When you think about stucco
there are many ways to categorize it: functionality, installation, durability,
patching etc. The reason for cement stucco is really how it looks on the
outside of our structures. As a society we start with function and move to
aesthetics. We started with packing mud over straw to keep the weather out and
now we are using different size aggregates, materials and pigments to make our buildings
more beautiful.
MerlexStucco, Inc. is introducing a brand new color chart this year and it
coincides with their 50th anniversary. Their extensive and capable
merchandising department has been scouring the globe to access the newest
trends and colors. In years past Merlex has used their clientele of capable
color coordinators that worked for local building developers and home
builders’. This year however, they took a more cosmopolitan approach and
studied trends that were coming out of the largest fashion markets. It is very
important to stay abreast of trends in design and color. The color chart like
paint fan decks are used extensively in architectural offices and design
centers to begin the process of choosing colors for our most popular buildings
and homes. Here in the capital of “glitz and glamour” it is not uncommon for
Merlex and Vero’s marketing departments to help choose color for well know stars
and celebrities such as, Jennifer Anniston, Dennis Rodman, Sly Stallone, just
to name a few.
We have discussed before how
natural products make us feel more comfortable. It is logical that materials
and colors that are found in nature would be the colors we choose to lower
stress in our living and work spaces. Over time, with trends in fashion and
advertising and the need to change, colors do tend to ebb and flow in terms of
popularity. However, earth tones tend to stay at the forefront as we see them
in nature every day. Just think about the last time you went to a park or out
in the forest. How many different greens did you see? There is an infinite
variety of hues and textures to look at. This is why we can stay with natural
color tones and never run out of variation. As for manmade trends, we are ever
looking for things that excite and deliver“newness” to our homes,
neighborhoods, and work places. Through fashion these are ever evolving.
Fashion is a big contributor to interior and exterior color design. Some colors
may take on a more important role in certain climate locations, such as reds
are more popular in colder climates and blues are more popular in warmer
climates. Overall, neutral tones can compliment any design, and therefore, are
used in any location. In the 1980’s pastels were very popular in stucco. The
color charts were full of light yellows pinks and beiges. If you look at those
charts now they are terribly dated! But just think about a picture of yourself
from the 80’s, See the mullet and cloths it’s laughable! This is what makes it
so much fun though. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s it was all about
“Tuscan”, and “Mediterranean”. It was not uncommon to hear the owner ask that
the house “look 200 years old “when it was completed. They did a lot with
“distressed” wood timbers and exposed beams, ancient looking balustrades’ and
porte-cocheres. Now the look is contemporary. Spaces are large and simple
without clutter. Exteriors are going to a clean monolithic appearance with
natural cement colors. In commercial interior spaces some have exposed HVAC
systems and real or replicated poured in place walls. Merlex has had a huge
resurgence in an old product called Super Shower Finish. This material
was originally used in locker rooms, industrial kitchens and large areas that
had moisture much of the time. This material was applied over a brown coat as
exterior smooth Santa Barbara Finish
and then painted. Now calls come in from all over the world looking for a
natural cement product for showers in high end luxury lofts like in downtown
New York, Los Angeles and other urban areas.
Ten
years ago the market was flooded with real and knock off “Venetian Plasters”.
Now the contemporary market is using lime and resin to achieve that natural
“clean look”. Vero Italian Finishes is
an importer of real Dolomitic Lime from Trieste Italy. When the demand for aged
buildings lessened it was difficult to make the design community aware of the
fact that lime is perfectly suited for contemporary designs. The resin plasters
are beautiful, shiny and really can add flavor and excitement to walls and
ceilings. The industrial look has become very popular and many architectural
firms have this beautiful “minimilized” interior space.
New
York Fashion Week is held each spring showcasing its colors for the next year’s
color palette. This influences everything from clothing styles and colors to
paint fan decks and building facades.
Merlex
has always been the leader in choosing new and exciting colors on color charts
and designers are used to working with a company that is as discriminating as
they are.
So
here is to 50 years of service and thousands of colors in the Merlex data base!
Now we have Vero Italian Finishes that is building a repertoire of great color
for lime and resin. Vero has even started carrying Modern Masters for
metallic’s and pearlescent additives. Don’t forget to preview the new colors of
the Merlex Web-site: www.merlex.com
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