2019 Colour Trends

[soliloquy id="4193"]Our Senior Interior Designer, Rachel, recently went to the renowned Decorex Exhibition in London where she attended a lecture by ColourHive on predicted 2019 colour trends. Through a bi-annual panel meeting of design influencers and experts from all over the world, ColourHive define their colour trend drivers and global predictions. This trend forecasting then involves the collection and analysis of the social, economic, political, environment and technological influences that drive all trends. This year we saw Pantone release Ultra Violet as their colour of the year where it embodied originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us to the future. This blue based purple is a creative inspiration that is indigenous and takes our awareness and potential to a higher level.  Now, the 2019 Pantone colour has been chosen, Living Coral, which encourages playfulness, and discourages the influence of the digital age.  It also focuses on immersive experiences, warmth and nourishment. So, after attending Decorex, we would love to share some of the palettes and ideas that we are currently using in some of our projects.SolaceThis palette looks at considered neutrality in a world gravitating towards increasingly alarming extremes. So, when presented with black & white, there is a strength in opting for a more considered, measured position and choosing a middle ground - grey. It connects with the cultural issues of gender equality, rejecting brands and finding a balance in life and it is with this balance and minimalism, that there is a less fuss and a consciousness to be neutral.  To use this palette successfully in architecture and interior design, we believe it is paramount to mix a variety of textures, so spaces avoid becoming ‘flat’. Using twilight blues, dusky pinks, shadows & cool whites, this palette creates a remote and considered interior that any client could find comfort in. In an interior architecture project we have recently worked on, redesigning a spa in a 5* resort, we have used a similar palette consisting of frosted glass, bleeding patterns and organic cracks in stone to create a balanced space where in a busy world, members can find solace and silence.WildOne of the drivers for this palette is nature and landscapes recovering from urbanism such as the Costa Rican National Park where during the 1990s, thousands of orange pulp waste was loaded onto the barren, dry grounds returning the land back to a lush, vine laden forest. This idea of ‘rewilding’ is something that we have seen more of and will see more of as the effect of global warming becomes more apparent as we try to counteract pollution and emissions. Hues of rust, dark blackberries and forest greens create a dramatic palette that can be softened with natural materials such as a timber floor finish or wool carpet. In one of our interior design projects for a London townhouse, we have integrated a lush double height green wall that connects the interior and exterior spaces and is a great focal point. Compared to the previous palette, this features less textures as these colours are the focal point, however when mixed with metal fixtures, it can create an urban feel that is still earthy.With these palettes in mind, colour has become something that individuals around the world have become more fascinated with and have realised its ability to convey deep messages and meanings. Designers and brands now feel more empowered to use colour to inspire and influence. To some, colour may just be surface thought – but what they tend to dismiss is the culture that you take part in when picking colours that you could have previously thought of as frivolous. One of the most famous examples of this is from the film, The Devil Wears Prada, where Miranda Presley, played Meryl Streep explains to her assistant that her jumper is not just ‘blue’ and that it represents a moment in time, culture and tells it’s own story.“You go to your closet and you select that lumpy, loose sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue. It's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns, and then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent who showed cerulean military jackets, and then cerulean quickly shot up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it filtered down through department stores, and then trickled on down onto some tragic Casual Corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs, and it's sort of comical how you think you made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff.”