Jason Burns of Shurtape looks at how paint can add colour, shape and texture to a space – and how consumer trends can be harnessed by the trade.
Working with professional and amateur decorators, leading paint brands and fellow decorating suppliers, it’s fascinating for us here at Shurtape to see how paint colours and effects develop year on year.
Never just the side story to wallpaper or a simple backdrop, paint actually delivers a range of dynamic and exciting effects. Our own FrogTape is one of UK’s leading painter’s tapes, so we already know a thing or two about paint effects and how the right colours, patterns and textures can add depth and creativity to a room. It’s something we are seeing more and more of: a quick scroll on social media alone shows this. There are almost 13million Instagram posts with the #homedecoration hashtag, as amateurs and professionals alike seek to learn, investigate and inspire, with new tricks and trends coming along almost daily. Here are some of our favourites.
Mindful colours
Research carried out by Swyft Home earlier this year revealed that green, grey and navy are currently the most popular colours in the home. While versatile grey has been popular for some time, the increasing use of greens and blues can help interiors reflect and embrace a feeling of nature.
American biologist Edward O Wilson first observed the importance of nature in the home in the 1980s when he commented that: “increasing rates of urbanisation were leading to a disconnection with the natural world.” He coined the phrase biophilia and it’s well-known today that plants are good for us: they help reduce pollutants and improve the air quality within a home. MIND UK advises that spending time in green spaces or around nature can improve a person’s mood and, as Sophie Smith of online paint brand Zhoosh Paints points out, soothing colours like earthy greens and blues can evoke a real feeling of calm.
Patterns
Creating a bespoke pattern with paint is hugely popular. Geometric shapes in particular work really well and are easy for professionals and amateurs to create. Art + Believe are testament to this. The artists are world-famous for their bold, colourful designs and use of straight lines – they create vibrant geometric designs on buildings, floors and in public spaces. One of their most famous works is Alexandra Palace: as part of its recent restoration work, they were commissioned to create a 1,200sqm piece of floor art in the East Court of the venue. The handpainted result is stunning and fills the expanse of the east court floor over four spaces. They used FrogTape to create their clean lines, which were even digitally reproduced on the main stage at Zurich Outdoor Festival this Summer. The key with stripes and shapes is to measure carefully, draw the lines in lightly with pencil and place the FrogTape on the outside of the line so that the paint will cover it.
Textures
While stripes and geometric patterns can be created with different colours, as illustrated by Art + Believe, they can also be created with different finishes. Smith of Zhoosh comments: “You don’t have to go contrasting colours. You could do contrasting finishes – use eggshell and matt paint in the same colour, which gives a fantastic effect as the light hits it, and the different paints provide stripes of shine and depth.” This is a great way to create texture on a wall without actually impacting on the space.
Unique feature walls
Of course, it’s not just blocks or stripes. Professional decorators are seeing the rise in all sorts of feature walls, as decorator Alex Holt comments: “The design can be unique. We work closely with our customers to create something truly bespoke – in children’s bedrooms, for example, a mountain shape or seascape might be the brief.” Creativity can really flourish with paint, making something that caters for individual tastes.
At Shurtape, we love to nurture all these trends. We launched in the UK over a decade ago, bringing our US tape brand from a standing start to being a market leader in masking tapes. Thanks in part to its unique PaintBlock technology. Following extensive research, we have since extended the range to include Multi Surface, Delicate Surface and Gloss & Satin products.
We’re delighted to work alongside paint providers, decorating tool distributors and, of course, retailers and merchants, to cross market, continue to educate and help creativity flourish.
Long may these trends continue!
For further information on Shurtape visit https://www.shurtape.com/
