Menu

Wokingham Decorating Services - Reliable, Experienced Decorator based in Wokingham

Blog posts July 2015

2015 Fashion Colours

There is a certain amount of truth in the thought that colours come and go, in and out of fashion. But equally, there are classic colour schemes which always seem to work. And some modern colour schemes would look out of place in a Victorian property, just as some Victorian colour schemes wouldn't work in a modern flat.  Whether or not any of that matters to you is entirely down to you; just as in clothing, music and many other fields, some people are totally obsessed with the latest fashions, others are mildly interested, and some just stick to what they have always liked.

Personally I fall into the "mildly interested" group when it comes to colour fashion, or fashion colours. I'm fascinated by colour, especially its role in home décor, but not to the extent that I repaint my house every time a particular paint manufacturer or celebrity interior designer declares that such-and-such is this year's "must have" shade.

According to Dulux, many of the top shades for 2015 are very "earthy". Neutrals fall into two groups:

Browns are blended with ochres, sepia tones and terracotta, all colours which work well with natural woods, canvas and stone.  Combining these colours with these natural materials will create a natural, outdoors, "earthy" fell. For me, it makes me think of the Mediterranean, Tuscany, sun-baked hillsides and so on. Maybe it's the terracotta thing. 

    

Greys, on the other hand, while still very much in fashion, are moving away from pure greys, and being blended with hints of either blue (making them colder) or khaki shades (making them either colder or warmer, depending on how green or brown the khaki is). Given greys are so popular at the moment, it will be interesting to see how this trend develops in coming months and years.

    

Accent colours, according to Dulux, include oranges, berry reds (reds with hints of pink and purple shades), and yellow ochre.  These are bold, strong colours which may not be to everybody's taste, but please remember:

  1. These are fashion colours - not everyone is obsessed with being at the cutting edge of fashion
  2. They are accent colours, designed to act as highlights in a room, not to be used to paint the entire room with!

    

Dulux's Colour of the Year is Copper Blush.

They describe it as being subtle and versatile, and given their other thoughts on fashionable colours, I can see where they're coming from.  It could be combined with earthy browns for a warm, Mediterranean feel, or I could see it working well with berry reds, or as highlight colour when combined with the right shade of grey.  So, if you buy into their other thoughts on colour fashion at the moment, I can see how Copper Blush could fit into those trends very well.

I guess the big question is whether or not it will prove popular.  For me personally, I've always liked terracotta shades in the right setting, but their popularity peaked in the late 1980s/early 1990s. I honestly can't remember the last time I painted anything using a colour that could be classified in the "orange" segment of the colour wheel. Maybe it's coming back in - that happens all the time, colours and styles that were in vogue 20 years ago suddenly make a reappearance. Maybe Dulux have got it right, maybe not. Personally I'm not convinced yet, but time will tell...

I do think they've got it pretty right with the trends in the neutral colours though. Greys are still hugely popular and are so versatile. And now people have got used to the idea of brown shades being acceptable as neutrals, I am seeing people being willing to experiment with stronger, darker shades.  Not everyone, and that's the point.  There will always be the "dedicated followers of fashion", those who seize the latest trends and adopt them instantly.  Just as there will always be those who take their time before accepting changing fashions, and those who are happy with their own sense of style, and remain content doing their own thing.

And the good news?  On this occasion, everyone's right!  It's your home, decorate it the way you want to!

 

 

Go Back

1 blog post

Blog Search

Comments

There are currently no blog comments.