Right off the bat let me confess - I’m no expert when it comes to interior design. Over the years, there have been a wide range of places I’ve called home. In my early twenties, home was a one-room-kitchen near North Campus, Delhi, where having a folding bed and a second-hand wardrobe to store winter clothes was my definition of ‘furniture’. I don’t even recall what colour the paint was - because it was mostly peeling off. Migrant student life FTW, eh? Now, in my mid-thirties, I’d like to think I’m more into the finer things in life. Not only do I have my own couch, I’ve also managed to pile up quite a cushion collection from my travels. I’ve scoured flea markets, set alerts for flash sales, and even navigated my way through shady craigslist ads to find the most obscure showpieces for my living room. I’ve been told my house now resembles a British museum (not a compliment) thanks to all the random artifact-ish type stuff I’ve managed to hoard over the years.
But does any of this mean I understand home decor? Not one bit. At least not in a way I’d like to. Sure, it’s not something I think about a lot but after a certain point even I get tired of looking at the safe (read: dull) off-white paint across all the walls in my apartment. Surely, there can be more I could do with colours, right? And then I got to know of Asian Paints’ ColourNext.
For those who aren’t aware of it yet, ColourNext is Asian Paints’ yearly affair, since 2003, where they forecast colour and decor trends for the upcoming year. But honestly, if you dig deep, it’s much more.
The team behind it, which comprises brilliant minds from a range of disciplines across architecture, art, interiors, fashion, sociology and more, does thorough research on socio-cultural trends for the year and how they shape and influence colour, design and lifestyle. What makes ColourNext even more impactful, is that these forecasts and trends they come up with - they take into account sensibilities of the Indian subcontinent and yet, are also globally relevant. What we're saying is, while the initiative might have started here, the output it presents has global appeal. No matter where in the world you're planning to deck up your home, or what regions and cultures influence your aesthetic sensibilities, ColourNext has got you covered. And they've been doing for 19 years now!
So How Did They Do It?
They say ‘we are a product of our environment’, and that also rings true for our design choices. This is not something I really thought about but the more I look at the reasoning behind the palette and decor choices in ColourNext 2022, the more I realize how natural it is. Whether it’s my choice in clothes or furniture or accessories, there’s an underlying theme to them - which could be different for everyone. And yet, living in the times we do, there are some common themes as well. That is where the experts from different fields made their impact in shaping the ColourNext trends.
In the 7-months long exercise, first, without limiting the scope to merely the home-decor industry, they scoured the entire globe for emerging socio-economic stories. Then they zeroed in on four themes that are emerging today and are likely to occupy major real estate in conversations in the near future. The themes they identified are - We/Us, Hope You’re Well, Artify, and Solo Commerce.
We/Us addresses the emerging trend of smudging the binaries between gender stereotypes. Until recently, cis-het men choosing traditionally ‘feminine’ aesthetic was pretty uncommon, but today we see many going that way, and vice-versa. It’s a testament to our times where many people are now rejecting gender stereotypes.
Hope You’re Well is a delightful homage to how many around us are realizing the importance of mental health, and are actively investing time and effort into their own well-being.
Artify came about due to the rise of NFTs and how it has in its own way, democratized the otherwise inaccessible world of commercial art. Until recently, investing in and earning from art was seen as something only society’s elites would do. But now, thanks to the disruption caused by NFTs and virtual economies, almost anyone can turn this into a legit money-making enterprise.
And finally, the theme closest to my heart, Solo Commerce. It shines light on the lives of gig workers. As someone who’s freelanced for years, I can totally relate to the struggles of the gig worker, living a life which is both freeing and taxing at the same time. But now, with the rise of product apps, this lifestyle is all too common - and will be so for many years to some.
Once they settled on these themes, they transposed the entire study into a home decor output, where they defined colours, materials, finishes and textures (CMFT) based on these narratives. For example, We/Us includes vibrant colours in its palette, while Hope You’re Well presents a more subtle range of options, catered to a person’s peace of mind and well-being. Artify redefines the idea of decor using futuristic design elements, while Solo Commerce takes a more pragmatic approach to the ‘get up and go’ lifestyle of the gig worker.
I don’t know about you but seeing how these things influence someone’s home decor choices totally blew my mind. Not only because it’s kind of humbling to realize that there are so many issues we don’t really think about, but also because you come to terms with how you’ve been unknowingly making life experience-influenced design choices most of your life without even noticing it.
You can read the full report & check out the palette for each trend here. I can’t wait to see what ColourNext has in store for us next year.
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