The Colors of Summer '26
Written by CS Senior Product Designer, Laura Gemperline
The seasons are changing and so are the colors that inspire us. Spring was inspired by vibrant greens and loamy browns. Summer is a season of contrasts: the sun’s warmth balanced by the coolness of water and shaded forest interiors. It fills our lives with light, revealing every color of the spectrum like a rainbow stretching across the season—from fiery sunsets to foamy ocean waves and the flutter of butterflies and birds, a menagerie of hues bursts forward all summer long.
The seasons are changing and so are the colors that inspire us. Spring was inspired by vibrant greens and loamy browns. Summer is a season of contrasts: the sun’s warmth balanced by the coolness of water and shaded forest interiors. It fills our lives with light, revealing every color of the spectrum like a rainbow stretching across the season—from fiery sunsets to foamy ocean waves and the flutter of butterflies and birds, a menagerie of hues bursts forward all summer long.
The season’s backdrops range from soft beiges and sandy whites—such as Acrovyn® 253 Parchment and Acrovyn 949 White—to the strong browns of majestic trees, like STYX® solid finish 4009 Mangosteen. Layer in countless shades of green (think Acrovyn 1595 Cucumber or Acrovyn 1113 Dark Moss) and you’ll start to see how summer is defined by color.
Looking at our CSelect™ Fabric in Sunset Golden Shore, summer is reflected back at you in shades of teal, the iridescent flash of beetles’ wings, pink pasture flowers, and ripening wild berries. Keep the theme going and easily complement those privacy curtains using Acrovyn 1246 Deep Water and Acrovyn by Design® Metallics 18189 Regal Purple.
More than any other season, summer exemplifies how color can play. Nature offers perfect combinations, bringing color theory to life through opposites that create remarkable depth.
Explore playfully pairing a soft wood tone like Acrovyn 1716 White Sugar Maple with Acrovyn 951 Golden Sunshine, or Acrovyn 1583 Cantaloupe with Acrovyn by Design 20044 Blue Wave for the perfect balance of warm and cool.
Summer surrounds us with inspiration, revealing color combinations that invite, ground, and uplift us. As we continue exploring nature’s connection to wellness, the summer palette can help us create spaces filled with light and comfort. The next time you find yourself in a wildflower meadow, take note of the abundant beauty and color inspiration you see.
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Laura is a Senior Product Designer at Construction Specialties, primarily supporting color and trend work within our New Product Delivery team. She is responsible for delivering powerful and moving color palettes, textures, patterns, collections, and designs that resonate with an evolving customer.
Laura also conducts research and drives ideation and development activities. She has an extensive history of designing products for the commercial interiors market, including utilizing various design tools and Voice of Customer research to bring products from concept to commercialization. With her passion for learning new things, she constantly seeks out new information that will help her develop products customers will love.