The magic of nature. That will be central to interior design in the coming period, according to the experts of paint brand Flexa. The corn yellow ‘Wild Wonder’ is therefore the color of the year 2023. “We are ready for positivity,” says creative director Heleen van Gent.
The Van Gent team annually conducts worldwide trend research into the most popular paint shades of the moment. The Global Aesthetic Center of Flexa owner AkzoNobel has been doing this for almost twenty years now. In the twelve years that Van Gent has been working on the research, she has seen consumer tastes change from more saturated colors to neutral gray tones.
Now there is another turning point, Van Gent tells this site. In recent years, the colors have become lighter, fresher and more optimistic. People crave it because the outside world is not so optimistic right now.”
Fascination for nature continues this year
For the research, she annually speaks with a wide group of designers about their experiences with the latest developments in interior design, all over the world. Last year, the team found that people were dying to get outside because of the corona pandemic. That included a shade of blue: Bright Skies.
The fascination for the nature around us will continue this year, according to Van Gent. Almost all designers agreed on that. The color of the year is therefore a light greenish-yellow hue, reminiscent of waving cornfields.
Four color palettes for 2023
But one color is not enough. Four palettes belong to each color of the year, with which Van Gent and her team want to offer inspiration and support. “Paint can transform a space in this way,” says Van Gent, pointing to the photos taken for the occasion. Every year, the Global Aesthetic Center photographs the different palettes to provide as inspiration. A living room is also built, which is then colored in different ways for the palettes. The difference can be felt in the photos.
‘Lush’ shows nature as a supporting force that makes you feel better, says Van Gent. The palette is full of greens and lilacs that give you the feeling of being surrounded by the rainforest. Van Gent chose a more sunny direction for the ‘Buzz’ pallet. “It reminds me of a field full of flowers.” Cheerful yellow, red and orange are part of this palette.
‘Raw’ offers a more earthly calm, with many soft browns and yellows. And finally there are the colors of ‘Flow’, which should bring us more in touch with the rhythms of nature, through light combinations of yellow and soft blue. Highly recommended for schools, says Van Gent, but also for creating a pleasant holiday feeling in a hotel.
‘We mainly observe what is currently being used a lot’
Van Gent also has long discussions with experts from the field about these palettes. “We need to be confident that our final palettes will match what we see happening in the interior design world,” she says. “This year we decided to be surrounded by colors from nature.”
The color of the year may sound a bit like a marketing ploy to some. Does Van Gent really notice that the color is being picked up after the announcement? “We don’t actually determine what the color of the year will be, we mainly determine which colors consumers will use more,” she says. “Last year we saw that light blue is becoming increasingly important. And it still is.”
Watch all our videos about living here:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
#Lighter #fresher #optimistic #color #year #Paint #transform #room