Developed in collaboration with international colour consultant Hilde Francq, New Minimalism is one of four directional themes in our ICONICA range of super durable powder coatings. We talk to Hilde about the thinking behind the colours and textures of New Minimalism.

The ICONICA colour themes come with some compelling narratives attached. Can you explain the thinking behind New Minimalism?

New Minimalism is expressive of the ideology of using only what is needed, leaving a lighter footprint on this Earth. Combining metallic finishes with sleek and subtle colourways, the aesthetic echoes the spirit of classic minimalism from design greats like Jasper Morrison and Maarten Van Severen – but reinterpreted for the 21st century.

The new wave of minimalism is softer and leaner, using today’s technology and innovation to ensure that less really is more. New Minimalism is about efficient use of resources – safeguarding the world’s natural resources while creating resilient buildings that will serve future generations.

I’ve always believed that narrative and storytelling are fundamental to communicating about colour. Colour is ultimately personal and subjective, so narratives help people to agree about what they’re seeing. If you think about the projected lifespans of our buildings and spaces – and how many lives that will influence over time – colour decisions are fundamental to a lot of people’s happiness.

As a set, the four ICONICA themes are designed to help architects navigate the decision-making process around applying colour in the built environment – and they may assist in communicating those decisions to clients and stakeholders too.

How did you come to be a colour consultant in the design world?

My career in colour started out when I introduced bright hues and patterns to children’s bicycles. The demand was incredible, and it all took off from there. In some ways, architecture is not so very different from children’s bikes – colour always needs to appeal to the senses. So, although colour choices in the built environment tend to be more muted, the principle of engaging people on that sensory, human level is very similar.

What’s your experience of collaborating on colour with Axalta?

I’ve been working with Axalta for a long time on a wide range of project types. Apart from ICONICA, just one example is a three-way collaboration on colour concepts for spaces and furniture with the outdoor living brand Renson. What’s notable about Axalta’s approach is that they’re very collaborative, bringing lots of different types of expertise together around the table. I also really respect their approach to R&D, and their testing processes are extremely thorough.

In what way is developing colour concepts for architectural applications different to working in other fields of design?

A key aspect is longevity – the lifespan of buildings and spaces and how they weather over time. Another unique aspect is scale and a third is context – which might be rural or urban, historic or contemporary.

Colour is always quite ephemeral, but with architecture perceptions can change quite dramatically in different weather and light conditions. The other thing to remember with colour generally – but perhaps especially in relation to architecture – is that colour is perceived in relation to texture, finish and form as well as context – it doesn’t work alone on the senses.

For the ICONICA themes we worked in close collaboration with Axalta and a wide range of design advisers to assess combinations of shades and textures to work across different project types and contexts.

You can find out more about Hilde’s work at Francq Colors Trend Studio.

To explore the ICONICA range in full, click here