Brand message
Personal colour preference is one thing but, said Kramer, colour for brands can be a really tricky area: 'Companies have become quite "physical" about pushing the brand recognition in their spaces. They can sometimes try to do this in too literal a way, where what we try to do is get to understand the meaning behind the brand and convey that "tone of voice". Some brands are adamant that their corporate colours have to be everywhere, and that can create a danger of turning it into a pastiche of the brand.'

David Kramer, director, Squaredot

When it comes to commercial interiors, there is also the issue of building in longevity to what can often represent a huge investment, especially in the case of a retail business with multiple units. Littlefair added: 'It is important to think about longevity as everything has got to last. What you specify has to be durable and the colours you choose need to be timeless, or at least it has to be possible to know it has some long-term appeal. Who knows where we'll be in 10 years' time in terms of colour preferences.'

Understanding the broader picture when it comes to colour trends is an even bigger challenge when working across borders. The panel discussed how colour tastes vary from country to country - a colourful cultural difference that makes it important for manufacturers and designers alike to really know the countries they are working in.