From Milan Design Week to Collect, London’s international art fair for contemporary craft and design, accent colour emerged unapologetically bold: vivid, high-voltage, and impossible to ignore.
In the case of Lebanese-born, Paris-based architect Lina Ghotmeh’s installation — Metamorphosis in Motion — it was hot, electric, and entirely thought-provoking. Her pink labyrinth (above) filled the courtyard of Milan’s Palazzo Litta with curved geometries and rising volumes, their bold tones framing the historic architecture. The colour, she says, was chosen for its association with the concept of ‘care’.
“In the very specific times we are living today, I wanted a colour that brings a certain softness, gentleness, and warmth. Pink hues are often associated with care, empathy, tenderness, all while signalling contemporary boldness,” Lina explains.
A similarly charged palette appears in the new work of South Korean ceramic artist Jihyun Kim, whose latest collection — recently exhibited at Collect — sees shades of magenta, pink, and red recur with intensity. Her forms, part vessel, part apparition, draw on her cultural heritage and the mythical aspects of nature. Her exploration of organic forms, especially fungi, infuses her pieces with magical, otherworldly narratives. Pictured below is Salty Fairy Danji 1.
Colour is shifting decisively away from restraint and into something more emotive — a language of rich romance and warm luxury that feels evocative and indulgent. Across Milan, palettes were anchored in romantic burgundies, oxblood reds, and wine-dark tones, balanced by earthen hues, deep neutrals, and cognac shades that introduced warmth and depth.
Rather than accents, these colours were used to create enveloping fields — wrapping walls, furniture and objects in a continuous, almost cinematic wash of tone. The effect was one of intimacy: spaces that felt grounded, cocooning, and emotionally resonant.
Nowhere was this more apparent than at L’Appartamento (left), where richly saturated rooms leaned into a domestic sense of indulgence — layered textiles, lacquered finishes, and tonal colour palettes creating a sense of lived-in luxury.
Similarly, Nilufar’s Grand Hotel (above) embraced a more theatrical expression, pairing deep, moody colour with high-gloss surfaces and sculptural forms to create interiors that felt both opulent and slightly surreal. What emerged was a more emotive approach to domestic luxury. Not polished or pristine, but layered, immersive, and unafraid.
Explore these colours and more at resene.co.nz
