The world as we know it has changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, as has our mental and physical health. We are also more in tune with our domestic spaces since we have had little escape from them in the pandemic period.

Whether you’re newly moved, renovating your home or just restyling and decorating your space, revitalising colour tones from the next decade of interior design can help to give your home a more glamorous and relaxing vibe.

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This is because there is a psychological influence behind every hue, tint or shade you use, whether you know it or not. Colour choices can not only give your space new life, but they can also provoke new emotions. They can dramatically transform your space into warm or cool, cozy or dramatic, energising or soothing, all to create an atmosphere to match your identity.

As a creator of the interior studio Décor Splash, I believe it is not just about the new colours that will be trending this year, but is also about deeper and more natural shades. This year’s designs are all about warmer, neutral hues, tranquil moods and patterns that are part of a back-to-nature journey.

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The world naturally travels through the colour range as the seasons change, and there are always going to be colours like blues and greys that will trend in some way.

However, it’s the undertones of these colours that mostly change interior decoration and architecture.

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The US paint manufacturer Pantone’s winner this year is classic blue (royal blue), which blends originality with classicism and can make a bold statement in any design. Manufacturer Benjamin Moores has opted for “first light,” a pastel shade of pink that has been muted to reduce noise and help to relieve the stress and tension of modern daily routines.

After a decade of grey, beige is coming back to home décor. Navy and earth green are the new neutrals, and ocean blue with violet undertones and muted accents is the winner of what will be a more spiritual decade.

Sherwin Williams, a US leader in paints and coatings, and Dunn Edwards, one of the largest American manufacturers of paint, are betting on a blue-green ambiance among designers this year as part of a trend towards healing, earthy colours that aim to reconnect us to nature and foster serenity and balance.

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Colours that will be trending this year are also more dynamic, either warmer or cooler, and it has been obvious from the leading paint brands’ declarations even before the pandemic that back-to-nature would be the theme. Sherwin Williams has chosen a dark navy with purple undertones in its approach to colour, and Pantone has gone for a classical royal blue like that used in traditional Chinese porcelain.

Though I don’t always style colours or designs for my clients based on what is trending at the time, I do explore new colour blends. So, if I were to pick one hue that we will see trending this year, green would be it. We’re already seeing this healing colour everywhere, from blues to dark emerald to muted green in a variety of home décors.

What’s fascinating about this magical colour is that it harmonises with other colours, and trending now are muddy shades, undertones and accents of green. As the world is moving towards saving the environment, it seems home décor is heading in the same direction. We are tending to make ourselves and our spaces contiguous, I feel, unplugging ourselves from civilisation and speaking nature’s language.

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Do colours really have that much power? Many people will not be willing to redecorate their homes every year to match current trends. Furniture, fixtures and equipment aren’t like fashion or clothes, and a home design is something durable, not something seasonal or disposable. However, restyling and adding accents to an existing home palette can be a beneficial and creative exercise that you can apply to an already furnished space for a more harmonious appeal.

So, now that you are aware of the new colour trends and the psychology behind them, what about going for the healing tints and shades of blue? Or maybe warmer shades like earth tones to reconnect with nature? A little retouching, recolouring and restyling every now and then can work wonders for your well-being and make all the difference to your home.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 9 July, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly



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