Sometimes a colour or a motif shows that it isn’t just a passing trend but actually has longevity. Back in 2015 Dulux announced it’s colour of the year as Copper Blush, which I wrote about here. At the time it was a big departure from the cool blues and greens that had been dominating the colour forecasts and heralded a move to warmer tones of pinks, reds and oranges. Dulux partnering with Colour Futures, the annual trends and forecasting guide saw the move reflecting a more positive global outlook, and it also paired nicely with copper the metal of choice at the time.
It was seen as a grownup warm tone and a new, subtle way to add pink to our lives. Here we are almost three years on, and it’s still popping up in my Instagram feed, it’s in magazines, and still appears to be pulling a loyal crowd. The exact shade may have morphed slightly, but the warm copper colour with an orange tone has stayed with us.
This was one of the images shared by Dulux back in 2014 as part of the briefing pack on copper blush. At the time I thought only the really colour brave would pair it with red – stylists always know how to up the ante with colour combining. Now take a look at the Design Bar from this years Stockholm furniture fair. Seem familiar? In fact, it played a leading role at Stockholm furniture fair, as the bar designed by Note Studio featured in many magazines and editorial about the pivotal fair.
It was also seen paired with the dark green indoor/outdoor furniture designed by Tom Fereday for SP01 below, again in Stockholm. It isn’t just a Scandinavian colour phenomenon though. The hue featured on the Instagram accounts of those attending Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW17) in the gorgeous Kaza concrete weave tiles of the Domus showroom. They were launching a collaboration with Note Studio admittedly. In Milan, it popped up at Dimore gallery and seemed to feature heavily at Salone del mobile in the contract furniture halls with brands like Arper. During Decorex I spotted it at the stand of lighting designers Giopato and Coombes where it was a gorgeous foil to their beautiful lights and also at Benchmark Furniture. My artist friend Abigail Bowen has a new painting called Tender that was the impetuous for me to revisit this colour when she came by with it this week. It seems Copper blush and its hue sisters have been with us for some time but are they here permanently? There are some gently stirrings that it is morphing towards a peachier tone, something a little lighter, maybe closer to those sun-bleached houses I lusted after in St.Tropez this summer. It seems though that our love of warmer colours is staying with us for the time being.
Image credits:
1, 4 & 5 Stockholm furniture fair Designbaren_photo by Mathias Nero
2, 3 & 6 Dulux
8 SP01 Furniture
9 Mary Middleton for Hello Peagreen
10 Tender by Abigail Bowen.