Get ready for softer, easier-to-live-with colors.(Brief Article)

In my "rookie season" as a designer, I frequently wondered where the many and varied hues of fabrics, furniture and accessory items came from. They all seemed to be coordinated--but coordinated by whom?

The mystery was solved through my introduction to Color Marketing Group. Based near Washington, D.C., CMG is the world's largest color forecasting organization. From its beginnings 37 years ago as a developer of color palettes for the home furnishings market, CMG has grown to forecast the color of nearly everything in our lives: fashion, automobiles, party goods, cosmetics, home accessories, office equipment, electronics, appliances--the list goes on and on.

The membership of CMG--3,500 strong, representing 38 countries-- includes product designers, stylists, color directors, pigment and paint chemists, packaging experts, and interior and fashion …