The Return of Colour by Dmitri Ruwan

One would have to be living in a bunker several thousand meters underground to be unaware of the shifting tide. In the coming months all industries as we know will be forever changed, businesses both big and small will fumble, rise and fall as entrepreneurs and everyday people alike will try to regain a sense of normalcy. But, rest assured humanity will overcome this, as it has overcome so many devastations of the past and in doing so we will rise not just stronger but humbled, appreciative and better for it.

Filipa de Abreu home as covered in Elledecor.com

Colour in homes by Dmitri Ruwan

For several years now we’ve witnessed an evolution in Minimalism as a design movement though some may argue that the theory of minimalism itself that values experiences over material things has also faced a great change. In design, however, minimalism has spanned a plethora of industries from tech giants like Apple to more contemporary fashion brands like Yeezy or The Row and most noticeable across homeware and interiors, of which there are too many brands to count. We’ve even seen a rise of this in modern literature from authors like Marie Kondo and her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying that influenced the masses to rid their homes and lives of unessential’s, and whether it is uncertain that this also referred to ex beaus and unfulfilling life choices it is implied that simplicity is better for the soul. As an enthusiast of minimalism and simplicity (yes, guilty as charged) clutter is the bane of my existence unless it is organized clutter, in which instance there is a sliver of hope. But, for years now my Homeware Pinterest Board has been neatly compiled of living rooms and interiors in sparkling white. White, as far as the eye can see, white flowers, white walls, tables, linens, mirrors and floors. In fact, I firmly believe that it is my peoples love of colour combined with the western world’s clichéd opinions of our garish design sensibilities that further propelled my aversion to it, at least subconsciously. However, the tides are shifting not only in my personal approach to colour but globally, in the times ahead, minimalism as we know it will definitely see a noticeable decline and here’s why.

Image credits: Holly Holden Interiors | Wendy Morisson Design | Murals Wall Papers.com | CreativeBoom.com | ApartmentTherapy.com | Philip Gorrivan NYC apartment on Quintessence.

Whatever allure minimalism possessed as a design principle now instantly evokes thoughts of colourless walls, healthcare workers and sanitary stations. Given the current pandemic, it is my steadfast belief that people will not want to be readily reminded of a clinic for the foreseeable future. In fact, the home is the last place one would want to be reminded of the current suffering in the world. And thus, we will welcome back the return of colour, sapphire, canary-yellow, ottoman-red and emerald green. Colours that evoke the limitless possibilities of the human mind and reinforce the strength of the human spirit, colours and design that speak to our loves, our heartbreaks, our ancestry, ourselves and our beliefs.

Before the end of the year, we will start to notice these changes across homes, across clothing, even across tech. We’re saying goodbye to veneered façades and embracing ourselves as we are, facing the world with renewed vigour, flaws and all.