Latest in Industry
Habitare 2011 Finland radiant with colours, shapes and materials
Autumn’s most interesting furniture, design and interior decoration event is being held on 14–18 September at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre.
| The fair showcases new trends in a range of
colours, shapes and materials. Choice of surface treatment plays a major role
in achieving high durability and a beautiful appearance on wooden surfaces and
other materials. A wide range of solutions for enlivening wood surfaces are
being presented at the fair, from translucent to opaque (link to translucent
colour chart). These colours reflect understated elegance and vibrant
combinations, as well as various effects and structures. Year after year, Habitare provides many of our corporate clients with the opportunity to launch new products in an effective and visible way. Although Tikkurila is not an exhibitor at the fair this year, we have been assisting our clients in colour planning, as well as developing new surface treatment solutions for them. As in previous years, many stands at this year’s fair will allow people to admire fixtures, doors and other wooden materials treated by using Tikkurila’s surface treatment products. | Click photos for bigger versions    |
Trends from around the world
Tikkurila’s Design Manager
Marika Raike has the job of following such trends. She describes various
interesting details regarding future colour trends, and other influences
sourced from around the world, as follows:
Today’s clear megatrends are recycling
and environmental awareness. Recycled materials are being redeveloped into
completely new materials and new uses are being invented for old items. In
addition, it is important to minimise waste production. With respect to paints,
trends have a certain natural aspect and translate into subtle finishes.
Tikkurila’s response to this is the new Zen product series based on natural
oils, which is suitable for both consumers and industrial use.
With a certain wear and tear effect being desired, the traces of life are
allowed to show. Wooden surfaces are permitted to look old and shabby. For
example, rusty-looking garden furniture is a new trend. People are seeking a
decadent romantic look, a fitting mix of worn surfaces and a rough, slightly
raw effect. Another novelty is using full matt finishes in kitchen and other
fixtures.
Interior and exterior paint trends
Influences from the 1970s colour palette can be seen in aspects such as
furniture. People are currently combining colours such as moss green and ochre
(yellow) in an open-minded manner. Other, popular colours are different shades
of gray, mud and latte, although gray seems to be slowly replacing the various
shades of clay and mud. Use of an all-white colour scheme continues,
emphasising structural variations as well as combinations of matt and gloss.
Green is expected to find its way into interior paints: natural yellowy greens
remain popular, but we are perhaps moving towards blue-green cold hues. In
metallic paints, copper is popular.
A new exterior paint trend is black. This is used in small details, but even whole houses have been painted black, for example in Denmark and Sweden, where plenty of modern black wood houses can be found.
More sustainable construction of wood houses
New trends in wood house construction include eco-friendly and cost-effective surface treatment solutions for wooden exterior surfaces. The ProHouse surface treatment concept (link to ProHouse webpages) promotes the use of wood in construction, as well as sustainable development. Choosing the ProHouse surface treatment method helps to achieve a successful end result that prolongs the maintenance interval for painted surfaces. It also has a positive impact on the building’s resale value.
