The overarching theme to 2017
Feb '17
One of the most exciting parts of my job as Creative Director of Dulux is to work with our amazing colour team on identifying the most important trends that will influence the interiors industry for the next 18 months. We study fashion, technology, design and most importantly social and economic trends from all over the world. We also meet with global experts in related industries and seek input from architects, artists and economists to ensure that the findings we share with the industry are highly relevant and will resonate with people who are making major investments in their homes and the wider built environment.
I’m going to share a few nuggets of 2017 design forecasting with you that will give you and your customers insight into what is going to be big this year and how it will affect the way our homes look and feel.
The overarching theme to 2017 – ‘Life in a new light’
It captures the essence of what’s happening out there in the world and provides us with a thread that binds together the latest trends. What it means is that as human beings we are still struggling to make sense of an increasingly digital environment and our place in it. We have become reliant on the internet which has both brought us together and isolated us. Increasingly we feel lost and are rendered useless by signal failures and system malfunctions and its making us rethink what is important and what is not. We want a richer experience of life and how we live it.
So how does this manifest itself in interiors? You quite rightly ask…
The Colour of the Year – Denim Drift
We long for simple things that we know and recognize; things that have a history and are yet still relevant and valued in a modern world. Shades of blue are going to be everywhere this year from fashion to flooring – and of course paint. It's the world’s favourite colour and reminds us of the elements that make up most of our beautiful blue planet from the sea to the sky. With its rich history and enduring appeal, Indigo will be the mainstay of the shade and we chose a soft greyed indigo called Denim Drift as our global Colour of the Year 2017.
We also added a blue Colour of the Year palette that works perfectly with it, making the use of blue versatile and adaptable for every style of interior.
Use the colour to instill calm in a busy kitchen and to add tranquility to spaces in which you relax and unwind.
Considered Luxury – buy less, choose well, and make it last
A very interesting and powerful trend that struck a chord was a new idea at what ‘luxury’ means to us. A recurring theme was that it is the ‘experience’ of something that gets our attention rather than how big, expensive, or clever it is.
The Trend ‘Considered Luxury’ explores the call to action championed by Vivienne Westwood that we should ‘Buy less, choose well, and make it last’. It’s something that we see happening in the home with people opting for interiors that delight the senses; touch, smell, sound, and taste even more significantly than they look.
Everything in a space must count and have a provenance that shines beyond the surface look and feel. Natural materials and craftsmanship that originate from places we are familiar should work hand in hand with tech wizardry and gadgets that make life easier.
There are more influential trends to explore through global Colour Futures 2017 forecast report and if you are interested, click here.
