Right, so I must've been hiding under a rock the last couple of years to miss this design movement coming out of London. Move over minimalism and make way for the chromatic joy of the ‘New London Fabulous’.
One of the founders of this movement, Adam Nathaniel Furman believes colour is not considered seriously enough (couldn’t agree more!). So he set out to bring more joy and colour into the lives of Londoners. In a nutshell, he advocates design and architecture 'as a visual and cultural pursuit, which is highly aesthetic, sensual, and celebratory of mixed cultures. It’s now grown to a handful of designers in London, working predominantly in the commercial sphere who all embrace colour, pattern, and ornamentation. To find a word that sums it all up … Fabulous!
The New London Fabulous break down all the conservative, paired-back rules of traditional architecture and used social media platforms to garner followers and recognition. Needless to say, it’s proved incredibly popular, and the noise they make in regard to the importance of colour in general well-being hasn’t gone unnoticed. “A lot of people are afraid of colour and don’t seem to understand it, but in harsh urban environments, it is plain to see the joy it brings people,” Myerscough says.(New London Fabulous designer)
New London Fabulous is a breath of fresh air, it’s not just about colours and textures, but about creating environments that represent us, our environment, and our diversities.
“There is definitely something in the air,” says Marcus Fairs, the editor-in-chief of Dezeen. “A lot of designers have independently started using colour boldly and unironically, out of sheer joy. Colour has been sidelined from serious design discourse for a while, but now it’s going mainstream.”
I was literally like a kid in a candy store when I saw this movement pop up on a British TV show I was watching last night. Just imagine if we embraced this style of design here in New Zealand!? How much more joy we could just spread through the simple application of colour and fun. And while we still have a long way to go for this level of eccentricity to infiltrate our commercial sectors we can absolutely adopt these principles within our own homes.
Mix graphic black and white with bold, modernist colours such as pink, yellow, bright blue, grass green. Embrace the madness, this movement isn’t restricted to walls. Bring the colour in through bold furniture choices, cushions, and rugs … the only rule is to bring joy to your space.
My fave Resene colours to bring this New London Fabulous look into your home have to be Resene Black, Resene White, Resene Havoc (red), Resene Energy Yellow, Resene Curious Blue, Resene Dizzy Lizzy (green), and Resene Colour Me Pink.
Images sourced from Pinterest.
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