Calm
Warm neutrals, muted pastels, soft veins and subtle metallic accents wash together in a natural palette with universal appeal.
Calm brings a sense of serenity. It’s a place to pause, take a breath and let the pace of modern life slow to the rhythm of the natural world. Its colours have a faded quality to them, with grey undertones providing a muting influence. Gentle shifts in tone evoke the transient blues, greens and pinks we see in the sea and on the horizon. They’re anchored by soft mid-greys, with low-sheen metallics creating subtle points of light, like sunlight momentarily reflected from wavelets.
The Palette
Laminex
Avenza Bianco
Amongst these ethereal shades, creamy neutrals bring warmth but also provide opportunities for contrast. Calm challenges traditional pairings, combining warm neutrals with cooler tones, mixing them with muted pastels, to create a palette of warm and cool expressions. Like sand and sea, they evoke the feeling of humanity at peace with the ocean environment.
Amongst these ethereal shades, creamy neutrals bring warmth but also provide opportunities for contrast. Calm challenges traditional pairings, combining warm neutrals with cooler tones, mixing them with muted pastels, to create a palette of warm and cool expressions. Like sand and sea, they evoke the feeling of humanity at peace with the ocean environment.
Calm 1
Laminex
Avenza Bianco
A feeling of calm can come from colours that bring freshness and this palette’s tonal combination of greys and soft veins is gentle and welcoming. Laminex Avenza Bianco’s* (coming soon*) subtle veining makes for a benchtop that’s neither dramatic nor overwhelming, and mauve-based Silver Grey beautifully supports the introduction of warm pastel Just Rose. With cabinetry in Silver Grey, or the stronger mid-grey Pewter, internal drawers in Just Rose would create an appealing surprise. The muted clay hue of Dulux Gold Pheasant could add depth on a painted glass splashback and introducing walnut-tone furniture would shift the contemporary-style palette to a mid-century feel.
Calm 2
Laminex Peruvian Clay, Alpine Mist and Pearl Grey will all provide a calming base tone if used singularly, but the movement from light neutrals to warmer tones here shows how well they will complement each other in a tone-on-tone palette. Peruvian Clay is particularly versatile, with its pink undertone making it a beautiful partner to both soft neutrals and richer colourways like Dulux Fantan. And the soft golden hue of Brushed Titanium is the perfect accent, on a feature panel or rangehood box, or simply as a kicker. Chalky accents and soft-textured fabrics would also elevate this warm contemporary palette.
Calm 3
Laminex
Avenza Bianco
Richer tones and stronger contrasts can be visually striking but also soothing. Laminex Weathered Ash is a simple but elegant woodgrain decor, its grey undertone creating a seamless connection to grey-based Steel Blue and grey-based green Spinifex. With cabinetry in Weathered Ash and Spinifex, internal carcasses in Steel Blue and rich blue-based grey Terril will add layers of depth. Dulux Hint of Lavender is the ideal tone for walls leading into this space, with soft concretes, speckled finishes and faded chalk tones also great additions. This palette would bring a slightly retro, calming feel to small commercial spaces like cafes and boutique hotels.
Palette Highlights
Beneath The Surface Forecast 2020
As the pace of modern life increases, our yearning to connect with nature grows. We look for colours, textures and shapes that celebrate the energising spirit of the natural world. Beneath The Surface finds them in our planet’s vast oceans, and the places where land meets sea.
