AkzoNobel Color of the Year 2016 and 4 Design Trends

AkzoNobel revealed their 2016 Color of the Year with 4 design trends.

Gold and gold tones are being used everywhere in the design world. It is a recurring color and material at trade shows and in graphic design as well as in architecture, fashion, beauty and interior design. For AkzoNobel it was a natural evolution and transition from the coppery orange that was the Color of the Year for 2015 to select Ochre Gold as the color of the Year for 2016.

Color of the Year 2016 | AkzoNobel - KitchAnn Style
Ochre Gold shown next to Copper Orange – Color of the year 2015

The overriding trend for 2016 is ‘Looking Both Ways’  which celebrates the beauty in contrast – whether that’s the difference between pale and dark, or organization and chaos.

AkzoNobel Color of the Year 2016 | - KitchAnn Style

According to Heleen van Gent head of AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Center, we are at a unique crossroads in time, where we can see the advantage both of tradition and also of modern innovation; where the importance of weighing up opposite opinions and views has never been stronger.

Ochre Gold combines well with other colors, creating very different effects and fitting into different interior decor styles. Interestingly, it is a color we know and appreciate and it is exciting and new at the very same time.

AkzoNobel Color of the Year 2016 | - KitchAnn Style

Still bright enough to attract attention while also subtly referring to the past and the color of the earth, it also combines well with other tones.

AkzoNobel Color of the Year 2016 | - KitchAnn Style

Gold and wood tones will be the preferred neutrals for 2016. They are the new luxury when paired with a muted palette.

Lifestyle Trends

The four major lifestyle trends for 2016 focus on contrasts and juxtapositions between styling– Heritage & Future, Words & Pictures, Dark & ​​Light and The Grid & Letting Go.

Vintage and antique references may contrast with or support the modern-day; and there is a sense that by appreciating one’s history we build value into design. The Heritage and Future trend is supported by reds that reflect our rich heritage, but also have a bright contemporary feel that points to the future.

Heritage and Future Trend | KitchAnn StyleIn this age of over stimulation and image saturation there is a growing desire from our 140 character posts to be as precise and exact in our word usage as possible – especially considering most images we see these days have been manipulated in some way or another. The Words and Pictures  trend has a color palette with ink blues and graphite greys used in contrast to tones associated with photograph editing filters.

Words and Pictures Trend | KitchAnn Style

We have long been obsessed with light, but now we realize we also need the dark for a healthy, well rested life. The palette for the Light and Dark trend is influenced by the Dutch masters of the 17th century – they understood the best way to capture the luster and the play of light was contrast to it with dark hues.

Light and Dark Trend | KitchAnn Style

Most of us are wired (or wireless) for better or worse. We’ve become better at recognizing that our digital habits, not our digital devices, are actually the problem.  The current solutions tend towards not abandoning technology altogether but seeking freedom within a framework or controlled chaos where instead of reacting to stimuli we are allowing our imagination to lead us in new directions. The colors of the Grid and Letting Go palette are vivid and playful, yet still held back by the black and white of the grid.

The Grid and Letting Go Trend | KitchAnn Style

https://www.pinterest.com/kitchann/color-trends

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