We're surrounded by sunlit hillsides, snow-tipped mountains, high blue skies and the whitest of white clouds. These are the colors of our lives, both outside and inside our homes.

We delight in using the natural colors of the Sierra Nevada. We bring them into our homes and then take them up a notch. Because of where we are, our interior design preferences express unique characteristics of color and texture.

We can expect even more of this inclination this year.
Laurie Nissen-Miller, owner and interior decorator for The Interior Zone of Reno, outlines the new colors of 2006 by comparing them to some of our favorite places:  

• The Virginia Mountain Range brings home colors such as golden brown, reddish brown and soft gray- lavender.

• The Truckee River suggests subtle mixes of brown, white, and green.

• Ourparks exude mid-tone variations – golden browns and metallic bronzes.

Here in Nevada, says Nissen-Miller, “We notice how the sun over-saturates what’s outside. We like to choose sun-drenched desert colors for our interiors. In 2006, we’ll also see a preference for using more natural materials in our homes. For example, replacing carpet with wood flooring and counters with granite. When we paint, we’ll choose colors to complement the natural elements.”

Charlene Azucena, interior designer for Ethan Allen Interiors, adds that the demographics of the Truckee Meadows plays into the color wheel, too. This area has two very distinctive demographics – young, urban professionals as well as older, retired individuals, she says. These two types of clientele have specific tastes. “The urban professionals prefer the brighter colors complemented with steel gray and skin tones. The retired clients tend to prefer the more natural colors seen in nature,” she says.

The new color trends are definitely bright and vibrant, and coupled with soft hues, says Kadie Remaklus, interior designer of Domus Design in Reno. “In 2006, we are seeing that, instead of a regular ‘stem green,’ we have a new fresh hue – the color of green when the sun passes through a blade of grass – that’s hot!”

Azucena adds, “We’ll also be seeing more sky tones in northern Nevada – more light blues and corals along with browns and espresso colors.”

But color is personal, too. And it’s important to find that individual color palette that works for you. “Color is attitude,” Remaklus says. “It affects us on an emotional level. This upcoming year will be all about combinations and contrasts. Some new, fun colors will be salmon, dusty purple, soft blue, apple green and pumpkin orange.”

Using seasonal color schemes is another way to find the right colors for your home. Nissen-Miller, in fact, has a unique way of deciding what will work best for each client. “I look at my clients’ skin coloring for clues as to what colors they look good in. After all, who doesn’t want to look good in their own home? In a home where the couple may have different skin color types (for example, one might be a cool summer and the other a warm autumn), I find which colors are favored most by both of them and work from that.”

Azucena uses what she calls “the Wow! factor” as her guide for choosing color and texture combinations for a room. “Choose one item in a room that you love – an area rug, for example. Use the colors and textures from it to decide on your complementary colors and textures for the whole room," she says. "When people enter, they’ll say, ‘Wow!’”

Susan M. Botich is a Minden-based freelance writer.