AkzoNobel, a leading paints and coatings company, has introduced “Sweet Embrace” (Executive 70RR 64/034) as the Colour of the Year 2024. This pastel pink shade, drawing inspiration from soft feathers and evening clouds, is poised to create calm and welcoming spaces aligning with the global social, design, and consumer trends identified for the year.
In a world marked by uncertainty, the colour reflects a societal quest for belonging, calmness, and moments of joy in everyday experiences. The choice of “Sweet Embrace” stems from extensive research conducted by AkzoNobel’s in-house colour experts and international design professionals.
Creative Director of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center, Heleen van Gent, said “With society in a state of flux, we’re reassessing how we cope with the world. Starting at home, we’re looking to create our own ‘special somewhere’ that grounds us in our individual memories and relationships. Our Colour of the Year, Sweet Embrace, and its three complementary colour palettes can help us achieve that. They enable us to personalize our environments to fit the times we live in, as well as bringing a sense of stability and moments of joy to our spaces.”
The three decorative paint colour stories designed around Sweet Embrace offer consumers on-trend and harmonious wall colours reflecting diverse personalities. The warm colour story exudes comfort, combining shades of stone, soil, and clay. The calm colour story evokes nature, incorporating soft greens and blues reminiscent of the woods and sea. The uplifting colour palette introduces dreamy lilacs and modern yellows to bring a smile.
AkzoNobel’s ColourFutures™ colour trend report features these colour stories, showcasing on-trend colours, textures, and special effects for various markets, including aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, metal furniture, lighting, cabinetry, flooring, building products, architecture, and decorative paints.
Commercial Director for Malaysia and Thailand at AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, Wasantha Heenatigala, emphasised the long-term design partnerships sparked by the Colour of the Year. “We combine consumer trend insights with in-depth colour and materials research and market analysis in our ColourFutures trend collection to bring market-specific solutions to our customers and work together with them on the perfect finish for their projects.”
