Year after year, India’s leading paint and home décor company, Asian Paints releases ColourNext – the subcontinent’s foremost and one of its kind colour and material intelligence report. The process maps consumer behaviour, consumption patterns, socio-cultural sentiments and lifestyle shifts to develop trend forecasts and a Colour of the Year. These colour and trend selections are presented to help consumers create styles to update and freshen up their spaces in hues that also reflect the spirit of their time. 

For 2024, the Colour of the Year is ‘Terra’, which emerges amidst a growing desire for familiarity, comfort and emotional grounding in today’s ever-changing, largely virtual times. With its rich sun-baked primal tones, ‘Terra’, bears a sense of connection—its nostalgic hues weaving a story of finding solace within chaos. According to Amit Syngle, managing director and CEO of Asian Paints Ltd, “It’s a journey back to our roots, to our essence.”

Paired with this, the Wallpaper of the Year, ‘Samsara’ is a mysterious and intense composure of textural terrain-like layered lines. With pigments obtained from mud, tea leaf and natural dyes, and crushed with gouache wash and metallic gold leaf, it echoes the profound and overflowing beauty of the earth.

Syngle also reveals the four design directions that are a part of the 2024 forecast, “Alongside this, we present four captivating trends — Soil, Into the Deep, Indo-Futurism, and Goblin Mode — each narrating a unique story of rediscovery and originality.” 

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The warmth of a homecoming

In a world that often feels disconnected, ‘Terra’ is the thread that stitches us back to the fabric of our being, a colour that quietly whispers the language of belonging. Echoing the call to a slower way of living, forging deeper connections with ourselves and the world around us, its warm earthy tones ground us in the comfort of familiarity. It echoes the nostalgia of homecoming, where familiarity grounds us in a sanctuary of emotional stability. Resonating within our deepest memories, it takes us on a journey back to the truest versions of ourselves.

The Trends to Look Out For in 2024

Timekeepers of our cultural zeitgeist for over two decades, the research team behind Asian Paints’ ColourNext tracks seismic changes across architecture, media, and FMCG to illuminate consumer behaviour and evolving design paradigms. 

While ‘Terra’, anchors the forecast for 2024 to symbolise a return to authenticity and emotional grounding in an ever-evolving world, it sets the tone for Asian Paints’ four trend forecasts — ‘Soil’, ‘Into the Deep’, ‘Goblin Mode’ and ‘Indofuturism’. Each spells a unique narrative for the year — from the reimagined versatility of the earth beneath us and the introspective tranquillity of marine depths to the liberating embrace of imperfection and the vibrant fusion of heritage with futuristic innovation. 

SOIL

A Pathway to Innovative Design

‘Soil’, unassumingly seen as the earth beneath our feet once upon a time, has evolved into an innovative material, fuelling curiosity and design experimentation. It is a testament to exploring granularity that enables the creation of pioneering forms. Moving beyond its rawness, soil has been transformed through human ingenuity into avant-garde structures with bold contemporary aesthetics. This evolution highlights soil as a versatile material, where it now takes on diverse and dynamic shapes showcasing its adaptability.

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INTO THE DEEP

Embracing the fantastical depths of oceanic marvels

The underwater realm, with its biomorphic forms and contrasting interplay of light, invokes both reflection and awe. Its delicate beauty — fragile and vulnerable to human intrusion — inspires mindful designs to reflect the ocean’s integral role in the planet’s ecosystem. Encouraging a design philosophy that mirrors the ocean’s dynamic yet delicate nature, we’re guided towards creating spaces and objects that resonate with the deep, serene essence of the marine world.

INDOFUTURISM

India’s retro-futuristic cultural tapestry

Weaving a retro-futuristic cultural tapestry of the country, ‘Indofuturism’ is a confluence of India’s rich cultural heritage with the fantastical realm of science fiction. With a vibrant visual language, this retro-futuristic aesthetic is a celebration of our heritage forgoing external interpretations while embracing original pop-cultural contributions; and positioning India firmly on the world stage.

GOBLIN MODE

A joyful surrender to one’s authentic self

In response to an intense productivity culture and the endless chase for perfection, ‘Goblin Mode’ is a conscious step back from the ceaseless drive to project an impeccable image in every aspect of life. Representing liberation from the anxieties fuelled by social media and unrealistic societal standards, this approach inspires spaces that are sanctuaries of calm and authenticity.

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An Exciting New Collection In Synergy with A Renowned Designer

Building on its decade-long association with design genius Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Asian Paints launched its fourth edition in wallcoverings and the second edition in fabrics under the Sabyasachi for Nilaya range. A free-spirited tale of two cities, this Paris-Calcutta is another trailblazing episode in the odyssey of artistic exploration by Asian Paints. Cataloguing over 30 wallpapers and 120 fabric samples, this new collection is a sophisticated blend of Parisian flamboyance cavorting with Calcutta’s timeless maximalism through nuanced motifs that have been hand-painted by the visionary artist Sabyasachi himself. Recontextualising large-scale damasks, kilim rugs, and paisleys among other bespoke weaves, this pioneering collaboration dovetails with Asian Paints’ neo-vintage ethos and undying veneration for homegrown legacy.