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As I flip through my archives and bookmarks, I’m surprised to say that the number one color I’d written about would have to be grey or “off-black,” by which I mean dark and dirty grey in all its myriad forms. I can’t tell if I’ve tapped into a zeitgeist or trapped myself in a rut, but I do know from color forecasts that we’re entering a period of pewter and dark neutrals, but I suspect that has more do to print and store design than anything else.

Early in the year I wrote about charcoal and mauve textiles at the New York Furniture Fair. I noticed also last summer’s Turner show at the Met (paint by Farrow&Ball) featured gallery walls in smoky greys and deep mysterious blues.

Then this fall I mentioned in rapid succession Black Ink, Black, Lancaster Blue, and Cement Grey, a full set of the coolest bruise colors that could still remain cozy and elegant.

I noticed too over the course of the year my new fascination with yellow--probably because it makes me so uncomfortable--so let's call Deep Yellow my second pick of the year. Here are Beach Yellow, Citron, Ochre and http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/colortherapy/colortherapy-palette-choosing-the-right-yellow-070488

Lastly, here are two columns that contain both grey and yellow.

How may we interpret what this indicates for the New Year? Tune in next week for Color Predictions 2009.

- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter