AW 2020/21 colour trends: The bolder, the better?

Pantone predictions

As the evenings turn darker, there’s some solace to be taken in the colour trends that Pantone has tipped to be hot for the start of 2021. ‘Hot’ being the operative word, here...

Orange is still very much on the agenda, alongside reinventions of some classic shades that have continued to prove popular over the summer. This includes a new, more mature take on ‘Millennial Pink’, and an exploration into nature’s deeper tones.

Millennial 2.0

A quick Instagram search of ‘#millennialpink’ presents over 75k results. Quite astonishing considering that it didn’t exist pre 2016 (the colour itself did, of course, just not with that specifically coined name). But after four strong years, it seems the original fans of the candy tint have moved on with their lives, craving something slightly less sugary sweet as they approach their mid-twenties.

In response, Pantone has suggested a more sophisticated shade, Rose Tan, which also capitalises on the rose gold trend. To complement, Peach Nougat sits somewhere between orange and coral – confident but not overpowering.

Au natural

It’s been impossible to visit a design show over the past five years and not encounter some ‘nature-inspired’ colour palettes. Whether land, sea or sky, woodland or wetland, it feels as though no stone has been left unturned in the search for a new spin on earthy shades. That is, until now.

Pantone has taken inspiration from some of the less trodden ground in the form of Military Olive and Ultramarine Green. Both feel fresh, and while having an obvious connection to our surroundings, present very contemporary and commercial colour options – perfect for upholstered furniture.

Shades of opulence

The very mention of jewelled tones will have minimalists sprinting in the opposite direction. But, although the palette does take root in the luxuriously decadent end of the spectrum, its use doesn’t necessarily have to symbolise utter overwhelm.

Blue Depths is a few shades away from Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Classic Blue – sitting somewhere between that and navy. It’s moody, but not standoffish. Perfect for hospitality environments. Fired Brick and Magenta Purple step things up a notch, but still air on the right side of dramatic.

No holds barred

If we almost lost you at jewelled tones, then fasten your seatbelts and put on your sunglasses. In addition to its, shall we say, more mature colour selections, Pantone has also presented some rather dazzling hues.

Amberglow and Samba Red capture the orange and rouge categories that, alongside blue, have dominated 2020’s schemes. With colours that pop, Roger Lewis developed bespoke two and three seater sofas for Conran Contracts for the prestigious No 26 Croydon scheme earlier this year.

While Green Sheen is the kind of wildcard shade that only 1% of projects allow. More residential than hospitality or workplace, if nothing else, it is guaranteed to brighten up a space. 

Interested in using some of these colour trends for your next piece of Roger Lewis furniture? Get in touch for our fabric recommendations.

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