Every single year, The Colour Of The Year announcement has architects, interior designers and homeowners fluttering with anticipation. This month, Dulux announced that their candidate for 2021 was Brave Ground – a warm, earthy brown said to ‘create a feeling of stability, growth and potential’ It seems that, in our current climate, the colour powerhouse has identified a need for the world to draw on the positives and thread this through their interior design.
So, what does this mean for you? Well, short of decorating your entire home in this bolstering shade, we’re here to show you how hues like warm browns and other earthy tones can be easily incorporated into your home. And what better way than through your window blinds.
How is The Colour of The Year chosen?
Firstly, for those of you who are curious, let’s look at how Brave Ground was chosen. Every single year, the paint specialists at Dulux discuss the way in which global trends are likely to impact the everyday person. They look at specific milestones and events that are happening, how these will impact us emotionally and the things we’re looking for in a new year. From here, they are able to drill down a specific shade or tone, using years of experience and release this at The Colour of the Year. 2020 was Tranquil Dawn for the new decade and 2021 has moved into a warmer and more comforting tone.
Bringing Brave Ground into your home with window blinds
When it comes to colour trends, we recommend truly considering their longevity before making any drastic home decor adjustments. You might love the colour today but how will it fair in a few years time? And, by then, will you have the funds or desire to entirely re-paint a room or purchase brand new furniture.
In our opinion, the best way to play with colour trends is through soft furnishings – such as your window blinds. These cost-effective home accessories can be swapped in and out, providing a host of benefits to the entire family while keeping your home contemporary at all times. With such a versatile, warm tone, Brave Ground gives you the perfect scope to introduce different hues into your home. It promises to pair well with your existing decor – regardless of whether you’re a monochrome minimalist or someone who enjoys pops of colours throughout.
Suitable Brave Ground roller blinds
Choosing a classic shape for your window blinds is a practical option if you’re someone who favours more detailed accessories. It gives you a clean platform for building a bespoke and utterly unique space that speaks to your personality. Options such as the Banlight Duo FR Henna Roller Blinds have a similar tone to the popular colour of 2021.
For something slightly warmer, choose the Banlight Duo FR Sand or the Chenille Mink textured design. There are even options if you’re looking for something sheer to allow muted light in, such as the Linenweave Havana or Palette Brown Sugar Roller Blinds. To make it work in your space, look at the furniture you already have and plan to keep. Opt for darker window blinds when working with white furniture for a strong contrast. Or try to match the tone as closely as possible, if you’ve got something warmer such as pine or oak.
Suitable Brave Ground wooden blinds
Another way to play with Brave Ground-esque tones within your space is to opt for wooden blinds. With an undeniable warmth and elegance, wood blinds have a traditional elegance to them and elevate the look of a room in an instant. They also come in a variety of brown, white, black and coloured tones to suit your space.
Mid-range browns such as those in our Tawny and Warm Oak Real Wood Blinds are most akin to this particular colour trend. They are entirely made-to-measure and operate much like venetian blinds – with a twist mechanism to rotate the slats in unison. For moisture-rich environments such as kitchens, the Medium Oak Woodgrain 100% Waterproof Wood Blinds offer a durable solution that can be wiped clean without the risk of mould build-up.
Additional home accessories
Once you’ve chosen the perfect window blinds for your space, it’s time to look at the other colours you can use to create a seamless palette. Dulux themselves have suggested an array of hues to choose from which we’ll take a look at below.
Soft naturals
Brave Ground is the perfect mid-brown, earthy tone. Therefore, it will sit well within other soft naturals. Think creams, soft pinks and other variations of brown for a unified space. This pallet works particularly well in bedrooms where the focus is on calm and relaxation.
Two-tone
For something more striking, choose an opposing colour to truly make the most out of your new favourite neutral. We love the idea of using a burnt orange or terracotta to bring an added warmth into your space.
Golds
Brown and gold is an opulent match made in heaven and gives you great scope for accessories – especially in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. Choose brushed gold handles and light fittings for a touch of luxury.
Brave Ground is a soft and versatile hue that is sure to compliment houses of all shapes and sizes. And we believe that having the right window blind is the first step you need to kick off a new home in 2021.