Punches of colour in unexpected places
Trends point to visual interest even on ceilings
Plugged into technology, today’s design-savvy society is drawing inspiration from around the world.
“New directions in material, shape, colour and pattern are raising the bar for home environments,” explained Canadian colour guru Nancy Bollefer, who has a background in both colour and design. “Different treatments of colour are used in a room now ... It’s not just about flat colour anymore.”
Watch for increased visual interest on all surfaces floors, walls and ceilings, Bollefer said.
Moldings, details and embellishments are being added to walls. Greek key patterns are being taken from fashion and incorporated into home decor.
Bollefer has worn a variety of colour-related hats over the years, honing her skills in everything from fashion design to interior design. She has worked as a colourist for a leading paint company, designed wallpaper, and is currently the Canadian marketing manager for Behr paint, in Brampton, Ont.
To determine which colours and designs will appeal to consumers, teams obtain colours, textures and patterns from movements in history, geography, nature, fashion, design, art and pop culture, Bollefer explained.
Rather than focusing on a colour of the year, Behr offers a collection of four on-trend themes with 20 new paint colours.
“Colour creates impact with unexpected combinations,” Bollefer said. For the High Contrast theme, “chromatic brights mingle through modern, Asian-inspired style, glossy surfaces and layered textures.”
For example, a room could feature paintable, textured wallpaper in Black Pearl (oily blacks with subtle colour undertones), ceil- ings in a contrasting glossy white, patterned black-and-white marble floors, and bright yellow and jewelled blue and green accent pieces.
“It’s capturing playful interaction between colour, shape and pattern,” Bollefer said. “Colour is infused to give vibrant energy to dark and moody tones.”
Behr’s Luxe Dimension theme showcases traditional decor transformed with stylish updates, including bold pops of colour, gold detailing and geometric patterns.
“These colours and clear surfaces can enhance the light and open feeling of home offices,” she explained. “Navy blue is a terrific accent on furniture, but it can also pump up the volume when paired with an over-scaled geometric design in citron-yellow.”
The Blurred Boundaries theme features modern style that’s softened through rounded shapes, organic colours and comfortable furnishings.
“Modern is no longer defined by sharp edges,” Bollefer said, adding that now there’s a smoothing and rounding of edges to “bring ‘modern’ into balance.”
The Lyrical Living theme features a palette that reflects “an interest in tonal colour and classic styling.”
“Dark gold, ivory and taupe brown are the foundation colours that keep it feeling elegant but busy,” she said. “However, just by adding punches of colour in unexpected places, it suddenly transforms the space into something charming and lighthearted.”
While bold statement colours will be on-trend in 2016, so will neutral palettes.
“A space doesn’t need bright colours to be interesting,” Bollefer said. “Canadians love neutrals ... I love neutrals, personally. I never tire of them. But I need a bit of colour to keep my space interesting.”