Passion for colour is a key trend in 2015. This is true in both fashion and interior design. Vibrant pastel colours, soft powdery shades, colour blocks and tone-on-tone combinations for furniture, walls and accessories give us a taste of summer. Ambiente saw an array of manufacturers showing their true colours. One nuance in particular stood out boldly as we looked round: mint. Whether fresh and fruity or sweet and romantic, this colour is compelling in all its many shades.
The shimmering water of the ocean, the deep opaque of turquoise, the shifting transparent blue-green of tourmaline, the brilliant plumage of the kingfisher – nature demonstrates the many facets and fascinating effects of the colour we call mint. This on-trend tone is very varied. Colour theory describes a spectrum that ranges from the green patina on copper and a fresh toothpaste hue to a soft mint turquoise and pastel green. There’s a mint to suit every palate: soft cool mint for purists, deep and meaningful mint for the expressive amongst us, light powder hues for romantics and bright candy colours for playful types. This is a truly unisex colour, both understated and sophisticated.
And just as the shades vary, so do its uses. A couple of cushions or throws can add a breath of sea air to your couch, sofa or bed. With the right shade of mint on one wall, or several shades on different walls, you can create a holiday mood all year round. Pastel mint on a chest of drawers or wardrobe, or added as a detail to individual doors and drawers, will make a favourite piece into a unique retro object.
Mint is especially eyecatching. Its many facets enable it to integrate into traditional earthy interiors with lots of natural wood and subdued tones. It also fits well among modern fixtures and fittings with their white, black and grey – and even ‘cold’ materials such as concrete, steel and metal. The best example of this is the kitchen: a retro fridge or food processor in shiny mint can contrast with your snow-white clean chic fittings. Tins, boxes and all sorts of storage containers in shades from light green to turquoise provide splashes of colour in a rustic country kitchen. Evergreen design classics like the ‘Moka’ Italian stove-top coffee pot, timeless wooden salt and pepper mills or cast-iron pots and casserole dishes – normally in reds and rusts – will wow you in the latest minty colours. Whether in patterns or single-colour designs, our trend colour is also important when it comes to tableware and decorations. Set the tone in a variety of minty shades using cutlery and crockery, cups, flasks and vases, and cute accessories and gifts such as speakers, decorative birdcages, planters or makeup bags.
Why do we love this colour trend? There’s a variety of mint to everyone’s taste, and even a tiny minty detail can’t fail to have a positive, refreshing impact. Mint is reminiscent of 1960s classic cars, of cupcakes, candyfloss, meringues and pastel colonial-era street fronts in the Caribbean. And remember that mint also embodies nature, making us long for our next seaside holiday and daydream under cloudless skies. That’s the magic of mint!
