Industrial Coatings offers the Trendcast program, which offers the latest trends in colors, effects and textures for a variety of markets, industries and products. The Trendcast kit was developed by the PPG Global Color Styling Team, which works closely with color and design organizations to drive and monitor emerging trends. Using tools in the Trendcast kit, PPG color stylists help manufacturers to choose colors, textures and other special effects that will achieve particular marketing and manufacturing objectives.
“A limitless palette of colors is just the beginning,” Irwin said. “All of our paint products are also formulated to meet strict environmental codes without sacrificing beauty or durability.”
Additionally, Marc Cheloudko, marketing director for PPG Wood Global, said PPG wood coatings comply with the company’s global strategy and goals regarding environmental protection, energy saving and emissions reduction. Comprising a wide range of products used on more than 60 million square meters of wood floors produced globally each year, Cheloudko said PPG has “maintained a leading position in the wood coatings industry for a very long time,” with a history of more than 100 years in wood coatings products.
PPG was the first company to introduce ultraviolet-protective coatings for prefinished flooring. The latest PPG products for wood flooring include Easy-Clean UV Topcoat, Anti-Scratch UV Topcoat, Anti-Slip Topcoat and a series of well-designed full coating systems.