2016 Update: IKEA Launches new watercolour cabinetry. Click here for more.
I love when the new year kicks off and the interior trends land. I think it’s also really interesting to see how the market (that’s us) interprets the trends, makes them their own, and ultimately decides if the trend has longevity. The longer a trend stays around, the more probability it has of becoming a lasting style, so it’s a pretty large amount of power we have as consumers as to whether a trend will fly or fail.
In the past week, I’ve touched on two other trends that have landed for 2015 (Botanics and Baroque Reloaded), and today’s trend is an altogether different style that is definitely the lightest and cleanest of the three. I call it Watercolour, it’s my favourite of the bunch and here is the lowdown on it!
The Watercolour Interiors Trend
The Watercolour trend can definitely be considered a replacement for the Scandi style that’s been so prevalent in interiors locally for almost 10 years. There are some similarities here, the biggest of which is the clean, crisp and white backdrop evident in both looks. Where the Scandi style explores the full spectrum of colour from black to white – playing with 50 shades of grey in between – the Watercolour trend steers clear of black and introduces colour in very subtle ways.
As the name suggests, the hues in this trend are watercolours; abundant shades of soft greens and blues, the occasional pop of a more daring hue (but always with restraint), and a good dose of soft grey to break up the starkness of the white foundation.
Paint Place touched on this palette in their forecast trend, Shibori, while Haymes did the same in theirs, named New Skin. Even Dulux gave a nod to this colour story in their trend, Wildland, albeit with an inspiration drawn more from stone, timber and leather. So by all accounts locally, this is a palette that looks to be gaining popularity.
Influenced my Minimalism
Trend forecaster Victoria Redshaw pointed toward minimalism as a trend in her 2015 forecast, suggesting that cool, minty greens were going to make themselves known, while blue-green glass that’s tinted with colour will also feature. I would expect homewares in this colour story to pop up in stores in the later half of the year, giving a nod to a more relaxed coastal decor vibe.
Through the colder months the whites and greys will play with metallics like rustic copper and ceramics featuring blues and greens in darker shades.
Because the colour is fairly restrained in the Watercolour trend, the visual interest will have to come through shape and texture. Nowhere near as much texture as the Scandinavian aesthetic celebrates (no animal furs in sight), but in more controlled ways like through thick cable knits and frayed tassels on throws and blankets. In terms of homewares, think vases, bowls and vessels in varying shapes with textured finishes and raised embellishments.
What do you think of the Watercolour trend? Would you like to see it stick around? I’d love to get your take on it in the comments below.
All images in this post come from the Broste Copenhagen website.
I am about to move into my new home and I have chosen all the colours of the sea and beach sand. Hessian mats and knitted blankets. My bench tops in the kitchen and bathroom have bits of glitter so a few metallic pieces around is a must and white everywhere. Love the watercolour look for cushions and art. I can’t wait to move into my house and decorate
Oh gosh Willie – your place sounds divine. Can I move in? That is my kinda aesthetic! I wanna see some photo of your new pad once you move in 🙂
Hi Chris — Thanks for sharing this trend! How can I get it?
I like the wall paint as it certainly has the WOW factor as well as eliminating the need for art. But personally I feel its a little restrictive especially if you wanted to change it a around.