rascunho do livro colour futures 2012

1. COLOUR
12
FUTURES
INTERNATIONAL
COLOUR TRENDS 2012

3. Looking at the world
from
different perspectives
opens up
WORLD OF
POSSIBILITIES

4. WELCOME
AKZONOBEL IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST
PAINT AND COATINGS MANUFACTURER.
OUR MISSION IS TO ‘ DD COLOUR TO
A
PEOPLE’S LIVES’
.
We understand the power of colour and the positive effect
it has on our mood. Colour is all around us and influences
all aspects of our lives. Uplifting, soothing, inspiring, chall-
enging or intriguing, colour can change the way we view our
surroundings. Being the largest colour manufacturer world-
wide, it is AkzoNobel’s responsibility to know all there is to
know about how colour works.
We pride ourselves on our knowledge of colour formulas and
design principles. Knowledge collected, researched and
interpreted on an ongoing basis by AkzoNobel’s Aesthetic
Center enables ColourFutures to showcase colour forecasts
, TM
and collections that inspire our customers.
02

6. TRENDS TEAM
ONCE A YEAR, THE GLOBAL AESTHETIC CENTER INVITES
AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF CREATIVE EXPERTS FROM
THE FIELDS OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE AND FASHION TO
DETERMINE THE KEY COLOUR TRENDS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
OUR EXPERTS COME FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
WORLD AND DRAW ON A VARIETY OF CULTURAL SOURCES
AND INFLUENCES, FROM FINE ART TO TECHNOLOGY AND
FROM NATURE TO POP CULTURE. THEIR VIEWS, INSIGHTS
AND FINDINGS ON TRENDS ARE TRANSLATED INTO COLOUR
PALETTES AND IMAGES, AND CAPTURED IN THIS ANNUAL
EDITION OF COLOURFUTURES. CONSIDER IT YOUR INSTANT
TM
UPDATE TO ALL THINGS INSPIRATIONAL.
04

9. POSSIBILITIES
EVERY YEAR, COLOURFUTURES PRESENTS ONE DOMI-
TM
NANT TREND, ONE ESSENTIAL VALUE. FIVE RELATED
TRENDS STEM FROM THAT DOMINANT IDEA, WHICH
ARE ALL TRANSLATED INTO COLOUR PALETTES. FROM
THESE, A SINGLE ‘COLOUR OF THE YEAR’ IS SELECTED,
THE COLOUR THAT BEST SUMS UP THE PREVAILING MOOD.
This year’ driving influence logically follows from those that
s
set the mood in the last few years. 2010 was about ‘Reclaiming’
what we knew to be true and solid, about relying on our indiv-
idual strength and our capability to regroup, in the hope of
moving forward.
2011 had ‘Appreciation’ as the common denominator hinting
,
at our new-found appreciation for simplicity and purity, find-
ing joy in everyday things we had been taking for granted for
so long, and treasuring them.
The concept of ‘Possibilities’ builds on this. It offers the exhila-
rating and inspiritional idea that new options are waiting to be
uncovered inside all those things we have recently reclaimed
and have come to appreciate for what they are.
Because although appreciation is wonderful and much-
needed, it holds an element of acceptance, which is by nature
complacent. That is why the concept of ‘Possibilities’ is one
step up: it moves towards the pro-active. It spurs us on to
mine our newly-appreciated familiar world for hidden raw
materials. Stuff to combine in new, unsuspected and very
satisfying ways. Imagine us awakening to the fact that the
world – both the physical one outside and the imaginary
world inside us – still has so much to offer so much that only
,
needs to be found.
07

10. 08

14. 12

15. 14-31 Delicate Mix
32-4 9 ONE SMALL SEED
50-67 living scrapbook
68-85 Different Worlds
86 -103 REDISCOVERED HEROES
104-111 Colour of the year
112-128 Colour transitions

16. CREATING BALANCE IN DESIGN
14

17. Delicate
Mix

18. IN TIMES OF TURBULENCE, WE ARE ATTRACTED TO
DESIGN THAT OFFERS SILENCE AND VISUAL STILL-
NESS. THIS ETHOS ENGAGES THE MIND WHILE SOOTH-
ING THE SOUL. IT IS DELIVERED WITH A LIGHTNESS OF
TOUCH AND GIVES A LEVEL OF REFINEMENT THAT WE
EXPERIENCE AS LUXURY.
Consumers now understand and appreciate design, a subject once the
domain of artists and architects. They grasp the idea behind highly
conceptualized, magnificently executed objects, appreciating the thought
and attention that went into their creation.
Visitors of the yearly Salone del Mobile increasingly flock to the exhibi-
tions by Dutch designers like Studio Job, Droog Design and students of
the Design Academy Eindhoven. It’s because they know what to expect: a
unique level of refinement and insightfulness, expressed in beautiful
objects.
Design is a process of refinement. Whether a designer makes jewellery,
furniture, clothing or industrial objects, the objective to get it even better
next time is always there. Designing objects as we know it now, is the
outcome of a slow but steady development. It started in the late 19th
century, when artisans and cabinet makers felt the need to step away
from traditionalism and create new shapes. The turn of the century saw
the rise of a new creative class that embraced the notion of novelty, and
started highly influential movements like Arts and Crafts, Wiener
Werkstätte and Bauhaus. Design theory entered a new stage. Thinking
about the shape of furniture, buildings, fashion and decoration went
beyond a mere need for beauty and incorporated philosophy and
even politics.
16

23. A century ago, it was quite common to be a multidisciplinarian in the
creative field of your choice. René Lalique, these days mostly known for
his priceless lead crystal statuettes, started out as a jewellery designer
and also created beautiful windows and church interiors. De Stijl’s top
furniture designer and architect, Gerrit Rietveld, was widely admired for
the book covers he made as a graphic designer. Due to their forays into
various fields, many artists and designers of the day knew each other .
They discussed the relevance of their work extensively and examined it
bravely. The socialist movement inspired many to theorize on the need
for democratic design – low-cost furniture available to every household
to ‘elevate the minds and spirits of the workforce’ Rietveld in particular
.
tried to design furniture that was easy to mass-produce and assemble, at
a minimal investment.
His efforts did pay off – but only to a certain extent. Anyone who owns a
Rietveld chair or has ever been in one of his buildings, will have discovered
that his designs leave a lot to be desired in terms of comfort and main-
tenance. The valuable lesson here was that purity of form may seem like
the ultimate goal, but it is only the first step.
Mid-Century modern designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Arne
Jacobsen, George Nelson and Isamo Noguchi made a conscious effort to
combine beauty, style and comfort. Modern manufacturing and new
materials turned out to be key in this process. Inspired by Rietveld’ Zigzag
s
chair Danish designer Verner Panton dreamed up his famous Panton
,
Chair as early as 1957. But it took almost 10 years of experimenting before
Vitra finally found a way to mass-produce a model that did not buckle
under its own weight or disintegrate in sunlight.
All of this led up to the more recent focus on the cultural value of shapes
and materials, and how these speak to us. Playing with our sensibilities
and challenging traditional concepts, designers have developed new,
subtle ways to communicate with us.
The colours that go with this theme are largely based on an subtle
approach of luxury. Here, luxury means harmony, modesty and refine-
ment. It whispers of elegance and intellect, and is all about the juxta-
position of materials and meaningful shapes, about artistic composition.
Fully appreciating the beauty of an unobtrusive object requires some
understanding of the design process, of manufacturing. KNOWING
THAT AN OBJECT WAS A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING AND THAT A LOT
OF FINE-TUNING AND RESEARCH WENT INTO IT, EVEN BEFORE IT
EVER REACHED THE DRAWING TABLE STAGE, WILL MAKE YOU
APPRECIATE A PORCELAIN LAMPSHADE WITH THE SENSIBILITY OF
AN EGGSHELL– OR AN IMPECCABLY WOVEN CASHMERE THROW – AS
MUCH AS AN ANTIQUES AFICIONADO WOULD ADMIRE A GILDED
MIRROR. It’s about a new type of luxury that doesn’t aspire to express
wealth. Instead, it expresses cognition and a discerning taste.
21

25. A new type of
LUXURY
that aspires to express vision
and elegance

26. Delicate Mix Colours
This colour theme revolves around subtlety. Here, simplicity is a deliberate choice
in the search for perfect balance, the result of careful reduction and attention to
detail, and smoothness is a key element. The materials contemporary designers
prefer – concrete, metal, wood, stoneware, wool, new plastics – may be pure, but
they are never raw. Surfaces are honed carefully and professionally, making good
use of industrial processes, to reveal the intrinsic beauty of the material. Which is
quite the opposite of leaving them unpolished, the way a craftsman would.
All of this is reflected in the palette: cool, elegant neutrals, luxurious warm camels,
blushy coral and nude pinks, paired with nuances of forged iron, steel, polished
concrete and anodised aluminium, wood, copper and oiled leathers.
CON T EMP OR A RY
POE TIC
24

27. LUXURIOUS
SMOOT H
SUBT LE
U N DERS TAT ED
ELEG A N T

30. 28

32. 30

34. ONE SMALL
SEED

35. Personalised N A t u R e

36. ONE LESSON LEARNED: WE CAN’T SAVE THE WORLD ON
OUR OWN. BUT WE CAN CREATE SMALL WONDERS ON
OUR OWN, LIKE SOWING A SEED IN A POT AND WATERING
IT EVERY DAY TO CREATE NEW LIFE. RIGHT THERE, IN OUR
OWN LIVING ROOM.
The focus of this theme is our personal bond with nature and how that
bond relates to our general view on nature. It’s about the seemingly
mundane, but on second inspection delightful fact that a whole plant can
grow from a single seed.
John Fu, associate professor of industrial design at Shanghai’s School
for Media & Design, recently noticed many of his students had taken up
growing plants from scratch, either in a small jar or pot on their desks
or in front of a well-lit window. ‘The process of sowing a seed, watering
it, watching it germinate into a tiny green sprout and making sure it
gets all the nutrients necessary to turn it into an actual plant completely
fascinates them,’ he reports. ‘It’s as if they see life happening for the
first time.’
At the same time in India, Ayurvedic practitioners prescribe plants with
medicinal properties instead of industrial medicines for patients. The
point is to take the plant home, take care of it and make it thrive. By doing
so, you grow your own medicine – healing the body while nourishing the
soul. It allows patients to be actively in control of the healing process,
as opposed to simply being on the receiving end of what the doctor
prescribes. Having something pretty to look at is an added bonus.
34

41. Taking matters into our own hands plays an important part in the new way
people surround themselves with plants. Larger-scale events threatening
our well-being make us rethink the extent to which we are in control of
our own health, and how our interaction with nature relates to that. What
logically follows is the need for better personal understanding of nature,
,
and manageable, low-tech proportions to interact with it.
The concept of self-sufficiency and the notion that nature help us if we
help it, is fundamental to many of these initiatives. More and more people
are drawn to the idea of creating clean water by filtering used water
from their own households through an ingenious natural system that
uses plants and a series of rock pools, positioned on a slope to create a
cascading stream. It works like a charm as long as you have the garden
space, and offers visually interesting landscaping at the same time.
In a similar vein, growing your own vegetables has become popular with
a whole new crowd since the seventies, and not just with owners of hip,
organic restaurants. In Detroit, neighborhood groups have taken it upon
themselves to clean empty factory lots and turn them into collective
gardens where organic produce is grown. Most of the work is done by
volunteers. The fruits of their labour are sold for cost-covering prices that
every low-income household can afford, allowing families with small
children to eat healthy amounts of fruit and vegetables. As a side effect,
the dreariest parts of town have become much better looking, creating a
better living environment for all. A win-win-win situation for everyone
involved, and living proof that from small acorns mighty oaks do actually
grow, as our grandmothers used to say.
The idea of one small seed represents so much that is valuable to humans.
Inviting nature into your home on a small scale and surrounding yourself
with its offerings allows you to enjoy the beauty of tender leaves, the
pattern of twigs and stems, the surprise of a sudden bloom and the scent
of fresh earth,even if larger-scale nature is out of reach. A major departure
from the days when plants were simply decorative. It is an ode to the
power that one small seed holds.
39

42. The world needs
DREAMERS AND DO’ERS
but most of all, dreamers who do

43. 41

44. ONE SMALL SEED COLOURS
The basic principle of photosynthesis is the inspiration for this colour theme, and
the need to acknowledge and protect our interconnection with nature. Water sun,
,
earth and clay are all featured, with an emphasis on a feeling of early morning,
or early spring, and the tenderness of saplings and sprouts. Watery greens, rain
clouds and pale, fresh pastels and neutrals set the mood, with dark soil and
bright blossom colours as counterweights. T ogether they form an indoor garden
of delight.
SM A LL SC A LE
TENDER
PRECIOUS
42

45. HE ALTHY
LOC A L
HOPEFUL
DELIC AT E

46. 44

48. 46

50. 48

52. living
scrapbook

53. Sharing
my story

54. MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF
FACEBOOK, MYSPACE AND BLOGS LIKE TUMBLR ON
WHAT PRIVACY MEANS TO US. LESS HAS BEEN SAID
ABOUT HOW THESE ALSO CREATE A GIANT WAVE OF
CREATIVITY AND FRESH THOUGHT YET THAT IS WHAT
.
MATTERS MOST RIGHT NOW.
LATELY, DOCUMENTING THE SELF HAS BECOME A
MULTIPURPOSED, MULTIFACETED THING OF BEAUTY.
NOT SO LONG AGO, WE HAD ONLY A FEW OPTIONS...
If we wanted to record our thoughts and experiences for our
own benefit, we kept a diary.
If we wanted to share them, we wrote memoirs.
If we wanted to create an image of ourselves as seen through
our own eyes and minds, we made a selfportrait.
Anything that didn’t fit a known art category, was a‘hobby’
.
Collections were about amassing stuff.
Everything was clear and in all its clarity, limited. Diaries were
,
not only personal, but meant to be kept private. Documen-
taries and selfportraits, on the other hand, were intended to
be seen. You started a collection to complete, then sell it.
52

57. 55

59. These days, documenting the self is about diary-keeping and self-
expression and documentation and collecting and inviting people into
your personal experience, but its implications go much further Facebook,
.
myspace and a myriad of blogs allow people to create a personal envir-
onment or a personal impression of themselves,then show it to the world.
Sometimes as a means of communication, but definitely not always.
The same goes for the new type of collecting that has become the staple
of many stylists’ and designers’ lives. A collection of things that have no
specific value, to please and inspire you and only you is a new thing.
Maybe it’s just for fun. Maybe it’s a conscious exercise in deliberate
randomness. Maybe it’s creating a scrapbook that looks like a tag cloud
of things that mean something to you. But whatever it is, it’s highly
personal. At the same time, we are fully aware of the fact that no one
may care. And that’s fine, too. The practice of broadcasting yourself with-
out the specific intention to be found, circumnavigates the ego and by
doing so, creates this incredible freedom to play.
And so, the internet has become a living, breathing scrapbook filled with
millions of notions and creations, views, interpretations and reactions.
Singer/songwriters, stop-motion filmmakers, backyard wildlife photogra-
phers, cupcake-baking geniuses, inspired young writers and designers
specializing in socks for dogs all revel in the wide array of possibilities
they now have. What’s more, the ability to share and modify everything
through state-of-the-art applications has inspired new art forms, aesthe-
tics, opinions and means of self-expression and creativity. Not only can we
create whatever we like, however eclectic and idiosyncratic it may be, we
can also do with it as we please. We have become our own authors.
In the wake of all these possibilities, we find ourselves free to enjoy other
peoples’ creations too, whatever they may be. The worlds of high and low
culture have been blending together for some time now, creating a
platform for work that didn’t fit anywhere before. Criticism is no longer the
domain of the expert, just as finding like-minded people is no longer a
matter of geography. People like Scott Schuman, a fashion photographer
who runs a blog with nothing but pictures of people he considers well-
dressed, can attest to that. His blog, thesartorialist.com, is immensely
popular among fashion lovers and fashion professionals alike, and the
great thing is that Scott and nobody but Scott gets to decide what’s on it.
As a side-effect, The Sartorialist has altered many peoples’ perceptions of
what personal style is supposed to be. It’s not about head-to-toe designer ,
it’s about wearing what you fancy. Reason enough to take another look at
the contents of our own wardrobes, and maybe even develop some new
fashion aesthetics of our own.
Being fully in charge of our self-created environment kick-starts our
creativity. If you want to showcase your collection of pastel Dinky Toys
from the sixties and give in to the need to build miniature garages for
them, without a doubt, someone will love you for being your unstoppable,
inimitable self. Or not, in which case you can still have fun on your own.
57

60. CREATING FOR ITS OWN SAKE a new way to express the self

61. 59

62. living scrapbook COLOURS
The colour palette reflects the aesthetics of blogs and social media, and the
quirkiness that is the product of highly personal tastes and predilections. It’s also
a ‘perfect’palette, balanced, warm and charming, but not particularly nostalgic.
There are hints of craftpaper and cardboard and a lot of happy, yet mature pastels.
The colours beloved by Ray and Charles Eames: modern, but ever so slightly
degraded and non-mainstream.
AUTHENTIC
60

63. MICRO CH AOS
JOYOUS
THE STORY OF ME
R A N DOM PL AY
J US T F OR FU N
CRE ATIVE

66. 64

70. Exploring
fantasy
and
reality
68

71. Different
Worlds

72. STATE-OF-THE-ART TECH ALLOWS US TO ‘BE’ IN DIFF-
ERENT WORLDS OR REALITIES AT THE SAME TIME, WITH
VERY LITTLE EFFORT. ONE MINUTE WE ARE SKYPING
WITH AN AUNT IN BRAZIL OR JAPAN, THE NEXT WE ARE
PLAYING WORLD OF WARCRAFT WITH FRIENDS FROM
FINLAND AND AT NIGHT WE PUT ON OUR 3D-SHADES
TO MEET UP WITH ALICE.
Could it be that our modern-day concept of virtual reality
came about when Alice first dropped down a rabbit hole. In
Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ we’re presented with
a different world that is at once remarkably familiar and
somewhat strange. Ruled by dream logic, this world offers
as many adorable characters as it does dangerous ones. But
while Alice – based on Carroll’s real-life ten-year old family
friend Alice Liddell – forges ahead undaunted, like the intrepid
girl scientist that Carroll sees in her the reader really wants
,
her to find a way back home, back into reality as we know it.
Which in the end she does, thankfully.
70

77. Book genres like science fiction and fantasy have been exploring the
concept of reality perception for years, as have artists. Not only surrealists
like René Magritte, in whose famous paintings visual illusion and the
meaning of words find themselves at a crossroads, but also modern
sculptors like Anish Kapoor and James Turrell. Both create spatial insta-
llations that make you wonder what you are looking at and whether your
mind is fooling you.
Humans seem to have an inner need to stimulate the mind with illusionary
images. Luckily, we live in an age where the level of technical refinement
meets that need, providing us with everything from computer games to
animated movies.
A good example is Monsters Inc. In the story, we meet scary monsters
going about their daily lives and doing their job – scaring children. The
film presents us with a delightful, brightly coloured depiction of how to
move between worlds. To get from monster reality to human reality,
the monsters step through a door that is not attached to a wall, but hangs
on a rail. You can walk around it and nothing happens, but once you step
through it, the door opens and you find yourself a child’s room. Seen from
that room, it is simply the door to a dark cupboard.
Of course, the idea behind it isn’t new. It is, in fact, very familiar to British
culture, where generations of children have been brought up with Dr Who, .
who travels through time in a telephone box and ends up somewhere else
everytime he opens the door Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka in his amazingly
,
mobile glass elevator and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books. In the first Narnia
story, a little girl playing hide-and-seek hides in a big old wardrobe in the
attic. As she moves through a jungle of coats to reach the back wall in
an attempt to remain uncaught, the coats turn into trees and the wood
underfoot into snow. Suddenly, she notices a lamp post in the distance
and she steps out into the twinkling icy magic of Narnia.
The virtual and the surreal have become an intregral part of our lives,
and living in an age with more reality than we bargained for, we aspire
to have more control over both. Recent films reflect that. In Inception,
Leonardo DiCaprio leads a group of trained dream specialists through
layers of other people’s dreams, navigating through amazing cityscapes
and architectural environments where the rules of physics don’t apply.
In the 3D animation miracle Avatar scientists immerse themselves in a
,
magical, jaw-drop-beautiful world of blue people, light-emitting trees
and floating islands. Recent Hollywood history even saw the 3D-return
of our beloved Alice, a little more mature but no less brave or intrepid,
who finds herself invited to Wonderland once more – just a less Victorian,
brighter, even more surreal version of it.
75

78. Humans seem to have WITH ILLUSIONARY IMAGES.
an inner need to stimulate the mind
76

79. Luckily, we live in an age
where the level of technical refinement meets that need

80. Different Worlds COLOURS
From a visual and graphical point of view, some ingredients turn up time and
again. Trompe l’oeil, an age-old technique to fool the eye, is something that
never fails to delight. The concept of layered worlds or parallel universes is by
now generally understood. The colour palette chosen for this theme reflects
the extremes: it swings from the dreamy and surreal to the solid and super real.
Lush, velvety bright blues, greens and reds are played off against ethereal and
translucent pastels.
A LT ERED PERCEP TIONS
POE TRY
78

81. SURRE AL
W HIMSY
ESCAPE
ILLUSION
MIN D S T RE TCH

82. 80

86. 84

88. TH E G EN I US OF EVERYDAY TH I NGS
86

89. REDISCOVERED
HEROES

90. COMING TO AN ECONOMIC STANDSTILL HAS ITS
ADVANTAGES: IT ALLOWS US TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND
AT WHAT IS ALREADY THERE AND DISCOVER NEW
POSSIBILITIES IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES – LIKE
ABANDONED OLD BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOT EVEN
PICTURESQUE.
We are surrounded by things we never notice. Things so
ordinary, we become oblivious to their existence. As a rule,
things like these serve very simple and unromantic purposes.
And yet, on closer inspection, they reveal their own beauty
and value.
Take a look around in a hardware store, a garage, an office or
a factory. Spaces filled with useful, reliable materials, tools
and equipment, stacked in the most logical way. Buckets,
paintbrushes, wood, plaster Paper paperclips, pencils
. ,
and folders. But also tiny objects like nails and screws in all
shapes and sizes, gleaming at us from behind convenient
little windows that allow us to pick the exact right type for
what we set out to do. Most of those spaces are literally built
from ordinary things as well, with concrete, glass, metal
beams, wood and nails all doing their unassuming, trusted
jobs. And yet the Vitra Design Museum in Germany devoted a
whole exhition to them in 2010. A sign of our times.
88

95. If there is any colour to be found at all, it’s usually there for a reason. Paint
is applied to protect materials that are at risk from corrosion, like metal
equipment or machine parts. Materials less at risk, such as concret walls,
tend to be left the way they are. If it’s something a factory worker stares at
all day long, like a sewing machine or a drill, it usually is neutral in colour
– grey, tan or a muted green. On the other hand, if an object or piece of
equipment needs to stand out, a bright colour is administered. When it
comes to utility, form follows function even extends to colour choices.
That is how we regard the fabric that holds our physical world together ,
the material reality that makes it possible for us to get on with our lives.
The problem with simple, useful objects and even buildings is that they
are easily discarded once their use runs out. All cities around the world
have areas with old factories, offices and other edifices that once provided
workplaces for thousands of breadwinners. These days, many stand
abandoned, our appreciation for them evaporated since the day the
company relocated and the janitor switched the light off for the very last
time.
But our appreciation for buildings like these has grown over the years.
Perhaps it always takes a while before we understand the true cultural
meaning and value of anything we create. Increasingly, people recognize
that abandoned industrial buildings, although not built for beauty, are part
of our architectural heritage and deserve a place in our lives.
In New York, people started repurposing former factory lofts during the
years after the Second World War simply leaving the brick walls and
,
steel pillars as they were to create living and working spaces for artists,
who didn’t need much except low rent, big windows, running tap water
and a roof over their heads. During the eighties, the London Docklands
famously followed suit, when rows upon rows of old warehouses on the
south bank of the Thames River were renovated to become apartments,
businesses and smart restaurants. Shanghai in its turn decided not to
tear down the old empty villas along the Bund, but to turn them into clubs,
hotels and restaurants.
The general idea is that a lack of space on the one hand, and an abundance
of delapidated old buildings on the other equals a brilliant opportunity,
with the added benefit of preserving cultural history. And in turn they
inspire us to rediscover the functional simplicity that was there all along.
It doesn’t take a repurposed factory to grasp the idea: even the common
garden shed offers its own brand of humble genius to contemplate.
93

96. Once we acknowledge the functional value
of even the simplest items
LIKE NAILS AND PAPERCLIPS,
we start seeing them as the forgotten treasures that they are

97. 95

98. REDISCOVERED HEROES COLOURS
Once we acknowledge the history of specific structures, or even the simplest
of office supplies, we start seeing them as the forgotten treasures that they are,
which changes the context of what they represent.
In other words, by acknowledging their function, we automatically re-evaluate and
revalue their form. This colour theme is inspired by the down-to-earth qualities of
our industrial heritage, and the masculine aesthetics that have always accom-
panied them – denim blue, industrial neutrals, rusty metal tones, sewing machine
green, the signal-bright hues of wire, metal doors and pipework and last but not
not least, engine and concrete greys.
RE VITALISE
96

99. HUMBLE
CULT UR A L LEG ACY
HONEST
STURDY
P US HPIN LO GIC
INDUSTRIAL

102. 100

104. 102

108. COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2012
The colour of the year is a blushy, lively, juicy red. Unusual,
but also a solid statement. The reason why it encompasses
all 2012 trends is because it spans a whole new spectrum of
possibilities. It is at once whimsical and serious, perfect
for a tiny accent or for a feature wall. A colour that reminds
us not to look for simple solutions, but to put our minds out
there, to venture into the unknown where new ideas are
waiting to be discovered.
Red is a powerful mood-modifier It’s held in high regard
.
around the world for its many symbolic purposes. In China,
red is associated with good fortune; in India it signals marital
bliss and insightfulness. In many western societies it is the
colour of passion, power and festivity. Children prefer it to
other colours, grown-ups feel attracted to those who dare to
wear red in public. Red is the perfect tool to convey value and
meaning. And since we cannot ignore it, it’s also used to alert
us to danger.
In a colour palette, a hue like this offers many possibilities;
offsetting one colour bringing out a certain depth or cool quality
,
in the next, allowing a third to recede. Like the jester in a deck
of cards, it can change the game in an instant, brightening
your outlook in unpredictable ways.
106

110. KEY ELEMENT
glowing

111. daring
tropical
new horizon
STATEMENT

112. COLOUR TRANSITION FOR 2012
2011 was clean, fresh, joyful and charming, with playful, zingy
pastels riding the crest of the wave.
2012 is full of take-charge optimism. As you will discover this
,
translates into full-bodied hues with lots of character and
meaning, but also into tender hushed pastels, chic neutrals
,
and edgy brights, complementing each other in stimulating
new ways. The complete palette for 2012 can be found on the
next few pages. It visually represents the world’s new
understanding of our need for diversity – of concepts, of
viewpoints, of approaches.
2011 WA S CLE A N , FRESH, J OY FUL A N D CH A RMIN G

113. 2012 IS FULL OF TAKE- CHARGE OP TIMISM
111

114. RED’S TRANSITION
The intense fiery quality of 2011’s red is toned down by a misty,
dusky veil, making this new red slightly more enigmatic and
versatile.
112

115. 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

116. ORANGE’S TRANSITION
Orange has steadily been cooling off over the years. Moving
away from the ochre-based, reassuring pumpkin tones via
citrus and coral, it now matures into an rustier hue.
114

117. 2007
2008
2009
2010
2012 2011

118. YELLOW’S TRANSITION
Stepping away from its traditional task to represent easy
simplicity, yellow moves out from the sunny, buttery and
lemonade-like center and nudges towards green, but also
towards tans and warm neutrals.
116

119. 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

120. GREEN’S TRANSITION
Green had a very influencial ‘army’moment a few years ago,
which paled, then suddenly transitioned into an bright absinthe
green tinged with blue. This year natural is the buzzword.
,
118

121. 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

122. BLUE’S TRANSITION
Apart from a temporary venture into airy pale, blue on
the whole is on a prolongued greenish streak. Last year’s
brighter teal dives down into a even more mysterious
underwater depth.
120

123. 2007
2008
2009
2010
2012
2011

124. VIOLET’S TRANSITION
Violet is growing darker and bluer by the year and has not
been in burgundy territory for a while.This year’ deep, austere
s
violet is very much like last year’s, with a hint of slate.
122

125. 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

126. WARM NEUTRAL’S TRANSITION
Key warm neutrals tend to darken and lighten along with
the mood of the moment. Last year’ oyster shell taupe now
s
settles into a lighter warmer hue.
,
124

127. 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

128. COOL NEUTRAL’S TRANSITION
Last year’s modern, industrial grey had a lilac tinge. This hue
looks almost green in comparison, and downy soft, like the
undercoat of a rabbit.
128

129. 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007

130. Concept
AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Center
WITH THANKS TO...
Colour experts
Cho-yun Chen
Krim Danzinger
John Fu
Catherine Filoche
Heleen van Gent
Esther van Houdt
Willeke Jongejan
Latika Koshla
Jenni Little
Christiane Muller
Per Nimer
Louise Smith
Paola Vieira
Ute Wegener
Stephanie Zhu
Graphic & design support
Marieke van der Bruggen
Marieke Wielinga
Styling
Kamer 465 www.kamer465.nl pages 14,17 32, 36, 37 38, 46, 56, 58, 72, 82, 84,108
, ,
Hannah Simmons hannahsimmons.com pages 18, 20, 30, 35, 36, 44, 48, 50, 54, 55, 64, 80, 90, 92,100,1 1
1
Model concept
Maaike Koorman pages Cover 6, 8, 9 36, 72,107 Back cover
, ,18, ,
Artists
Architecture www.rocha.tombal.nl page 22
Building www.oth.nl page 98
Ceramics www.sarahderuijter.nl page 17
Cushions www.brunklaus.nl page 72
Foodconcepts www.proefamsterdam.nl pages 36, 94
Illustration www.ons-adres.nl page 55
Interior Jaime Hayon for info center Groninger Museum www.jaimehayon.com page 76
Objects www.grondvormen.nl page 38
Tiles www.pommevanhoof.nl page 14
Photography
Proef Amsterdam www.proefamsterdam.nl pages 36, 90, 94
Roel Backaert www.roelbackaert.com page 22
Arjan Benning www.arjanbenning.com pages 6, 8, 14, 17, 18, 19 26, 32, 36, 37 38, 46, 53, 54, 56, 58, 62, 71, 72, 82, 84, 89 90, 98, 102,108
, , ,
James Gardiner www.jamesgardiner.co.uk pages 48, 50, 64, 90, 92
Heleen van Gent pages 36, 40
Mark Melling www.stillandmovingpictures.co.uk pages IFC, 3,18, 28, 35, 36,44, 50, 54, 55, 80, 86, 90,100,1 IBC 11,
Peter Tahl www.tahl.nl page 76
Anya van de Wetering, Kamer 465 www.kamer465.nl page 68
Locations
B&B Lieve Nachten page 53
NDSM-werf Amsterdam pages 89 91, 98
,
Ijburg District Amsterdam pages 19 53, 54, 71
,
Info Center Groninger Museum www.groningermuseum.nl page 76
www.lloydhotel.com pages 32, 36, 58, 62, 84
Loods 6, Amsterdam pages 26,102
Proef Amsterdam www.proefamsterdam.nl page 90
Text
Christine van der Hoff
Graphic Design
www.freewayagency.com
Printed
www.taylorbloxham.co.uk