Forecasting trends in 2022 | Part 2

‘Protopia’ is a term coined by American Thinker, Kevin Kelly. Replacing utopia as an opposite to dystopia, a protopia is the “idea that we’re just trying to progress, to move forward in incremental, tiny improvements. And that minor improvement every year, when it’s compounded over decades or centuries, becomes civilizations.”

Throughout history, times of hardship and global unrest have commonly been followed by a great desire to embrace life, to live in colour and celebrate when the clouds finally clear. After the Great Depression we saw the Roaring ‘20s; after the Vietnam War came the free-loving ‘60s and ‘70s; and now in our pre-post-pandemic world, we are nostalgic for the spirit and hope of these eras. The iconic glamour, colour, patterns, and metallics are resurfacing in interior design and adding interest and dimension to our lives and the spaces we inhabit.

Our showrooms are noticing an increase in requests for strong emeralds and palm leaf greens as well as bright peaches and vivid blues, shades from Yves Klein to nostalgic teal are starting to surface in the designer market.  

Considered contrasts of brights are layered together in bold colour combinations, as opposed to one ‘pop’ shade, evoking candied fruits with calmer mid-tones in mood-boosting combinations. Using saturation to balance hues creates a feeling of newness which layered with geometric or abstract patterns creates a collage in the home. Pink on pink on pink, or pink on green on gold; strong colours in opposition for energy or in layers anchor schemes and provide impact.

Infusing interiors with versatile sunshine yellows can lift the mood of a space, trans-seasonally and across both hemispheres. Combined with textured natural items, such as stained woods, coloured stones, or ceramics, shades of yellow can harmonise with autumnal tones, warm up winter shades, and enhance the high-summer.

Read article: Forecasting trends in 2022 | Part 1

Read article: Forecasting trends in 2022 | Part 3