What does the movie Avatar 2 have to do with the pillows consumers are picking out for their living room? Well, when it comes to colour, a lot.
Pantone colour expert, Lee Eiseman, predicts the film industry will become more significant in the short-term as more people turn to movies as a form of entertainment. Avatar 2, due out in 2021, takes place underwater and features sleek stylings and vivid blues.
According to her it’s all about the trickle-down effect: what we see in movies, fashion, art and more causes people to be more open to a colour, or even to look for it in the marketplace.
“Innovation is a big buzzword right now, not just in housewares but in many different industries,” says Eiseman.
“It’s about answering a need for something edgier and, in some cases, irreverent. That’s not to discard the fact that some consumers have a certain comfort level with some colours. You have to honour that by combining those traditional colour favourites with other unexpected colours or in unexpected ways.”
Other significant themes and design influences include:
• Food & beverage―“Food is a natural tie-in for housewares and interiors because it’s so integral to our sense of wellbeing and to our very existence,” says Eiseman. An interesting colour note: Anything with yellow-based colour releases the ‘feel-good’ chemical serotonin in our bodies; think comfort foods from around the world such as macaroni & cheese in the U.S, dim sum in China and purees in Africa.
• Wellness―this trend keeps getting bigger each year and will certainly flourish in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Soft, familiar hues can convey a sense of calm and comfort, as can Pantone’s 2020 Colour of the Year―Classic Blue, which instils calm, confidence and connection, says Eiseman.
• Sustainability―It’s not a new trend, but one that has reached the mainstream. Many consumers around the world are now demanding products and practices that are environmentally friendly and are choosing home environments and colour schemes that reflect this.
Eiseman also reveals the nine Pantone View Home + Interiors palettes.
• Folkloric―this palette is Nordic in feel, but “it’s really about a new and energized form of folk art,” she says. It features deeply saturated authentic colours that look handmade (not like they were made by chemicals) including indigos and fern greens.
• Terracotta―the first palette that’s named after one colour, it features a warm, earthy colour that appeals to people in just about any culture. Though Terracotta is the star, it appears alongside a sliding scale of warm earthy tones but with a few very unexpected colours, like Lilac Sachet, as well.
• Composed―“This is the palette that is always necessary for those consumers who are comfortable with neutrals,” says Eiseman. Here, soft pinks and blues “lighten the load of grey” to combine with hues like Glacier Grey and Granite Grey.
• Vivify―the yang to the yin of Composed, Vivify is ‘an eclectic grouping’ of playful and cheerful colours such as Easter Egg blue and Meadowlark. Black and white are included as well to create a dichotomy of sorts.
• Fleur―flowers are always an influence on colour, but this palette is “not just about a sweet bouquet”, says Eiseman. It’s “a bit sexier” with its inclusion of some deeper wine or merlot hues, and includes some green for balance.
• Quixotic ―this vibrant palette features some closely matched colours but it also reaches across the colour wheel for unique contrasts. Just a few examples: Jade Lime vs Peppery Cayenne and Papaya Punch vs Tranquil Blue Sky.
• Polychrome―this palette is “very much about patterning”, says Eiseman. Architectural details from many countries were an inspiration for using sophisticated colours like a Dijon-enriched spicy mustard and Mocha Mousse in patterns.
• Synergy―blues and blue-greens may always be favoured by some, so this palette uses them to create “peaceful, pleasing connections of colour”. Greyed-down versions of blue and blue-green contrast seamlessly with other colours such as greyed-down lilac or mauve.
• Galaxies―metallics get their day in this palette, which is inspired by “the ongoing fascination humans have with the galaxies that lie beyond”, says Eiseman. What is unique here is that metallics are combined with earthier tones that help ground them.
