Asian Paints’ ColourNext Launches Colour Of The Year ‘Cardinal’, Wallpaper Of The Year And Forecast Stories!

Each year comes with a new roster of trending shades that help us navigate styles and ease our shopping experiences. As we step into 2025, Asian Paints ColourNext, the definitive authority on colour and design trends in India, inaugurated a new colour with the 22nd edition of its acclaimed Colour and Material Intelligence forecast. For as long as we can remember, Asian Paints has led the industry, delivering its expertise in colour, materials, and design to forecast that press on the cultural and social pulse of the times. ColourNext introduces the Colour of the Year, Wallpaper of the Year for 2025 and four trend stories, offering a map that shapes the future of design and décor for the year. 

FYI, the colour of the year 2025 is–Cardinal. Described as the symbol of emotion and creativity, Cardinal is a way forward to explore the spectrum of our feelings—from joy and vitality to stillness and contemplation. In other words, it is a reminder to feel everything without judgment and to find beauty in raw, unfiltered authenticity. The shade in many ways expresses warmth, is welcoming and helps us explore the many notes of our emotions. 

In an era where authenticity is nearly extinct, as the internet and Pinterest boards work towards the death of individuality, the colour hopes to value personal human experience like never before. According to Asian Paints, Cardinal reflects the desire for deeper connections—with ourselves and the world around us. It evokes the essence of nostalgia, the mindfulness of the present, and the boldness of the future. From interiors to fashion to design, this dusky shade adds a layer of richness and introspection, making every space feel both personal and powerful. 

Spring Tune, the Wallpaper of the Year for 2025, is a poetic expression of nature’s quiet elegance, blending art and nostalgia into a timeless visual symphony. The four accompanying forecast design directions for 2025 are Feel More, Salt, India Everywhere, and Bad Taste. Each offers a unique perspective on rediscovery and originality. Let’s see how they’re all connected. 

Feel More

People are embracing experiences that might be anything from breathtaking to triggering simply to feel anything in a world that is becoming more and more algorithmic. This is a bold return to the visceral, tactile, and immersive. By 2025, we’re becoming more at ease with recognising and addressing strong emotions. This represents a bold exploration of unconventional experiences, lifestyles, and family situations. By embracing the complexities of life, we are integrating them into our rich, multifaceted identities. The places we have built are opulent to the senses and confident in their distinctive ridiculousness.

Salt

Salt’s inherent properties, including its ability to disperse light, antibacterial qualities, and carbon neutrality, position it as a bridge between the elemental and the ethereal, with potential applications across various industries. Its versatility and the captivating lustre of its crystals, depicted in milky hues and the striking blue of Iranian salt, highlight its potential to reshape our world.

Bad Taste?

The traditional understated elegance of old-money luxury is being challenged by a bold new aesthetic. Once dismissed as “bad taste,” this movement embraces flamboyance, audacity, and unapologetic self-expression. It rejects the muted palettes and understated designs that have long been associated with the elite and instead celebrates a loud and proud approach to luxury.

India Everywhere

On the international scene, Indian design is advancing with assurance, embracing contradictions and diversity instead of adopting an exotic, all-encompassing persona. After being confined to stories of mass production, exoticism, and craft, India, today presents itself with a global design language in which its legacy is recreated rather than overexplained. Indian ingenuity is being praised worldwide as manufacturing and innovation speed up and creative and design education thrives. This moment is captured by a sophisticated, colour-confident palette with striking contrast and unexpected juxtapositions. It explores the possibility of mixing folklore with tradition seamlessly into modern design, evoking instant recognition while maintaining the significance of provenance.

To know more, we spoke to Mr Amit Syngle, Managing Director and CEO of Asian Paints Ltd., who revealed how ColourNext has been a pioneer in decoding India’s evolving design landscape, providing a definitive direction for colour and material innovations through rigorous research and analysis. He further added– “The Colour of the Year, Cardinal, along with the four design directions for 2025, encapsulate these transformations, providing designers and creators with a spark of inspiration. At Asian Paints, we remain committed to leading industry conversations and pushing the boundaries of design, ensuring that colour not only enhances spaces but also shapes experiences, inspires innovation and influences creative expression.”

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored article by Asian Paints ColourNext.