What's New in color trends for 2009? Get paint color ideas for interior wall and kitchen decor from artist and color expert Linda Paul

As an artist I am profoundly influenced by color and culture. I love studying color trends and  am always trying to predict and influence color.  Color trends are fascinating because they are a sociological barometer of the desires going on in our culture right now. Color is important in our lives because of the way it makes you feel. The buzz words in color right now are vibrant, bold, optimistic and comforting.

See all art by Linda Paul at www.lindapaul.com

Here are the must have colors for 2009:

Neutrals: For new neutral interior wall colors, try these shades of warm ochre taupe,  soft apricot taupe (Linda's favorite and a very soothing color for your walls), or cinnamon brown
       
warm ocher taupe        soft apricot taupe       cinnamon brown
            

Amethyst Purple: Use a vibrant, deep purple as an accent color in your room. Pillows or even an entire sofa are fabulous in a this color purple.
 

Spice Colors: Think exotic places and hot spice colors of curry,  turmeric and paprika.
   

Tapenade Green:  Chartreuse and olive greens continue to dominate as  popular colors. Green represents our eco awareness and optimism for the future. Its neither masculine nor feminine so its easy to create a room that everyone will feel great in.
       

Hot Raspberry Pink: This trendy color will spice up an otherwise dullish room. Use it sparingly as an accent color and pair it with spice colors.

These colors are great for kitchens.  read more about the hottest colors for kitchens in this HGTV article on kitchen color trends

All of these colors are going to make an appearance in Linda Paul's new painting of a fall vineyard and grapevines. Have a sneak peek at it in progress here

One of the most important thing to remember about color, is that the color gets its life from the color you put next to it. Color in isolation from other colors is uninteresting and uninspired.

When picking interior paint wall colors, always go with lighter shades of the trendy colors. Save the deeper shades for your art and accents in the room.

According to the Color Marketing Group, the leading international non-profit association of color design professionals, bright vivid yellow is a must have color, which is great in a painting but I prefer it a little toned down if used as a wall paint color. Yellow pairs nicely with grey for 2009.