Colour Directions 2025: STILL LIFE

August 29, 2024

Created to evoke a sense of stillness without inertia, mellow and fresh hues work in quiet harmony for a gentle yet optimistic palette where no single colour calls for attention.

STILL LIFE was first published in MIX Magazine 73, and the following colour directions are explored in more detail in our 2025 CMF Directions.

Sara Lundkvist for The Ode To | Wonders series | Photo Maria De La Croix

Fresh & Mellow

The mellow freshness of the STILL LIFE palette is on full display in this analogous group. Complementary undertones create interest in same-hue pairs; green-blue Opal with red-cast China Blue, and green-yellow Daffodil with red-yellow Wheat. Mid-tone green Peapod is a single connecting hue.

The optimistic aesthetic of this analogous group works well for applications in textiles and homeware.

Timeless Tales

Jesse Shaw | Episode | Etcetera Lamp | Glazed ceramic stoneware | Photo Ross Thomas

A timeless combination of warm neutrals and gentle blues brings to mind natural linens and soft chambray. The contrasting red and green undertones of China Blue and Opal are subtly intriguing, while yellow-white Double Cream and shaded yellow Buckskin act as a highlight and anchor.

This combination is equally successful in colour blocks and blended gradients with homeware and fashion being effortless applications.

Yulia Tyschenko | Blue Coral, 2022 | Natural cotton, viscose and wool yarns, hand-weaving, macrame, crochet, knitting | Galerie Sana Moreau, Paris | Photo Viktoria Sushan

Nature Studies

LAYERED x Carolina Storm | Charleston Farmhouse

There’s a vintage, painterly quality to this combination that evokes still life studies. Natural green Peapod is lifted by the light, fresh hues of yellow Daffodil and Wheat. In this context, soft Buckskin and nuanced Black Pearl add a touch of grounding antiquity.

The analogous colour transitions and naturally comforting inspiration favours applications in home textiles, décor and ceramics.

Bari Ziperstein | Wave Building, 2023 | Stoneware, glaze, walnut plinth | Photo Jeff McLane

Complementary Contrast

Marimekko | Pre-spring 2024 | Photo Emma Sarpaniemi

From lightest Double Cream, through golden Wheat and mid-tone Buckskin, these red-cast yellows are complemented and anchored by the blue undertone of Black Pearl.

The easy neutrality of this series of yellows in varied tint and tone can be expressed in natural woods, fashion and wallcoverings while the blue-black brings a sharp contrast and elegance.