On The Trail Of Color DNA

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

Belgium loves mud - at least as a color, it is extremely popular on the facades of the country. The Caparol Color Design Studio is exploring what is currently popular in Europe. And discover surprises. Armin Scharf There have been many approaches to exploring the color climate in the individual regions of Europe. But because the continent, despite efforts to harmonize and globalization phenomena, still offers a pleasantly differentiated color culture, which is fed by regional traditions, geological conditions or climatic peculiarities, extensive studies can only be carried out with great effort. And so it usually only remains with the big plan. Nevertheless, the Caparol-FarbDesignStudio is in the middle of such a search-find-document-interpret-project,that has snapshots of the European color world in view. “Color Research” is the name of this project, which leads the color experts from Ober-Ramstadt to the neighboring countries. France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden were already on the visit list, with others to follow successively. The procedure is always the same: First of all, the colleagues from the individual national companies use their experience to research what they consider to be typical color. The experts at the Caparol Color Design Studio then go on to look for the appropriate colors in their luggage. The focus is primarily on the facades, of course, but the view of the color combinations of interiors is also on the list. Color impulses This research can of course only be carried out on a random basis and cannot zoom into the finest ramifications of the color cultures - nevertheless there are exciting insights with which the countries can be delimited. "You develop a feel for typical objects and colors very quickly," explains Daniela Volk about her experiences while working. So it is not just about the exact sampling of individual color nuances - just as relevant are findings about the handling of surfaces and accents, with contrasts, color intensities and color combinations. And they sometimes differ considerably from country to country - and color cultures that cross national borders can be seen again and again. Of course, research also includes visiting furniture stores and their decorating departments,the color department of DIY stores and specialist stores as well as a look at the geology and flora of the landscapes. Conversations with residents and users of the objects under review round off the research. The goal of the country studies? Of course, it's about seeing how our neighbors live the color. But much more is to sharpen the eye for new color impulses, for trends and needs and enrich the daily consulting work of the color studio. The country studies with their application and market orientation are ideally suited for this. Belgium is veiled On the one hand, the Belgian colors characterize very much veiled, grayed nuances - often with a subtle colored component from the red, blue or green spectrum. In the foreground, however, are warm shades of gray or greyish brown,which are used much darker in the interior than would be usual here on land. Color tones with medium to low brightness are often used as accents, but there are also rooms that are kept entirely in dark tones. Overall, Belgian designers do without more pronounced contrast ranges, brightness and saturation are always very close together. The facades, in turn, show two interesting features: brick facades dominate, but at the entrance areas they are very often combined with plastered surfaces, which are covered in light gray or beige tones, including the front door. And there was another significant peculiarity to be discovered: the complete coloring of the facade in a single color, including all associated elements such as doors, window frames or downpipes. For this, people like to use nuances with a muddy appearance, probably inspired by the loamy soils of the marshland there that are often found. Retired and translated into the 3-D system by Caparol, this corresponds to the color families "Palazzo", "Curcuma", "Ginster", "Tundra" and "Mai". Incidentally, these tones are now appearing more and more in Germany, especially in new buildings, which proves that design boundaries hardly coincide with national borders. However, the type of "all-over-paint" is still a long way off. Incidentally, these tones are now appearing more and more in Germany, especially in new buildings, which proves that design boundaries hardly coincide with national borders. However, the type of "all-over-paint" is still a long way off. Incidentally, these tones are now appearing more and more in Germany, especially in new buildings, which proves that design boundaries hardly coincide with national borders. However, the type of "all-over-paint" is still a long way off.

practice plus

Color Research Around three years ago, the Caparol color studio started this project, which is intended to explore the current color cultures in European countries. The color experts from Ober-Ramstadt make surprising discoveries, such as the Belgian love for muddy shades or the white interior in Scandinavia. The study trips will continue - we report on the highlights here.