This time each year the paint company Pantone sets the home decor world a-buzz by announcing their colour for the upcoming year. The idea is to choose a colour that reflects current trends in interior design. For fine art photographers like me, it’s relevant as these colours form the backdrop for our work.
This year’s colour is “mocha mousse” – a soft beige/brown that reflects the current move towards soothing neutrals in the home decor world. This of course makes me feel right on point as the natural world is full of such tones! From grizzly bears to sea otters to the rich mud of a coastal estuary these soothing browns are everywhere.
As I explain in my article about choosing a colour palette for your home, we can generally choose to have all the colours in our space be similar and harmonize or choose splashes of different colour that complement the overall theme. With the trend toward earthy neutrals, it’s certainly easy to design soft, soothing harmonies but the blues and greens found in nature suggest interesting complements also.
Whether it’s to help mentally escape the stresses of recovering from the COVID pandemic, the existential angst of climate change, or even the current political state of the world, it seems folks currently are opting to surround themselves with warm, earthy browns and calming blues and greens in their homes.
But wait, I love colour!
For those hopelessly optimistic folk who love to be immersed in a world of vibrant colour however, the trendiest designers have not abandoned you! “Colour drenching” is a trend that involves using a single, often rich, bold colour throughout a room for a stylish and cohesive look.
Golden kelp, stormy blue skies and lush forest greens used in a “colour drenching” style.
And don’t forget red…
Finally, as has been the case time immemorial, a splash of red (and to be ultra-trendy in 2025, purple) still goes a long way according to the latest home decor aficionados. Again, turning to nature, our friends the hummingbirds are ever ready to add a dash of excitement to your walls.
Conclusion
This year’s Pantone colour of the year, “mocha mousse” reflects a larger trend toward using warm, earthy neutrals and soothing blues and greens in interior decor. Hanging fine art nature photographic prints will definitely help create serene and welcoming spaces in your home.
