Colour Connections or Outdoor Escapism for therapeutic interiors experiences?
When you design and make interiors products and indeed when you run any business, the constantly changing trends and ‘must haves’ are part of everyday thoughts and the market intelligence that you receive.
Then there are the discussions and decisions about whether you try to create your own versions, decide to design and make something new ( imitation versus innovation) and then if you listen to business guru’s, calculate at what point you can ‘catch and ride the wave’ ?!”
The current trends it seems are that in addition to ‘sustainability’, interior designers and hospitality professionals are actively seeking more ways of including soft furnishings and ‘finishing touches’ into hotels, restaurants and corporate leisure areas and it is completely understandable why.
Having been somewhat deprived due to the ‘C’ word of some of our natural social behaviour, yet with higher levels of anxiety, we now seem to want to enjoy people and surroundings more.
As textile and soft furnishings designers and makers based in the UK, we conducted some experiments that we wanted to share.
Whether colours provide comfort and therapy, or whether simply changing colours and patterns truly are the answer to helping our minds and bodies relax?
There is ample evidence to suggest that they do but….. do we really appreciate the benefits or even notice them?
Clearly we are slightly biased, but given a choice ( in our unscientific experiment) of coloured cushions and throws, or those with unique animals, sea and countryside themes that they had never seen before, more people chose the latter.
More people claimed that it made them think of escaping away from work and other tensions, so they relaxed faster and for longer. The animals and themes stimulated more memories and stories and conversations.
Now we of course cannot claim that peoples drink and food tasted better, or that they suddenly became more productive when they restarted work or their daily life, but we are pretty sure the experience they enjoyed was better.
So if you are an interior designer or want the best solutions for your home, restaurant, hotel or any hospitality, let’s start a conversation, as we are sure we can help. We can even create furnishings and textiles that started in our mutual imaginations. Hang on, will that make us trend setters?!
