When it comes to office interior design, furniture configuration and space-planning are paramount elements of creating a workspace that will inspire, motivate and provide for staff. Pattern, texture and colour are where you can afford to have a bit more fun and put your brand’s personality stamp on the space. Here are the colours which experts in the industry are predicting will take the forefront for the rest of the year…
Going green for biophilia
As we mentioned in our Clerkenwell Design Week trend report, biophilic design is showing no signs of shifting. Bringing elements of the great outdoors in has been a recurring theme in commercial design for a while now but as people come to terms with the multitude of benefits natural features have on health and wellbeing, it’s popularity only grows stronger.
We will see a slight evolution though, in that biophilic interior design is becoming a lot less literal. Office plants and living walls are still going to be appearing but biomimicry will branch out into more understated avenues such as texture and colour. With this in mind, expect to see green as a prominent hue with accents of brown, grey, blue and other earthy neutrals.
Pantone Colour of the Year: Ultra Violet
We can’t write a commercial colour trend report without mentioning Pantone’s Colour of the Year so let’s hear it for Ultra Violet. According to the experts, it’s: “a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade [which] communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future”. Pantone have been dubbed the ‘global authority on colour’ so it’s safe to assume we’re going to be seeing more and more of Ultra Violet throughout the rest of the year.
Getting playful with clashing colours
Pantone – among other experts in the industry – are also predicting that clashing colours are going to be a hot topic over the coming months. It’s all about being playful and not shying away from creating bespoke patterns with colour, whether it’s lilac and vermillion or mustard and royal blue. So, if you’re in the market to mix things up a bit with your colour palettes, now seems to be the perfect time. Earlier this year, we helped Pure Business Group introduce a pop of colour into their inspiring new workspace.
Pink and green will be seen
Legend has it that pink and green should never be seen but as we continue on through 2018, it is becoming more and more apparent that commercial designers are prepared to rebel against the rules. Dulux’s Colour of the Year is ‘Heart Wood’ which is a muted purple-pink with mushroom undertones and we’re expecting to see this alongside rich emerald and deep, earthy greens. It won’t be a colour combo for everybody but it’s certainly going to be popular.
In the red with Eastern influence
As the year develops, companies are going to be in the red for all the right reasons as rouge takes the limelight. But, its not just limited to a simple red, all associated tones at the warmer end of the spectrum including oranges, yellows and terracottas will become popular as commercial interior design takes inspiration from Eastern influences and patterns.
Even the cool end of the spectrum will be warmed up to meet demands for more rich, toasty tones. Expect see to teals, turquoises, muted mints, tans and pink-greys coming into focus. These cosy hues will bring a warm, positive ambiance into the workplace so you could consider incorporating them into your welcome area or social spaces.
Incorporating colour into your office design
If you’re tempted by any of the office colour trends above but aren’t ready to give your workspace a full makeover yet, start by adding some subtle accents like cushions or rugs and working your way up. If you’re feeling confident and want to incorporate any of the colour scheme trends into your workspace on a more long-term basis, you can do so by updating the more prominent features of your office design. Dare to be different with a multi-tonal flooring installation, some colourful modern office furniture or even a statement feature wall.
Just make sure that when you’re customising your workspace design in accordance with ever-evolving trends, your branding identity stays intact. You still need to be recognisable even when you’re playing with colour and aesthetics to keep communication with your customers consistent.