From bold and bright to calm and relaxing, the color trends you’ll find in 2008 compliment a wide variety of aesthetics.

MINNEAPOLIS - From bold and bright to calm and relaxing, the color trends you’ll find in 2008 compliment a wide variety of aesthetics. Valspar predicts 2008 colors will draw heavily from several areas and has created four distinct color palettes for consumers who want their walls and other painting projects to reflect the world around them.

Heightening environmental concerns have many people thinking “green” and wanting to choose colors that bring them back to peace with nature. The Botanical Relief color palette includes various shades of greens, blues and natural colors found in foliage, flowers, the sky and the ocean.

With technology marginalizing the distance between countries, people are finding inspiration from around the globe in countries such as China, India and Latin America. Globetrotting, by far the boldest color palette, includes spicy, bright and saturated colors guaranteed to liven up a room.

Baby boomers as well as younger generations are finding stimulation from the creativity, individuality and primitive simplicity found in homemade arts and crafts. The Artisan palette, of dusty mid-tones and cheerful combinations of warm and cool tones, includes colors you might find in an old quilt.

The Nuance color palette is all about restful shades that balance all the elements. It includes shades of gray, taupe and cream that blend stylishly for a contemporary look that straddles the boundaries between color and neutral.