The incorporation of colour in interior design affects more than just aesthetics. Colour, particularly wall colour, can heavily influence a space’s inhabitants, with various colours affecting mood, state of mind and even our perception of climate.
Sico, Dulux and Benjamin Moore have unveiled what they expect to be next year’s hot colour palettes. While all three colour authorities predict colour schemes that counteract the day-to-day grind and aim to uplift our moods despite increasingly hectic lifestyles, it is Sico’s projection that offers an interesting insight into the symbiotic nature of lifestyle and the spaces we live in.
According to Mylène Gévry, brand director of Akzo Novel, the company that makes Sico paints, the tech world is creeping away from our machinery and influencing our interior colour palettes in a way that is as much about embracing the digital as escaping from it.
“The colours for the year ahead represent both people’s expressions of individuality developed through their intense use of technology, as well as their desire to log out from time to time,” Gévry said. “That’s why the palette includes bright and joyful colours that exude personality, combined with peaceful, subdued tones that provide a quiet retreat from high-speed connections and reflect our growing appreciation for all things natural and creative.”
It is apparent that these technical modes of communication and interaction and go beyond the virtual and strongly affect the way in which we live.
“The busier we are, the more we appreciate interconnecting – through dialogue, networks and innovation – but we also need time to step back and reflect on how these technologies influence our reality and state of mind,” Gévry said.
The colour palettes highlighted range from the dark cool solace of what Sico has labeled Switching Off to the bright, almost neon palette of Collective Passion.
Design imitates as much as it represents a cultural climate. Our modern love/hate relationship with technology is clearly creeping through the subconscious and finding its way into our public and private spaces. As such, it is expected to continue to dominate in colour choices next year.
