A Decade in Hue: A 10-year Journey Through Trend and Intuition

9 minute read

Colour has always been the cornerstone of my art. Way before I start drawing or painting a new piece, I develop the colour palette. I love exploring colour combinations, how those choices make us feel, and how they can express a destination's atmosphere.

As we approach celebrating 10 years of South Island Art, in this post, I’m looking back at the last decade through two distinct lenses: the "Colours of the Year" defined by global brands and trends, and the vibrant, dominant hues that have naturally emerged from my own studio.

Overall trends

If a trend has dominated the last decade, it’s the use of colour to reflect time out from modern life. From escaping our screens and constant noise to reconnecting with nature and our planet, brands have, overall, picked colours that represent our natural, offline world.

In contrast, my palettes have often been light and bright, balancing punchy, vivid colours with gentler hues. I’m naturally drawn to blues, turquoise and teals as they remind me of the expansiveness of skies and seas, so these feature in most of my palettes. Each palette also has a colour from a paint brand at its heart, layered with other tones to evoke the feel of a destination inside our homes. Our travels matched to our homes - bringing a sense of place, sparking memories and eliminating those ‘will-it-go’ worries.

A summary of a decade of colour:

2016

2016 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Simply White | Pantone: Rose Quartz & Serenity | Dulux: Cherished Gold

2016 South Island Art | Dulux Salsa Red, Farrow & Ball Nancy's Blushes

Soft colours dominated the trends, including Pantone’s first dual colour pick - pastels to soothe and restore us from the challenges of modern-day life.

My focus in 2016 was my 100 Days of London project (a different drawing each day, resulting in 100 landmark illustrations!) that had a series of palettes.

Dusky pinks inspired by soft evening light, based on Farrow & Ball Nancy's Blushes. A soothing warm pink, my palette combined it with warm neutrals, pale blues, and turquoises for an overall calm, quiet feel.

Colour pairing for your own home: for a soft look, combine with a warm, creamy neutral. For more colour, add a gentle turquoise or pale blue, and for a stronger, bolder look, pair with a deep, dark neutral.

Jewels, with a base of Dulux’s Salsa Red, was a celebration of the city of London - bright, fun and full of energy. Sky blues were the perfect complement to make those bright colours shine.

Colour pairing for your own home: this bold red fills a room with energy. Pair it with a neutral like ivory or cream for balance, or warm pinks for a cocooning atmosphere.

2017

2017 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Shadow | Pantone: Greenery | Dulux: Denim Drift

2017 South Island Art | Farrow & Ball Dayroom Yellow & Vardo

Creating a sense of mystery with a deep, charcoal grey, a zingy green to remind us of nature’s power to revive and renew us, and a reassuring blue-grey. 2017 had a bit of everything from the brands.

My primary collection in 2017 was 30 Days of Summer, a series of beach locations from Spain to Australia. There were two prominent colour palettes, Misty Mornings and Tropical Blooms.

Misty Mornings, inspired by late spring, early summer hazy mornings when the mist takes a little while to clear. A warm, sparkling light dancing on waves. The palette's base was Farrow & Ball’s Dayroom Yellow, paired with gentle blues to create a soft, soothing effect.

Tropical Blooms, with a base of Farrow & Ball’s Vardo, took inspiration from the colours of planting in botanical gardens in southern hemisphere climates. Happy and vivacious with a vibrant summery pop, I loved (and still do) the vitality of this palette, which went on to become one of my most-used, informing my entire London Landmarks collection for years.

2018

2018 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Caliente | Pantone: Ultra Violet | Dulux: Heart Wood | Graham & Brown: Penelope

2018 South Island Art | Little Greene Cape Red, Paint & Paper Library Blue Pearl, Georgetown

2018 was full of contrasts amongst the colours of the year. Soft vs bold, creating gentle, safe spaces vs looking to the future.

My 2018 collection, Neighbourhood Pubs, had two themes - late summer afternoons in sunny beer gardens with Pimms and pints, and wintry evenings snuggled in cosy armchairs by log fires. Inky blues and comforting browns were combined with warm yellows, oranges and reds, adding richness and depth.

Colour pairing for your own home: Although the two themes were at opposite ends of the seasonal scale, they both used the same set of colours. The palettes show how switching the dominant colours can change a mood and look. By using a single set of colours throughout your home and varying the dominant colour in each room, you can create a harmonious flow whilst also giving each room its own unique feel.

2019

2019 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Metropolitan  | Pantone: Living Coral | Dulux: Spiced Honey  | Graham & Brown: Tiru

2019 South Island Art | Fenwick & Tilbrook Wells Harbour, Little Green Confetti

Whilst seemingly different on the surface, common themes of optimism and beauty underlay the brands' choices.

The vibrant pinks in a bunch of tulips inspired my 2019 collection, Global Cities and Iconic Landmarks. I loved the sharp contrast of hot pink with white and tiny slivers of pale icy pink. As well as row upon row of pink and green in tulip fields, the flowers made me think of dawn skies dusted with dusky pink strands. Sky and steel blues added an urban edge to the pinks, perfect for dazzling cities. Representing the excitement and curiosity of exploring a city, three palettes informed the collection: the pink and green of Mornings in the Park, City Blues and Dawn in the City.

2020

2020 Brands | Benjamin Moore: First Light | Pantone: Classic Blue | Dulux: Tranquil Dawn | Graham & Brown: Adeline

2020 South Island Art | Paint & Paper Library Pale Georgian

Although chosen before COVID-19, the colour trends were classic, reassuring and hopeful for the start of a new decade.

In my art, I began moving towards atmospheric, earthy palettes with the Seasons in the Park collection. I chose muted colours to create a cosy, comforting feel of being enveloped by nature. Colours for stability and balance, when the world around us was constantly changing.

Colour pairings for your home: Paint & Paper Library’s Pale Georgian can be complemented by tonal sets of deep pinks, blues, yellows and greens, as in this series. Blues include Little Greene Hicks Blue or Craig & Rose Flanders Blue. Deep dusky roses: Little Greene Adventurer, Ashes to Roses and Blush. Muted yellows: Craig & Rose French Ochre or Little Greene Middle Buff. Spring greens: Little Greene Pea Green, and Pleat.

2021

2021 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Aegean Teal | Pantone: Ultimate Grey + Illuminating | Dulux: Brave Ground | Graham & Brown: Epoch

2021 South Island Art | Little Greene Carys, Craig & Rose Fleurie

With the exception of Pantone’s Illuminating, 2021’s colours were understated, communicating steadiness, strength and comfort. Time to reset. Pantone paired the dependability of Ultimate Grey with the optimism of Illuminating.

I also looked towards optimism and hopefulness, with a palette inspired by Spring. I imagined refreshing, gentle pastels of the garden as plants come back to life, paired with the brighter pops of late Spring blooms, soft tones with a bit of richness.

Colour pairing for your own home: Bring the freshness of Spring with Paint & Paper Library Deep Water Green, Craig & Rose Fleurie and Little Greene Carys.

2022

2022 Brands | Benjamin Moore: October Mist | Pantone: Very Peri | Dulux: Bright Skies | Graham & Brown: Breathe

2022 South Island Art | Little Greene Sky Blue

There was a clear trend of quiet, gentle neutrals inspired by nature. A way to harness the pacifying power of the colours of the natural world to create refreshing spaces at home.
Pantone yet again stood out with the choice of the vibrant Very Peri, which represents curiosity, confidence, and potential. 

Deep Summer Jewels, influenced by the heady scent and colours of florals in the height of summer, was the theme for my second set of park prints. Little Greene’s Sky Blue, gentle and nurturing, was the perfect base to enhance the bright and bold tones.

Colour pairing for your own home: Combining the brands' colours creates a beautiful palette in itself for a soft, calming space.

2023

2023 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Raspberry Blush | Pantone: Viva Magenta | Dulux: Wild Wonder  | Graham & Brown: Alizarin

2023 South Island Art | Craig & Rose Alhambra

Vivid and embracing reds versus sandy, earthy tones - colours from the brands all took their cues from nature, encouraging us to bring the energy of the natural world inside.

New seaside prints were illustrated in my playful and whimsical Ice Cream Palette. Melting pastels of wafer cones heaped with scoops of pistachio and mint, the gentleness of vanilla, and the tartness of lemon and berry. The warm, peachy tone of Craig & Rose’s Alhambra added a nostalgic touch.

Colour pairing for your own home: Again, the brands' colours make a rich palette for a cosy, cocooning space.

2024

2024 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Blue Nova | Pantone: Peach Fuzz | Dulux: Sweet Embrace | Graham & Brown: Viridis

2024 South Island Art | Little Greene Regency Blue

Heartening colours from the whole spectrum were chosen - from atmospheric blue and peach to gentle pink and olive green. An underlying sense of calm permeated all the choices.

The colours in my Terra Firma collection of otherworldly landscapes were all drawn from nature. Peaceful, restorative and soul-soothing pinks, blues and greens blended together, all complemented by the sunny blue of Little Greene’s Regency Blue.

2025

2025 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Cinnamon Slate | Pantone: Mocha Mousse | Dulux: True Joy  | Graham & Brown: Elderton

2025 South Island Art | Craig & Rose Gloriana

2025’s choices, from the brands to my own, were warm, grounded and earthy. A way to better connect us to the earth, whilst the yellows were full of hope and positivity.

Birds & Blooms, inspired by a year in the garden, used a broad palette that drew on the brightest, richest tones of each season. Both nourishing and exuberant, each piece was underpinned by the creaminess of Craig & Rose’s yellow Gloriana. This subtle thread linked the collection.

2026

2026 Brands | Benjamin Moore: Silhouette  | Pantone: Cloud Dancer | Dulux: Free Groove™, Slow Swing™ and Mellow Flow™ | Graham & Brown: Divine Damson

2026 South Island Art |  Little Greene Deep Space Blue

Another year where the global brands varied - from rich, cosy burgundies to indigo blues and the simplicity of white. An escape from the noisy world to your own haven, however you want that haven to feel.

2026’s South Island Art main collections will all be linked by Little Greene’s Deep Space Blue. Blending comfort and magic, they take inspiration from the tiniest elements, like nature’s deep berries, to huge, starry skies and sparkling city lights.

You can browse all the art featured here in my celebratory 10th Anniversary Collection. Join my mailing list for special releases throughout the year.