Experience and Effect - Today’s Kaleidoscope Palettes
Colour trends at KBIS 2017 - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
Colour! What a big voice it has in this year’s fashions, products, and interiors. From muted and filtered spectrums that reference the soft patinas and sentiments of the classical world to the vivid renditions that speak of free-spirited personality, the colours of today have range. The palettes are thoughtful, synergistic, and impactful. They tell us something about ourselves and our world. These are colourful packages of experience and effect.
After attending two leading design shows, I can confidently say that colour is part of the experiential design movement. The focus is on relatable and personalised holistic surroundings.
Stay Dining Chair by Nika Zupanc - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
The refined luxury of Nika Zupanc’s Stay Dining Chair for Sé Collections was most certainly a highlight at the IDS (Interior Design Show Toronto 2017. The designer’s modern renditions of Deco glamour are emotionally-charged in velvety hues from pink and grey to luxe blue and green. Outlined with gilded metal, these are softened evocations of the “Golden Age”. Timeless.
Speaking of timeless, the porcelain Aratani.Fay Click-Clock forms speak a soft-modern language in hues of mid-century pastels. At the IDS, they were a small feature with a bigger message. According to maker, Ayako Aratani, “The most important emotions in my handcrafted process are joy and kindness. I, therefore, try to imbue my designs with the emotional excitement I have while making so that I can share my happiness with others.” Soft and irregular sculpting replaces digits on these carefree timepieces. They are lovely and imperfect and give tender hints at the time of day in colours that are wonderfully optimistic.
Aratani.Fay Click-Clock - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
La Cornue was touched with the muted and faded palette of olde-world Paris. The nostalgic flavours were showcased at KBIS (The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) 2017 in Orlando. Designer, Suzanne Kasler, curated the Couleur Collection exclusively for the iconic brand, translating her experience of Paris into something that can be timeless.
Couleur Collection - Suzanne Kasler - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
“These are the kinds of colours I see while in Europe”, says Kasler. “Muted and faded. Subtle enough that you never get tired of them. Classic, not trendy.”
La Cornue Chateau Colour Basilica - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
A range of this stature can be the palette driver for an entire home. And how spirited these colours are when punctuated with La Cornue’s luxe mixed metals.
I give a resounding yes, to vibrant colour and art on the floor. The intricate weaves of wool and silk were bursting with colour at the IDS this year. This beauty was showcased by Weavers Art. The range in colour intrigued me because it encapsulates today’s global palettes. Vivid greens, deep pinks, velvety blues and saturated mother-earth hues all lie within one striking and nuanced piece. Imagine the possibilities. I love to think of the floor as a large gallery wall with the opportunity to charge an otherwise neutral environment with personality and colour!
The Soho Manhattan - Weavers Art - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
Walkers Zanger featured an extended range of patterns and colour at KBIS this year. Their Sixth Avenue Sofia Mosaic in Lemongrass Gloss is distinctively nostalgic of the seventies era. How can we not relate to the times of melodic tunes on vinyl and the peace and calm of harvest gold? I’m listening to some of my favourites as I write this blog.
Walkers Zanger Sixth Avenue Sofia Mosaic - Photo Credit Walkers Zanger
Open-form luminaires of powder-coated steel engaged the senses through shadow, light and the brilliant colours that emerged from within. The hand-crafted Lomhara by Luxi Studioworks enchanted viewers on a small wall of the IDS. The artistic aesthetic of each pendant is specialised with unique colour possibilities in powder coating and seventy different special-order cords.
Lomhara Pendant by Luxi Studioworks - Photo credit Regina Sturrock
Villeroy & Bosch expressed colour and personalised style at KBIS with its Artis Collection of surface-mounted washbasins. The basins’ refined lines and classic “White Alpine” interiors allow the outer surfaces to put on a show in a kaleidoscope of seasonal colours in varying shades. Seventeen colour options lie within four harmonious collections of green, yellow, pink and blue. What an elegant way to bring colourful character into a bathroom!
Artis Collection Washbasin by Villeroy & Bosch - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
Grohe Essence Semi-Pro Faucet - Photo Credit Regina Sturrock
I saved the best for last! The Grohe Essence Semi-Pro Faucet with its limited-edition colourful hose was all the rage at both design shows. A brilliant row of possibility brought the rainbow indoors. The faucet’s sleek contemporary profile and polished finish leave room for a punch of signature chroma. I imagined the renditions into several of our latest projects. Each would be a personal statement.
This is what we’re talking about today - design that speaks to the individual in every colourful way.
