Celebrating the ‘New’ in New Year

 Many of us have faced difficult challenges amid the Movement Control Order, and this is what makes us look forward and appreciate the new year even more. This year’s celebration looked different as we traded a night out to paint the town red, for a quiet night in the comfort and safety of our homes during this pandemic. And although the holiday hype has just passed, it doesn’t mean you can’t make the rest of the year as festive and meaningful. 

For many, the ‘new’ in new year signifies hope for a better future and after months of adjusting to the new normal, now is a great time to prepare for the year of new beginnings. There are several things that we can do to change our moods and mindsets going into the new year and with help from AkzoNobel, the leading global paints and coatings company and maker of Dulux, here are some colour inspirations that you might like to get the new year going.

Decorate for 2021

There are many ways to spice up your living space and create a good ambience – and a fresh coat of paint is timeless and always seems to do the trick. Don’t be afraid to try new things this year; small changes can make a big difference in your mood and mindset. And after a year full of unexpected events, we all know how important it is to stay grounded and brave in the face of uncertainty. Take this opportunity to prepare your home with brave and courageous colours to bolster your confidence for yet another uncertain year.

As we welcome in the new year, let us draw inspiration from the Earth colours palette from AkzoNobel’s ColourFutures 2021 colour trend-forecast. The Earth palette consists of complementary blue, green and brown shades that echo the sea, sky and soil of the natural world – inspiring us with courage to adapt as the Earth does.

Let’s start in the room you rest and recharge in – the bedroom. The place where you rest should embody peace and calmness. As we recharge for the year ahead, make changes to your bedroom now so that you can continue resting in the most comforting environment throughout the busy year. For example, this two-tone bedroom room imagery using Midnight Garden (50GG 23/085) and Neptunes Depths (27BB 10/138) – it goes to show that pairing rich complementary shades of blue and green can take mantras of calmness and serenity from word into embodiment. 

It is important to create and maintain a soothing and productive environment in the room where you spend the most energy and time in. For many, this would be the study or home office. Take inspiration from the three complementary colours being used in this example of a child’s study. The light green and gentle blue exude life giving freshness while being balanced by the neutral brown.

For smaller rooms, we suggest using lighter shades of Earth colours to accentuate sunlight and to create the illusion of a larger space. If you would like to replicate this room-set, the colours used are; Brave Ground (also known as Wright Stone 10YY 30/106); Grey Jeans (45GY 55/502) and Blueberry Mash (14BB 55/113).

The living room is often the first room to be entered by guests and homeowners, acting as a core to a home and connection to different living spaces. This makes the living room a great place to utilise Brave Ground. While reflecting on the year that will be historically infamous, what we needed the most was to feel the ground beneath our feet. That feeling of firm foundation gives us the courage to embrace change. The essence of this warm and grounding feeling is captured in AkzoNobel’s Colour of the Year 2021, Brave Ground (also known as Wright Stone 10YY 30/106). This is the perfect shade to boost the feeling of calmness in the room and perfectly embodies the spirit of endurance we all need for the coming year.

This is us at AkzoNobel wishing you a Happy New Year and reminding you that we are in this together. For more decoration inspirations and information on Colour of the Year 2021, visit us at https://www.dulux.com.my/en and https://www.akzonobel.com/en/generic-content/color-year-2021.