By Krishika Shah, Co – Founder, Evolve Interiors and Exteriors Solutions LLP 

 

 

 

The design industry consisting of architects and interior design firms is an ever changing industry. A popular trend today can be outdated in a very short time. This is a product of ever growing innovations and technologies, that produce newer, more economic, better quality resources which are available widely and are more sustainable. The availability of these new resources leads to new ideas, new usage, the extinction of their substitutes and thus continues the cycle of ever-growing new design trends. However, below I list a few design trends and innovation that are here to stay for long. These trends have one common factory, that is they are environment friendly. I truly believe that in the upcoming decade, it will be crucial to design with sustainable materials and be conscious of their effects to the world at large and to the environment. As a fraternity member, it is our duty to put mother nature above design needs and practice the use of sustainable solutions.

 

Earthy Rust finishes using liquid metal coating

Rust or burnt orange as most refer to, is a much loved popular finish for both interior and exterior. While rust is available in metal, there are also several rust coloured paints available. AA new age technology that has enabled the economic production of rust metal finish is liquid metal coating. Until the 2014, the material, metal, was only available in a sheet form to be used across architecture and interior design. Corten Steelaka Rust metal sheets are usually heavy, expensive and restrictive in terms of customisation. These sheets can be only used on flat surfaces and have a tendency to corrode over time. With the introduction of Liquid Metal Finishes, one can now apply metal on flat, curved and 3D surfaces. As these finishes can be applied on any substrate, the final product is extremely light weight, easy to install and highly customisable. Evolve India, a pioneer of liquid metal finishes in India, supplies these finishes in the form of ready to install panels and D-I-Y material kits. Liquid Metal Coatings help create a wide range of rust finishes at varying intensities to cater to the earthy finish design trend. The shades range from yellow, to an orange, to a light and dark brown, finally ending at black. The burnt orange finish is the most popular shade in the design industry, due its earthiness feel and depth inducing capacity. I believe this finish is the closest to making us feel at home and is therefore here to stay and not be a fad.

 

Material made from Green Technologies

The most common material known and used today is paint. But paint is made using a  solvent based technology that is not the most environment friendly. With the new technology and innovations there is now a major shift in the form and make of materials used for Architecture and Interior Design. While there is a rise in the use of hemp, bamboo, recycled glass to manufacture many furniture pieces and fabrics, American clay, recycled paper tiles and reclaimed wood panels are on the rise for wall finishes and wall panels. These materials are sustainable, environment friendly and have a low VOC, making them non-hazardous and green. While liquid metal can be manufactured using both solvent and water based technologies, each cater to a very different look and feel. Another great material is concrete based texture finishes, which are manufactured using water and several different additives depending from company to company

 

Texture Finishes are replacing Paint

Paint has become the vanilla flavour of the materials industry. While it is easily available at every nook and corner in every country, is low cost and easily applicable, it is also boring! The biggest advantage with paint would be its shade range and the fact that even a non-professional could work the application. But with rising income, there is a change in the design scene. Home owners now want something different, unique and welcoming to come back home to. They want their homes to reflect their personality and thus the rise of textured finishes. Textured finishes can be done using several materials. Some of the more famous ones are lime based texture finishes, concrete based texture finishes, resin based texture finishes. The best thing about this finish is they can be custom matched to any shade of the paint finishes but also bring the added wow factor. A recently new texture finish is metal texture finishes which give the architect and interior designer to play with more materials in a one space. The contrast of metal with a concrete or lime based texture, can break the monotony and add to the appeal of a neo-modern or contemporary home. These textured finishes can be created using everyday tools like trowels, brushes, paper, cloths, rollers etc. They might not be as easy to create as paint, but you can definitely play with these finishes and explore your creativity. Since each individual would have their own artistic bend of mind, a new finish can be born with every new stroke. Literally, the wall is your playground.