Colour is an essential part of any design project, and here Hannah Malein from the trend forecasting company behind Mix Publications, Global Color Research, presents deep terracotta…
Here we look to the other side of a trend story we visited back in May, discovering the richness of resources and colour inspiration we can extract from the earth. There, we looked at the use of pale gold in furnishings and metallic materials, whilst this month the focus is on deep terracotta, another key colour from Precious, for spring/summer 2013.
Precious embarks on a love affair with the more humble semi-precious stone. Exploring different contexts in which crystals manifest themselves, from the jeweller’s workbench to the archaeological dig, a newfound glamour emerges for 2013.
Colours are dense and heavily pigmented for that luxury touch. Deep terracotta is enriched with purples of amethyst and the ripples in a tiger’s eye gem, juxtaposed with raw finishes and earthy textures on surfaces for a modern aesthetic. Or combine jewel shades of dusted grey blue with a vibrant sulphur yellow from the palette, used together with deep terracotta for a flash of cool elegance, perfect for luxurious furnishing fabrics and coatings.
A nod to the work of a jeweller, carved and chiselled structures reflect angular forms of cut stones and crystal forms. Age-old glamour is back and the glimmer of gemstones is key. Resins and glass are embedded with semi-precious stones, lending an intriguing and decorative quality to solid surfaces. Polished finishes reflect the light as super high-gloss coatings and glazes are combined with dense colour pigments and metallic flecks.
A rich red-based orange with brown undertones, this colour provides the friendliness and welcoming nature of orange whilst retaining an air of sophistication and luxury. Deep terracotta, from the Latin terra cotta meaning ‘baked earth’, brings a natural connection that exudes a cosy and comforting warmth in a space. The orange base is also said to stimulate appetite, similarly to the colour red, and is therefore the perfect shade for dining rooms and restaurants.
Deep terracotta tones are certainly a popular choice in furnishings this season. Pictured is Kristalia’s Elephant chair, designed by Neuland Studio, who selected this warming hue for all components. Terracotta was also a colour option for Emeco’s new chair, part of the Parish collection designed in collaboration with Konstantin Grcic, and launched at this year’s Milan fair.
Use this month’s key colour – deep terracotta – with amethyst purple, cooled off with grey blue and sulphur yellow highlights. For the full palette and ideas for its application, see a full presentation of the Precious trend in Mix Trends’ Spring Summer 2013 issue.
Hannah Malein is a colour trend consultant with Global Color Research. Mix Trends and Mix magazine can advise of trend predictions up to two years ahead of the season – sign up to the monthly newsletter to receive the latest information on colour, trend and design.
