What are the most prominent color and interior trends?

By 4855883040 | July 4, 2022

Sara Garanty on the Colors of Wellbeing

Sara was on the global consultancy team that selected the Colors of Wellbeing for Rockfon. She has a BA in interior design from IED in Barcelona and is a self-described ‘color addict’ who specialises in color theory and psychology to create positive change and wellbeing.

You had to choose 34 colors, where did you start?

It’s been a one-and-a-half year process, starting with some intense work alongside three forecasters to predict future design trends. Following that process we painted 400 potential colors onto A3 sheets and started the challenging process of selecting just 34 colors that would both match emerging trends and create a sense of wellbeing. We’re extremely proud to present the final trend collections, which we named Uncluttered Wabi-Sabi, Calm Enclosure, Biophilic Awareness and Technology.

What is the thinking behind the four trends you identified?

Uncluttered Wabi-Sabi is a prominent trend from Japan. It’s all about taking a step back into simplicity and celebrating imperfection. The colors that encapsulate the beauty of uncertainty are browns, beiges and light greys.

Calm Enclosure reflects a retreat into reassuring and enveloping interiors in the face of global uncertainty. It’s one of my favourite trends because it has the most vibrant Colors, like warm yellows and rich reds. When you want to emphasise or show something off, you can use Calm Enclosure colors in a way that is not overstated. They empower, uplift and energise you without being loud or forceful.

Biophilic Awareness is all about reconnecting to nature. It expresses itself by ‘bringing the outside in’ – incorporating stone, timber, plants, natural light, sometimes even water, into interior design. It uses the colors of nature including blues and greens.

Technology is a trend that’s inspired by the merger of human and artificial intelligence. It’s reflected in subtle futuristic designs, juxtaposing regular and irregular forms, hard and soft materials, glossy and matt surfaces. It’s portrayed through our palette of clean, chromatic blues, darks and silver.

“Color is a dance between your brain and the world. Every color is a universe of its own, it unfolds differently and it evokes different feelings and emotions within us.”

Sara Garanty,
Color Expert and Interior Designer

The ceiling is the ‘fifth’ wall

I recommend that when you’re deciding on ceiling colors you hold them above you to envisage how they will look in place. I also believe that the ceiling should be considered as a ‘fifth wall’ that’s as significant as the walls and flooring – not just a feature that we put color on at the end of the process.

As a rule, color needs to be factored into the design process much earlier and considered to be just as important as the floor or section plan. The mood or feeling you want to create can often be achieved with colors, even at a subconscious level.

Good architecture combined with good color can immediately convey the intention and feel of a room – relaxing, inspiring, comforting and so on.