SILVER PAINT

Silver paint is a Declining Trend, but the story of its rise to glory is worth knowing. Around the late 1990s, starting in the Consumer Electronics category, silver paint started a decade-long march across the design community. The inception was most likely two sources: the long use of lightly metallic-flaked paint in the automotive categories (especially German luxury brands), and a desire among product designers to bring the metallic look into the aesthetic landscape (although few products can command the price actual metal requires). Mobile phones, which up until then had typically been molded in solid colors (Nokia, Ericsson, etc.), got a shiny coat of silver flake paint. Soon, it was on everything from clock radios to car interiors to televisions. But as of the late 2000’s, starting again in the mobile-phone category, this Color/Material/Finish treatment has been in serious decline, particularly in the Consumer Electronics category. Though at first this was seen as a premium CMF treatment, it is now seen in every category, and is particularly ubiquitous in the low-end value-priced products. Just go into Brookstone: silver everywhere. There has been some longevity in the Fashion/Accessories categories, but these have been more fads than lasting aesthetics. However, silver flake metallic is still a popular color in Automotive.  Generally, this design treatment was meant to simulate bead-blasted/anodized aluminum, and gives a light, tech-centric finish that accentuates surface sculpting. Still very usable, just take care in the treatment of this finish and the categories it is used.   Many product categories have moved to variations of silver such as gunmetal, pearlescent,  or even metallic-flaked charcoal.

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