Colours of the 1990s

A classless society developed due to the economic recession, businesses fell on hard times and the electronic age altered lives. The world wide web was born in 1992, waistlines of mens’ pants dropped lower than the interest rates, cargo pants, cowboy boots, floral skirts, stonewashed denim were de riguer and smaller was better – laptops and mobile phones and pay rises.

Neutral colours were paler and bolder colours swung wildly to reflect ‘holiday dream venues’ – Greece, France, Tuscany and Thailand. Wallpapers were faux paint effect in rich ochres, terracottas, reds and friezes featured Aztec/ethnic pattern and the celestial influence – stars, suns and moons – were featured in fabrics and art. Black and white started to appear in wallpaper. The race to the Millenium was both feared and desired.

Bright colours of the era were (from the Multifinish collection):

Paler was better – the new Whites colour chart featured tints, hints of colour, such as:

Muted colours embraced nature, sea and sky in hues such as:

› Information thanks to Carolyn Atkinson.

August 30, 2013

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