A vibrant palette for 2018

Parul Mittal

If 2017 was all about vitality, relaxation, and great outdoors, 2018 will signify felicity, mystique and charisma. This tenderness will naturally be manifested in home décor and interiors with the use of muted greys through hues like Nile green as a grey and pistachio-green blend making it one soothing pastel shade. But the year is not all about the muted colours as the undercurrents of vibrancy will be clearly evident. Bright colour pops like pink-lavender, which is like the fanciest bubble-gum lemonade mocktail, meadowlark — a blissful fusion of honey — and marigold are all colours to look forward to in the new year. 

Just so, if you adore articulation furniture, famous masterpieces, or even lovely artistry wall paintings, then this colour awakening trend is great in your result. 

A sequel of this rage is the rising pursuit of laminates, since they can inconspicuously raise the magnificence of the walls in the form of facades or clads, tabletops, closets and other surfaces. 

Also to bring in, the year 2018 is supposed to be the year of the 'Brown Dog' in the Chinese calendar, which is the sign of male earth dog, and is evinced in mountainy colours such as greens, browns, and pastels. Enliven this spell of prestige and manoeuvre with a mischievously curated pantone palette, being one with an allegory of luck, romance, and personality.

Spice up your life

Interestingly, yellow and red are next-door neighbours on the colour wheel that essentially say the same thing — they draw attention in. They’re more than warm, they’re hot. Many designers today, are experimenting with the orange undertone of cherry tomato which adds fierceness to any space with its natural aura. 

Place an underlying statement bed in teak, and contrasting complementing cushions or table pieces in cherry tomato and  blend it with complementing coloured laminates with a matte or glossy finish as per liking and utility. Complete the look with some fresh flowers, book shelves to satiate the reader in you, a patterned rug embracing the beauty of real wood flooring, and indulge in the differentiated experience. Indulge in these colours this season, and celebrate a new life with luck, romance and personality hitting the top ranks on your fellow-list.

— The writer is director, Greenlam Industries Ltd.

Bring home some luck!

For those who love playing with colours, Ash Rose (auburn greyish red), a muted pink pastel with a grounded hue or a basic white when combined with a secondary complementing colour Lime Punch (bright green chilli pickle giving a green bamboo feel), results in a by-product which is highly versatile. Just throw in some furniture in ash grey nuovo smoked-wood and a blonde wooden floor, or maybe a super-glossy or a pearlescent finish table-tops for a classy yet uber-chic look. To play around with a vintage look, think teak cabinets, airy windows with sheer curtains, wood pattern laminate furniture and a royal chandelier, bringing opulence and radiance to your dwelling. 

Flaunt your personality

A little change goes a long way and a little colour goes even further. From the mainline colours, the other important focal point for the interior world will be the Meadowlark depicting wonderland — the dream escapade. It extends as an anchoring colour which has fantastic meditative abilities. Meadowlark (honey marigold) is adopted from the world of paints and is creating ripples for its ability to reflect ‘light’ in remarkable ways, and is mostly acceptable outdoors. Discover a whole new world of scullery by playing with the meadowlark-white contrasting complement playfully. While hitting this stark contrast, let the yellow stand out in the form of glossy cabinets neutralised by stainless grabbers, stuccoed texturesor panelled walls, embracing the beatify of the kitchen withglass lamp-lights or other wall hangings to strike the perfect blend between art and nature.