New Elmosoft colours by Georgina Wright

An object or material itself has an influence over what colours would be most appropriate, for it to find a most satisfying solution.One product in a colour, which is pleasing and whole to the eye, can be completely unacceptable in another colour. A search has to be made to find a solution which brings satisfaction to the market both in terms of a product's requirements, and also in colours that bring beauty and enhance the material in which the product is made. The material and the colour become one.

Market competition and the speed of change in fashion require manufacturers to respond to customers' demands. Colour has a big emotional impact: we want a different feeling to come from the colour on our office furniture from that of a sofa at home. In the office we would like to be mentally stimulated, inspired - we want to achieve. At home we seek relaxation and calm. Designers must be sensitive to these nuances.
At Elmo our product all comes from a natural source. Designers are always asked where do you find your colours from? They are all around us in Nature, in Art, in Music and in our Dreams.A designer must filter these impressions and create something that is both beautiful on its own right and good for the market.
The new Elmosoft colours have shifted the emphasis much more towards the contract market. Half of the previous colour range was taken away. This left many puzzles and possibilities of introducing new colours. A process began of putting groups of colours together, assessing balance and tone, depth and strength of colour. The whole range needs to work together so that customers can find ideal solutions for the projects they are working on. In a project there may be quiet areas and also places requiring drama. The colours need to blend across the range so there is a good group of light, medium and darker shades that complement each other.
Inspiration also has come from the patina of objects, how they have aged with time. This is relevant to our own products. Our sofa is not the same after 10 years of use as it was on the day it left the factory. Use brings change and those changes give objects personality beyond their original purpose.
The new colours of Elmosoft will be pre-launched at Design Post during IMM and officially launched at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2016.