It’s that time of year again folks when all the major paint brands start to announce their Colour of the Year 2023. Talk obviously turns to colour trends for the coming year and I am extremely excited to be hosting another episode of my Pinterest TV series on exactly this topic. I am being joined by the wonderful Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux who will be chatting with me about her role at Dulux, the process of choosing Colour of the Year 2023, why Dulux has opted for Wild Wonder and offering some tips on how we can use it in our own homes. If you would like to join us live this evening (Thursday 13th October 2022 at 7pm UK time) we would love to see you there. You can watch here.
2023 marks Dulux’s 20th anniversary of forecasting and as usual, Dulux gathered together its panel of trend experts at AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre based in Amsterdam. The panel comprised architects, authors, cultural analysts, editors, designers, and technology innovators who all came together to predict consumer behaviours in 2023.
Together, these experts identified horticulture therapy, futuristic fabric, the Wood Wide Web and the circular economy as just some of the major influences that we are witnessing. These insights suggest a focus on balancing life and prioritising mental and physical well-being, as we connect to nature in a bid to help us thrive.
What is the Colour of the Year 2023?
Dulux translated these insights into one colour which it feels reflects the mood of the moment and our way of living over the next few years. Wild Wonder was chosen as Colour of the Year 2023. It is described as “a hue inspired by the warm tones of harvested crops with an upbeat glow which connects us with the cycles of life, by creating a sense of energy and positivity.”
The name Wild Wonder was chosen because ‘Wild’ conjures up the freedom of nature and ‘Wonder’ conveys the natural magic we see all around us. Extremely fitting, don’t you think?
Wild Wonder speaks to us in a language we instinctively understand. Nature is what inspires us and makes us feel better in our lives and in our homes. That’s why, for the first time in 20 years, our entire colour palette is inspired by the rhythms of the natural world.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux
You all know by now that I have long been harping on about biophilic design and the mental and physical health and well-being benefits of inviting nature into our homes and workplaces. So it comes as no surprise to me that Dulux has chosen such an uplifting, natural tone that has the power to connect us with the natural world, inspire creativity and help us feel better in our homes.
Dulux Colour of the Year 2023 Colour Palettes
As usual, along with the Colour of the Year 2023, Dulux has selected four supporting colour palettes, all of which feature and work with Wild Wonder. The palettes have been created to inspire and facilitate decorating projects which reflect different moods, for every kind of room.
Lush
The Lushpalette is inspired by beautiful forest hues from the plant-filled habitats of gardens and woodlands. It is a soothing palette full of comforting tones that create a calming and uplifting feel in a space.
The cool tones in this colour palette are perfect for creating relaxing zones of peace and quiet which has become increasingly important since so many homes have now doubled up as places to both work and play. Dulux suggests colour-drenching certain areas as a way to differentiate the different spaces in the home.
Buzz
The Buzz palette is full of more upbeat tones of pinks and ochres designed to capture the bustling biodiversity of wildflower fields or grassland. Buzz features uplifting tones and bursts of colour which Celebrate diversity and add joy, unity and a soft romance to any space.
Dulux suggests that this palette is perfect for creating those experimental wall murals in your home to really make your own personal mark on the space.
Raw
Raw is an earthy palette inspired by natural shades like woody browns, mushroom, wheat and ochre. It reflects the richness of the earth’s resources and brings a subtle warmth to any room.
Dulux suggests using this cosy and grounded colour palette to create tonal effects in the room, painting the wall from the lightest to the darkest shade to warm up a space ready for the cooler season.
Flow
Fluidity and momentum are captured by the warm neutrals and deeper seashore tones of the Flow palette. Dulux suggests using the blue tones in this palette on the ceiling with Wild Wonderon the walls to give the illusion of opening up the room to the sky.
So what do you think of the Dulux Colour of the Year for 2023? Are you a fan of Wild Wonder? Can you see yourself using it in your own home? And if so, which of the four colour palettes is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
The Cloud Sundae Medium Corner Sofa in Warm Grey from Snug Sofa
Furniture is an essential part of your home and can make a significant impact on the look and feel of it. With so many new trends in furniture, it’s hard to know which ones will suit you best. So, in today’s post, I will share some tips for choosing the right piece for your home.
Warm-toned Woods
The Emily office chair in a boucle upholstery from Cult Furniture (affiliate)
Warm-toned woods are an excellent choice for the home, and are gaining in popularity. Woods that have a warmer tone include maple, cherry, oak, pine, mahogany, and walnut. These woods tend to be warmer and more inviting than some of the cooler wood tones such as Ash, Maple, Poplar, or Pine.
Choosing wooden flooring or wooden furniture in warmer tones is a great way to warm up a space and make it feel more welcoming. Alternatively, consider adding built-in cabinets if you need more permanent storage space but don’t want to compromise on style. Built-in shelving works well too if you want somewhere more open to display your personal belongings rather than hide everything away.
Arched Mirrors
Left: Riley Arched-top Full Length Standing Mirror from Neutypechic | Right: Noah Silver Arch Wood Framed Full Length Decorative Floor Mirror from Neutypechic
Mirrors are an absolute must-have in the home. Not only are they useful for inspecting your appearance before leaving the house, they are also a great way to maximise the amount of natural light in your home. Mirrors can help to bounce any natural light that comes in through windows and doors around the home brightening up darker corners and nooks.
Arches have been popular in interiors for a while now and this trend has now made its way through to mirrors. A floor-standing arch mirror is a great way to make a statement in the room and can also make a room feel larger as it reflects the rest of the room adding a sense of extra depth and dimension.
A small wooden arch mirror can also be used above sideboards or furniture for a trompe l’oeil effect to give the impression of extra windows.
Left: Joyce Arched Wall Mirror from Neutypechic | Right: Mignon Iron Framed Classic Black Arch Farmhouse Wall Mirror from Neutypechic
Organic Shapes
Left: Organic Armchair by Tim Neve | Right: Wave Coffee Table by Tim Neve
With the current obsession with all things biophilic design, whether you have realised it or not, nature is having a significant influence on our interiors and the trends that we are seeing come through. There are no straight lines in nature and, as a consequence, we are seeing a lot of furniture in more organic shapes and forms. We are even seeing more irregular mirrors in organic shapes.
Left: Melinda Organic Shaped Wall Mirrors from Neutypechic | Right: Frances Irregular Living Pond Mirror from Neutypechic
I’m not a big animal lover as I have pet allergies so I’ve pretty much spent my whole life avoiding any animals with fur. But I have always had a strange obsession with designer pet accessories and pet beds for the home.
It always fascinated me that furniture for our furry friends was so unattractive. But thankfully, in recent years this has changed and now we can find a whole host of attractive, design-led pet furniture on the market that will blend more seamlessly into your home.
Rustic-Bohemian Style
Bohemian style is a relaxed, carefree look characterised by neutral colours and textured pieces. It’s growing in popularity at the moment, again thanks to biophilic design. The pandemic has also made us appreciate this style more due to the personal touches that it often brings in.
Boho-style is inspired by artists and is all about self-expression and creating a space that is entirely for your own enjoyment and that reflects the story of your life and your personal values.
To do this you can incorporate mementoes and souvenirs from your own travels, flea market finds, and original or handmade artwork. So bring in that gold-plated mirror that you spotted on your travels or that Berber rug that reminds you of your favourite holiday.
When people think about furniture, they often think of only one thing: the purpose. A chair is for sitting in. A table is for putting things on and eating food. But at the higher end of the spectrum, you’ll find that some designers are looking beyond this simple function-driven approach to their work and exploring ways in which they can make their pieces more attractive and more expressive.
A great example is sculptural furniture that we are seeing at the moment. These pieces aren’t just functional, they are often works of art in their own right.
Design your home with the latest furniture trends, styles, and functions.
In your home, you want to ensure that the furniture you choose reflects your personality and suits your family’s needs. You also want to be sure it’s functional and easy to clean, made from sustainable materials, and lasts a long time.
We’ve looked at some of the latest furniture trends, from warm-toned woods to artful pieces. As you can see, there are many ways to bring your style into your home. Whether you want something sleek and modern or rustic and organic, there are plenty of options for people like us who want to make a statement with their decorating choices!
Biomorphic forms and patterns used in the Design by Nature Collection by Front for Moroso
This week for my Pinterest TV episode, I am talking about how you can take inspiration from organic shapes and natural patterns and incorporate this into your home decor. In biophilic design terms, these would be referred to as natural analogues.
Natural Analogues
Natural analogues are organic, non-living and indirect evocations of nature. For example, these could be the objects, materials, colours, shapes, and patterns found in nature being turned into artwork, ornaments, furniture, décor or textiles in our homes and public spaces.
In my last Pinterest TV episode, we looked at biophilic design materials which are basically natural materials such as wood, cork, rattan, seagrass, stone, bamboo, and linen. We looked at how these materials can be used, without being too processed or altered, to create an indirect material connection to nature.
In the latest Pinterest TV episode and in this post, I would like to look at ways that we can use biomorphic forms and patterns in our home interior design to further enhance that indirect connection to nature. This may mean taking inspiration from stones, shells, feathers and leaves etc and creating representational artwork, furniture, lighting and architectural features with a more organic feel to them rather than taking inspiration from geometric shapes and hard lines.
Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
Biomorphic Forms and Patterns are basically symbolic references to contoured, patterned, textured or numerical arrangements that we see in nature. The objective is to use design elements within the built environment that allow users to make connections to nature. We want to use biomorphic forms and patterns in a way that creates a more visually preferred environment that enhances cognitive performance while helping reduce stress. A space that uses biomorphic forms and patterns well will feel interesting and comfortable. It will capture and hold your attention and will likely make you feel quite contemplative.
Science has suggested that incorporating biomorphic forms and patterns into the built environment will help to reduce stress levels. This is probably due to the fact that it causes us to shift our focus and concentrate more. We know that humans have a visual preference for organic shapes and natural patterns, but the scientific case to explain why has not yet been fully explored.
The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio, also known as the Fibonacci Series, appears to be a fundamental characteristic of the Universe and has intrigued scientists, mathematicians, artists and designers for centuries. This simple numerical pattern where each number is the sum of the two numbers that precede it (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 etc) can be seen in nature from the micro-scale to the macro-scale. Flower petals, seed heads and pine cones to tree branches, seashells, hurricanes and entire galaxies seem to align with the golden ratio.
Examples of Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
Pebbles
You never see hard lines and right angles in nature. In nature, everything is softer and more organic. Stones and pebbles are rounded and smooth. We are seeing this influence coming through strongly in interior design trends now. There is a huge move towards organic shapes and soft curves that mimic those we see in nature. Furniture in particular is becoming strongly influenced by organic shapes as we are seeing a lot of curved furniture pieces right now.
‘Curve Appeal‘ is one of the big interior design trends featured in Pinterest Predicts for 2022 with searches for curved sofas, walls, bars and kitchen islands all seeing major increases this year.
Village at Home Shore Pebble Table Lamp in Taupe from Leekes
Barnacles
Barnacles are sticky little crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimps. They live on sturdy and often moving objects such as rocks, pilings, and buoys, boat and ship hulls and even whales. They secrete a fast-curing cement that is among the most powerful natural glues known to man. They feed on microscopic organisms in the sea and they are now inspiring our homewares.
The texture and the shape are probably a big part of the appeal when it comes to taking inspiration from barnacles. We are seeing ceramics such as bowls and vases with a surface similar to that of barnacles as well as lighting that mimics these natural little creatures.
SOURCE LIST
Shells
Shells, and the Golden Ratio that they display, have been inspiring our architecture and interiors for thousands of years and now we are seeing a strong visual trend in interior design for shell-inspired homewares. Many of the items we are seeing now merely recreate the look of shells either in 3D or 2D form.
But when biomorphic forms and patterns are used to maximum effect we see products designed to leverage the golden ratio and the spiralling of shells. We are seeing this now in lighting, furniture and architectural details like staircases.
SOURCE LIST
Sand Dunes
I have noticed recently a big move towards taking inspiration from sand dunes and the rippled patterns that we see in the sand created by wind or water. There are lots of interior products at the moment using the striations as inspiration. We’re seeing rugs and carpets incorporating extra texture due to the ridges that are cut into the pile. We’re seeing the inspiration appear on wallcoverings and in artwork. It’s there in ceramics and even in furniture.
This is my absolute favourite mood board that I pulled together and I think that it also illustrates really nicely the trend we are seeing towards the desert decor trend that is currently en route into our homes as we speak. This trend focuses on comforting colours such as warm terracottas, spicey ochre shades, and burnt oranges along with umber and soft shades of brown. This is accompanied by texture in fabrics and furnishings and these soft undulating ripples that we are seeing here.
SOURCE LIST
Mossy Landscapes
On the other end of the spectrum from the dry and arid desert decor trend that we are seeing is homeware and interiors that are taking inspiration from mossy landscape and green forest environments. Curved furniture that looks like moss-covered rocks is making an appearance as well as rugs that are highly textured and shaggy and aim to replicate and mimic multitude of shades of green that can be found in nature.
We are also seeing moss playing a large role in the creation of living walls which can be a great way to create a visual and material connection to nature as well as a non-visual connection as moss is a wonderfully tactile natural material.
We talked about using wood as a natural material in our interiors and I mentioned how it is more effective if we can use it in an unprocessed state. the reason for this is because when we leave it raw we can really see the wood grain and the natural ring patterns in the wood.
We are seeing furniture with a more organic finish now such as tables with a live or living edge. this is to give it that softer more organic feel because as we said there are no straight lines in nature.
The concentric circles of tree rings are making more of an appearance in our interiors lately and we can see below that this pattern is showing up on furniture, flooring and wallcoverings.
SOURCE LIST
Sea Urchins
Another bit of sealife that is inspiring our home decor is the sea urchin. These spiny, globular little creatures live on the seabed and inhabit every depth zone.
Again their appeal is probably in their organic shape but also the texture that it can bring into the home. So we are seeing sea urchin-inspired accessories such as vases and simple motifs along with lighting and even door pulls.
SOURCE LIST
Leaves
Leaves are actually a staple when it comes to interiors inspiration. I don’t think that botanical prints and patterns ever go out of style. It is just such an easy way bring nature into the built environment and the benefits are just undisputable.
What makes leaves so special is the fractal patterns that we can identify. A fractal is a pattern of nature that repeats at different scales. We can find examples of this in the forest when we look at ferns, trees, roots, leaves, and the fungal mycelium.
SOURCE LIST
Honeycomb
And our final example today is honeycomb. Hexagons burst onto the interiors scene a few years ago and were everywhere from wall and floor tiles to interior accessories, soft furnishings, door hardware and everything in between.
They aren’t as strong a trend as they were but this is another example of how nature and natural patterns can be used to inspire our home environments and bring us all the mental and physical health and well being benefits associated with biophilic design.
There are so many benefits that can be reaped from including biomorphic forms and patterns in a space from reduced stress levels to increased feelings of well-being and improved levels of productivity.
Curved sofas are so hot right now! In fact, Pinterest has predicted “Curve Appeal” to be one of the biggest trends for 2022. I featured the trend for curved furniture a few weeks ago but what really stands out about this trend is the proliferation of curved sofas that we are seeing in interiors at the moment. So I thought it would be really nice to round up some of the best curved sofas that I have spotted on the market in recent months.
But first I want to take a quick look at why curved sofas are so popular right now. And as with many trends it all stems from the emergence of biophilia in design. Also known as biophilic design, this movement is all about our innate biological need to connect with nature and how bringing nature into our homes is good for our mental health and physical wellbeing.
One of the main principles of biophilic design is about bringing in organic and non-living evocations of nature. One way to do this is to incorporate the organic shapes that can be found in nature. As we know, there are no straight lines to be found in nature. Instead, there are soft organic shapes that add flow, movement and balance to interiors.
Many of the curved sofas that we are seeing feature the bouclé fabric that has also seen a spike in popularity recently. Again, taking inspiration from biophilic design and incorporating natural textures into our homes. Sensory stimuli are a big part of biophilic design.
As you can see from these lifestyle images, curved sofas add a nice sense of flow to the room which is very calming. They are easy on the eye and create a restful experience.
Living Room Decoration | FITZROY Sofa, LATZA Center Table and NAICCA Floor Light- From Brabbu Design Forces
Curves have a unique way of softening a room and although curved furniture is nothing but new, it is growing increasingly popular due to its manner of giving the eye a natural place to rest. Arguably, furniture that feels good is considerably important and curved interiors are proven to give off a relaxing, calming, and welcoming feel due to a softness and rounded organic appearance.
Penny Swivel Armchair, Boucle Upholstered, Cream- From Cult Furniture
This trend for natural curves links back to biophilic design, where organic curved edges are reflected from the natural world. Borrowing elements from the outdoors gives this trend a natural way to incorporate organic texture in furniture made from materials such as wood, stone, and natural fibres. As can be seen in the image, the curve furniture allowed for the curved back chair to accompany the wooden table and rounded pouffe cushion, in a perfect combination for a calming environment stimulated by the natural world.
Curved sofas are just one of the many examples of using soft curves to instil a relaxing environment that therefore establishes a calming home that benefits mental and physical health. Our brains are drawn to the circular forms and curved lines that are associated with safety and calm and mirror the outside world. The increasing push for nature to become a part of our daily lives allows for the organic look of curved lines and soft edges to invite the impact of the creation of the natural, welcoming, familiar flow that is found in the environment despite the more rigid feel that can sometimes be found in other geometric spaces.
Bridgman Garden | 8 Piece Kensington Curved Modular Sofa Set G- From Bridgman
Curved outdoor furniture and garden furniture is another example of the curved trend reflecting natural forms with circular shapes, that immediately gives a peaceful, welcoming environment for the home.
