Crown reveals Chocolate Comtesse® as colour of the decade
Every decade has a colour that defines the era in terms of interior styling and the Noughties were no exception. As the decade comes to a close, Crown has revealed the paint colour that has proved the most popular over the past ten years, is Chocolate Comtesse®*
Crown has been at the forefront of paint production in the UK for decades, and their colour experts have seen many trends come and go. Each decade, the most popular interior colour palettes were clearly influenced by social and economic trends. The Swinging Sixties were all about bold, psychedelic brights; the Seventies saw pastels and chintzy patterns explode in popularity; the power dressing and music video revolutions of the Eighties led to clashing neon shades, primary colours and lashings of monochrome everywhere; whilst the Nineties were characterised by neutrals and Mediterranean inspired tones like terracotta and sea blue due to the booming property market that called for houses that were blank canvases, and the rise in foreign affordable package holidays.
So why Chocolate Comtesse®? For Crown, it has been the most popular choice for weekend DIYers throughout the Noughties. It’s popularity can be attributed to a number of factors: bold feature walls have had a renaissance; consumers have become more willing to introduce strong colour to the home because of an increasing colour confidence; styling trends, such as the emergence of designer furniture and accessories ranges, the rise of the wooden floor and the booming popularity of the brown leather sofa, meant that neutral tones were sought to compliment them; and the recession has encouraged homeowners to utilize strong warm colours to create a cosy haven away from the chaos of the world.
As the decade ends and the nation improves and doesn’t move, our homes are starting to reflect warmth and personality. Homeowners are embracing ways to express their creativity and individuality, and as a result, homes are no longer blank canvases made for the mass market. So what next? For 2010, the Crown Trends Panel have predicted that consumer colour confidence will continue to grow and we will see bolder paint choices in the home. Quirky ways to apply paint to walls, such as painting stripes or colour blocking, are set to take off in 2010 and feature walls are destined to gain in popularity. In terms of colour, a spectrum of strong shades, from synthetic purples, dusky pinks, burnt oranges and deep greys, are all set to have a bumper year!
*Chocolate Comtesse® is part of Crown’s range of Indulgence Luxury Matt Emulsions.