The trend toward more bold and dramatic colors in residential carpeting is getting some help from Invista's Stainmaster brand. The web site www.Stainmaster.com now includes a "Color Point of View" online tool that is designed to give consumers the same information many pros use to create a home décor. In the process, it is hoped that carpet buyers will unearth a shade that fits his or her personal tastes and home décor style.

"I want to share with homeowners the absolute explosion of color I'm seeing in home products and fashion,' says the developer of the new feature, Invista's color and styling manager Patsy Kuipers. "People are embracing color

The Color Point of View online tool explores five essential color trend indicators and five emerging trends. Trend indicators are areas that have a long history of influencing color and design and will continue to do so. Emerging trends are areas affecting color and design that might not have been thought about in the past. Over time, they too could become trend indicators. Traditionally, professional designers have drawn inspiration from these areas. The web site feature is designed to let consumers get an inside track on the same information.

The trend indicators are fashion, technology, entertainment, sustainability and socio-economic. The emerging trends are globalization, indulgence, bioengineering, generations and spirituality.

Each category has inspired a palette or family of colors that works together. The colors can be used in carpet, as well as other interior products and clothing. It depends on the user's own point of view regarding how to mix and match these colors. Each of the 50 new colors is codified to the Pantone color specifier for architecture and interiors. The online Color Point of View tool is designed to have easy-to-follow instructions that enable the user to choose primary, secondary and accent colors.

Colors included in the fashion category of the Color Point of View tool, for example, reflect the shift away from basics and toward indulgence and variety in the world of fashion. The new colors mirror the trends of utilizing liquid metallics, nubby tweeds, fake furs and vintage looks in clothing design. Colors included in this category are garnet, lemongrass, midnight velvet, dusty pink and fake fur.

Kuipers said, "These colors are here for you to enjoy. Have fun with them. Make your own combinations. Remember that color can be very uplifting and can enhance your life. In their proper place, all colors are good."