Jotun’s ‘Cruising’ palette draws its inspiration from the ocean

When it comes to interior design, colour plays one of the most important roles, after all, it is the first thing people notice when they walk into a home.

But how does one know which colours are in and which are out? Luckily, there are professionals whose job is to forecast the colour trends for the year, says Maricor Cruz, regional designer of Jotun Paints, Mena (Middle East and North Africa).

“In any industry - fashion, furniture or electronics, colour trends are always developed by a group of professionals. Jotun is seen as a leader in paint and colours, so every year we have the colour trends developed by Jotun Colour Ambassadors,” she explains.

Jotun Colour Ambassadors are design professionals who work specifically in the Mena region. Based on their knowledge of living in the region, global trends, and on what’s happening culturally, they develop colour trends palette.

This year, ‘Be Home’ is the theme for Jotun Paint’s Colour Trends Volume 3 which offers three new stylish palettes for the home. These include the fresh calmness and serenity of ‘Cruising,’ to the rich heritage of ‘Arabian’ (featured in MEI’s August 2012 issue) and the glamorous romance of the ‘Beauty’ (featured in MEI June 2012 issue) palette. Each of the Jotun 2012 palettes gives customers a new way to revitalise their homes.

The ‘Cruising’ colour trend was created by Amy Lam, a Saudi Arabia-based architect and interior design consultant, and Norhafiza, a Jotun colour consultant. 

Cruising palette: Shades of blue and turquoise inspire tranquillity

Commenting on the trend Amy and Norhafiza said: “Our trend allows you to cruise away on the tranquil colours of the ocean. You can feel the relaxing effects seeping into your home, bestowing an element of freshness and purity on all it touches.” 

Inspired in part by Amy’s love of travelling to new places and her sense of connection to the Red Sea, the ‘Cruising’ palette allows the imagination to set sail. “The blue and turquoise shades in this palette immediately have a calming effect on the senses. They inspire a deep sense of tranquility and relaxation and that’s exactly what going on a cruise is all about,” she says.

“It is a complete palette that can be used to achieve a ‘cruising’ look for any room. All you have to do is select one or two colours from the palette for you walls and then match up the rest of the colours in the palette with accessories such as the cushions, carpets, candles and lamps. For the fresh colours of this palette to truly shine, you also need to make sure that your room has enough lighting - be it natural daylight or artificial light.”

The ‘Cruising’ colour trend is just one of the ways Jotun allows its customers to express their creativity.  Per Olav Ramstad, regional marketing director of Jotun Paints, Mena, said: “At Jotun Paints we are taking paint to a new level. We are selling more than paint; we are selling our consumers a lifestyle, a mood and an ambience.”

The Jotun 2012 ‘Be Home’ colour palettes are available in ‘Fenomastic’ at all Jotun Multicolour Shops and Inspiration Centers across the Middle East.