Expert opinions on why specific hues capture our affection
In the face of an increasingly fast-paced world, there is a growing yearning for the tactile, the emotional, and the real. This sentiment is reflected in the recent surge of warm, nostalgic colours in home decor, providing a comforting and optimistic environment during challenging times.
Butter yellow, with its associations of comfort, warmth, and nostalgia, is a popular choice in various home decor items and paint shades. The colour takes on a golden honey-like hue when exposed to evening sun, adding a touch of warmth and familiarity to any space.
Rhubarb, a traditional English pudding flavour, is being updated in high-end London restaurants, and is now being paired with elderflower crème Anglaise and vanilla cream in paint form for warm, elegant kitchen cabinet colours. The colour Dibber by Farrow & Ball, named after a gardening tool, offers a sense of nostalgia, while the colour Olive by Little Greene is being paired with bronze-green glazed zellige tiles, moving away from cooler tones of green towards bronzed greens like olive and broccoli.
These colours have the power to pull individuals out of the virtual world and back into realness, creating a comforting and inviting atmosphere. Ingrid Fetell Lee, in her book "Joyful", emphasises the role of colour in evoking joy in our surroundings, drawing inspiration from the kitchen table, the allotment, and the everyday rituals of home.
The colour Bassoon by Little Greene Paint, despite not being a colour typically favoured by many, is being used extensively in home decor. This golden honey-like hue can serve as a visual reminder of more stable periods, providing psychological comfort during challenging times.
At Luminary, a business advocates for slow, enduring colour palettes that evolve over time. They are excited to embrace shades of fig, aubergine, and plump pink breakfast radishes in the future, continuing the trend towards warmer, more indulgent colours. Fabrics dyed with onion skins and wine grapes are anticipated for future colour choices, offering something grounding and deeply human.
The use of warm, nostalgic colours in home decor can have significant psychological and emotional benefits by creating a comforting and optimistic environment. These colour choices reflect broader cultural trends towards nostalgia and familiarity during challenging times, serving as a means to reconnect with past comfort and shared cultural experiences.
- The growing popularity of warm, nostalgic colors in home decor, like Butter Yellow and Bassoon, is not only influencing paint shades but also furniture design, aiming to evoke a sense of comfort and familiarity in one's living space.
- Interior design is now incorporating elements from food and drink, such as rhubarb and elderflower, into paint colors, to offer warm, elegant kitchen cabinets that reflect fashionable culinary trends.
- During these challenging times, warm colors like Dibber and Olive are being used to bring individuals back into reality, creating a welcoming atmosphere that encourages a departure from the virtual world.
- In line with the trend towards nostalgic and warmer colors, businesses such as Luminary are looking ahead to the future, planning to incorporate shades of fig, aubergine, and plump pink breakfast radishes into their color palettes, further emphasizing the comforting and optimistic environment that these colors can provide.
