With every year, we find new ways to express our tastes in keeping with the trends of the times. And like every year, we again begin this new year by exploring what décor elements this fresh year will bring us. In the last two years, the pandemic has jolted us out of our lazy luxuries to realise the horrors of climate change. It has stirred us to think about how we got here and what can be done to counter it. Therefore, environmental consciousness coupled with a desire for a more meaningful existence has brought us close to nature and our roots. That in turn has spearheaded two movements in design and décor—sustainability and stress on green elements. Experts say the year 2022 will see a steady rise in these styles.
Accordingly, the Pantone Color Institute’s palette for Spring/Summer 2022—Very Peri—is a reddish-violet shade of blue that helps us embrace the altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. Digital design helps us to stretch the limits of reality, opening the door to a dynamic virtual world where we can explore and create new colour possibilities. With trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and rising artistic community in the digital space, Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how colour trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.
“As we enter this new landscape, one where fashion rules no longer apply, hues for Spring 2022 allow us to mix and marry as we please, encouraging the exploration of new chromatic realities, opening the door for a personalised style and spontaneous colour statements,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Agrees Kanupriya Verma, CEO of design brand, Ikai Asai, “Colours can greatly affect mood and emotion, and resonate in distinct ways for different people. With newfound agility of working from home, people are looking for ways to revive their homes and will prefer a complement of comforting shades with hints of jewel tones to enliven the atmosphere.”
Aditi Gupta, Founder and Director, Namak India, a homegrown premium décor brand, adds, “What we’ve learned from the past two years is to build a haven that empowers creativity. We will see people modifying their work-from-home spaces to conduct more virtual meetings and work effectively and efficiently. Next on the radar would be to create a Zen living state in the house, to spend quality time with your family and loved ones while keeping the decor sustainable and eco-friendly. So, we will see a lot of natural elements coming to play as accent pieces by enhancing the livability of the space.”
From neutral hues harmoniously mixed with the new tech blue, to handmade artisanal homeware with a local focus, such a progressive yet timeless approach to decorating will be the way forward, say the experts. Says Anita Lal, founder of Good Earth, “Our approach to design in the coming year is universal. The inspiration comes from the places we visit within India and internationally, and our collection interprets a historical or mythical concept celebrating crafts, culture, flora and fauna.”
Also, décor with earthy elements such as stone, terracotta and marble will gain more popularity through the coming months, the experts feel. Such elements will satisfy our aesthetic sense of beauty as well as a conscious lifestyle, they say. Clearly, here’s to a greener, calmer, more natural new year.
The forecast for 2022 is earthy, natural, sustainable decor with handmade artisanal homeware, and neutral hues harmoniously mixed with Pantone’s new tech blue in a fusion of the digital and physical world