SPECIAL SECTION: FOR YOUR HOME
WIRESTOCK / FREEPIK. COM
ALEXANDRA GRZESIK
Alexandra is the Connection’ s specialist consumer affairs and ecommerce reporter.
Another facet is evolution: colours have historically helped humans to evaluate safety, which has contributed to our survival as a species. Hall gives the example of the colour of berries helping to determine edibility, and on the flip side, the murkiness of water determining visibility and therefore, danger.“ But it’ s often not just the colour, it’ s the context of that colour as well,” she says. For example, green mould on food makes us feel very different to vibrant green trees!
Hues to choose
Branching out into using more colour in the home can be challenging, especially if you’ re used to a more neutral palette.“ I suggest starting small with decorative accessories, such as pillows, throw blankets, vases and speakers, or in tabletop – so dinnerware and drinkware”, says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
When it comes to choosing specific colours, consider the room’ s purpose.“ I think whenever you’ re designing a space, it’ s very important to think,‘ What is this space used for?’,‘ How do I want to feel?’, and‘ How do I want other people to feel in this space?’ And then,‘ What are the colours that can support that?’,” says Hall.
And how about making different colours feel seamless?“ Each room can certainly have its own colour,” Pressman adds.“ If the goal is to maintain a consistent feel across the home, then I suggest creating one palette that can be flexible enough so that it can work across all of the different rooms in a space.”
In-season shades
Don’ t despair if you’ re not up for painting – white walls are timeless, and you can easily incorporate colour with accessories. However, if you do want a bigger overhaul while staying versatile, the current trend is to avoid grey in favour of warmer, brownundertone neutrals. Otherwise, soft purples and blues, warming oranges and reds, and deep greens are the go – not to mention the Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta.
Although Pressman is tight-lipped about Pantone’ s 2024 Color of the Year, which will be announced this coming December, she does say that the home and interiors colour trend forecast is inspired by our postpandemic lifestyle. Our homes are more multifunctional, so flexibility and balance between self-expression and comfort will underpin next year’ s trends.
“ I do think this is something we see resonating throughout [ today’ s ] culture,” Pressman explains.“ Whether influencing our desire for colours that replenish and heal, colours that speak to futurism or escapism, or colours that speak to our desire for creativity.”
28 | SEP / OCT 2023 COSTCO CONNECTION