The Awakening

The 16th edition of Asian Paints ColourNext19 has been announced with Adulting, Harvest, Enchanted and F-Lux as the four colour trends of the year.

Compiled by: BI Staff; Photographs: Courtesy Asian Paints

Asian Paints ColourNext has always been the most decisive voice on colour in India. Every year, their in-house team collaborates with the finest purveyors of design from a wide range of disciplines — architecture, interiors, fashion, sociology, advertising, F&B and media — to put together the most comprehensive guide to colours, materials, textures and finishes. At a recent conference, the company unveiled their Colour of the Year — Awakening, a shade of plum, alive with the dynamism of being woke. The dignity and power of purple fused with the humility of brown, it personifies the strength to stand up when it matters and, to dig in your heels with confidence. Asian Paints also forecasted four new trends for ColourNext 2019.

Adulting
Millennials have redefined what growing up means — the conventional college-marriage-car-house route to adulthood is so passe. Why tie yourself down inside a few hundred square feet when the world is your home? Why buy the year’s best car when you can get a chauffeur driven ride — anytime, anywhere? Young designers are creating fuss-free spaces that adapt to changing needs … smart, modular and lightweight is the style du jour.

Forecast: Bright, perky colours punctuate practical greys. Bold typefaces make a comeback to create spaces that are unafraid of attention. Repurposed material, multifunctional design, and curious objects speak of a need to be creative and expressive.

Harvest
Bio-facturing is bridging the gap between man-made and natural. Experimenting with algae, bio-polymers, bacterial cellulose, and fungi as raw materials, designers turn alchemists to harvest living materials. Designed to degrade, closed-loop, zero legacy engineered nature is the pulse of sustainable innovation.

Forecast: Organic at its root, laboratory cultured bacterial pigments and algae dyes inspire a living colour palette. Alive with a natural luminescence, biodynamic colours are a definite departure from traditional earthy hues. Textures reflect inner structures of organic matter while materials and decor echo the synergy between technology and contemporary craftsmanship.

Enchanted
Anchored in the intense human connection with nature, and a resurgent confidence in maximal expression, Enchanted brings alive surreal visions in our spaces — outsized, extravagant, lavish and whimsical.

Forecast: Dense, deep colours tell of a mythical landscape, as real as it is imagined. Subtle metallics render a touch of iridescence. Translucence hints at the ephemeral, materials play with light. The outsized takes centre stage in patterns and prints, celebrating the spectacle of life in all its lush wilderness.

F-Lux
The world of luxury is in flux — inheritance is no longer a shortcut or a guarantee. A new wave of story tellers with immersive and intimate stories that celebrate the creator and the process is breaking down the traditional codes of luxury. The new luxury is authentic, personal and often local to the places they inhabit.

Forecast: F-Lux evokes a quiet richness. The palette is timeless and complete, stylish rather than trendy. Pared down to its bare essence, materials are appreciated in their natural form. Celebrating the innate beauty of metals, textiles and more, the artisanal trumps the artificial.