Fall is without a doubt the most abundant season when it comes to new colours and trends in the world of fashion and interior decor. Colour experts were right when they predicted the return of the trademark colours of the 70s!
Everywhere you look this season, you’ll find shades of mustard yellow and bamboo, which is yellow with a subtle green undertone. For the second year in a row, the hippy years are back in full force in the retail industry. Bamboo has in fact been declared the colour of the year for 2011-2012 by fashion experts. You’ll also notice this colour popping up all over the runways and you may even let yourself fall prey to its charm and vitality.
While, during the disco era, mustard yellow was paired with shades of orange, brown and green, this year proves to much more optimistic. It is daringly paired with pink, coral, teal and caramel brown.
“In the fashion industry, bamboo is the favourite colour of fall 2011.” - Pantone
Fall Abundant in Colour
To stand out from the autumns of the past 10 years, new, vibrant colour combinations have been appearing in blocks. This season’s hot new colour blocking trend is created by putting areas or blocks of bright solid colour next to each other in one outfit. No colour match is off limits!
Gucci and Prada are two fashion houses that dare to feature colour blocking in their fall collection.
Must-have Colours for Fall 2011
Mustard yellow and ochre, dusty rose, emerald green, coral and teal.
Here are a few designs with warm, contrasting colour combinations:
Colour Blocking
To apply colour blocking to your home decor, focus on soft, bold tones to give your room a balanced, organic feel. Choose the most interesting wall in the room, paint it a vibrant colour, and add accessories in a contrasting colour, while maintaining several neutral elements. White is particularly good at bringing bold colours together, but you could also go for a light grey or oatmeal (a grey/beige mix).
No colour combination is off limits in the right proportions!
The key to success is to follow the 60-30-10 colour rule: paint 60% of the room in a neutral colour (ceiling, one wall, mouldings, door and window frames); 30% in a dominant colour (hence the importance of choosing the most interesting wall in your room); and 10% in a third and even fourth colour to add life to your decor.
To make the room work, don’t hesitate to add different textures that will blend in with the solid colours.
Dare to show your colours this fall!
Marie-Claude Brousseau, RONA by Designs designer
[main image via inspirationforhome.blogspot.com]
Colour 101 by RONAMAG on Monday, April 1, 2013
Decor column by RONAMAG on Sunday, March 31, 2013
Decor column by RONAMAG on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
