Learn how colour trends are created

Each year, we choose the Colour of the Year, a hue that we believe represents the mood and most popular trends of the coming year.

This colour isn’t just plucked out of mid-air. In fact, Sadolin has a dedicated team of colour forecasters who spend weeks coming to a final decision. It all starts in September, when our colour-obsessed design experts invite independent experts in the fields of interior, industrial, product, fashion and architectural design to discuss the key trends for the following eighteen months.

Once our colour forecasters have selected their key colours and trends, around twenty of Sadolin’s senior colour experts come together from around the world. They spend three days narrowing down the trend concepts into one dominant trend idea, five trend stories, colour palettes and the colour of the year.

During these workshops, a phrase that is constantly being used is ‘Zeitgeist effect’. This means that everyone is talking about the same things or designing with the same materials and colours in mind. By utilising the Zeitgeist effect, our colour experts can capture the mood of the moment, a vital part of forecasting trends.

After the workshops, the colour forecasters create concept or ‘mood’ boards, which helps them develop a clear idea of what each trend means. Then, the team starts the process of photographing each trend. “We work with several photographers and stylists each year,” says Louise Smith, one of the senior global colour designers. “This keeps the photographs looking fresh and ensures the different trends look as diverse as possible.”

Once the photographers, stylists and decorators have gone home, our colour forecasters write out exactly how to create each trend. Read for more details by visiting www.colourfutures.com and let us know what you think.