Proposing a 'transcendent rebirth' that overcomes the pandemic through five colors, expressing love for humanity
A color nuance that captures emotion rather than a passing fad, for use in color design
The Color Design Center of Samhwa Paints Industrial Co., Ltd. has selected 'Meta-Verse' as the keyword for its Color Nuance of the Year for 2021, proposing five colors.
'Meta-Verse' combines 'Meta' and 'Rebirth' to mean a 'transcendent rebirth.' It embodies Samhwa Paints' efforts to help humanity overcome the pandemic and recreate a better everyday life through 75 years of accumulated R&D technology and innovation that transcends generations.
The 2021 Color Nuances of the Year that express 'Meta-Verse' consist of the following colors: △Ash Gray (SH S 2000-N), △Lavender Dust (SH S 0520-R60B), △Garlic Cream (SH S 1030-Y10R), △Tomato Soup (SH S 2075-Y70R), and △Jungle (SH S 7010-B70G). Together they express a solid yet calm sense of stability, digital transformation, vitality and transformation toward a new era, and love for humanity.
In 2020, when every issue around the world was focused on the pandemic, digital transformation advanced rapidly across major industries, and the adoption of artificial intelligence and data science was also swiftly realized within a short period. Throughout 2020, anxiety stemming from uncertainty and the routinization of AI technology further emphasized practicality, functionality, and personalization as design keywords. New coined terms also emerged, such as 'Qconomy' (Quarantine Economy), referring to the economy created by isolation, and 'Mentaldemic' (a blend of Mental and Epidemic), signifying that protecting not only physical health but also anxious mental states is important. As social distancing and working from home led people to spend more time at home, many regard it positively as a chance to reflect on themselves and spend more time with family; at the same time, psychological unease and worry are being further amplified by global economic instability and the fear of job loss.
While 'Wellness,' the lifestyle keyword that has been emphasized as important in recent years, is a concept that stresses an eco-friendly lifestyle, the issue of physical and mental well-being that has come to the fore under the influence of the current pandemic concerns the mental stress caused by worry and isolation, as well as anxiety about the survival and health of oneself, one's family, and acquaintances. As a result, a holistic wellness encompassing physical, psychological, and social wellness is being pursued. Amid growing emphasis on self-care at home and efforts to strengthen immunity, what is needed is not wellness for a special purpose but general, everyday wellness. Accordingly, we are looking forward to new hope, recovery, and growth in 2021. While experiencing confusion and anxiety, we will demonstrate a new resilience that responds flexibly and immediately.
Meanwhile, Samhwa Paints' Color Design Center analyzes changes in consumer lifestyles throughout the year and announces advance color trends annually, offering forward-looking insights to each industry. Because the Color Nuance of the Year presents a color flow applicable to various color-design-related fields such as interiors, home appliances, the IT industry, and automobiles, and proposes nuances important for emotional expression, it can be utilized together with other trend colors.
Samhwa Paints' flagship product, the eco-friendly paint 'iLUX'
In 2020, Samhwa Paints launched 'iLUX,' a new eco-friendly architectural paint brand, and received a favorable response from consumers. The 'i' in 'iLUX' represents its eco-friendliness—'safe to use even in spaces where children are present'—while 'LUX' conveys the meaning of 'realizing high-quality value.' Depending on its use, 'iLUX' comprises △iLUX Multi Flat, applied to interior walls, △iLUX Multi Eggshell, for wood such as restroom and bathroom doors and furniture, and △iLUX High Chroma, which achieves vivid, high-saturation colors. In particular, 'iLUX Multi Eggshell' has a splash-proof function, so when applied to wooden doors in areas where water is used, it prevents moisture-induced rot and warping, and its easy-cleaning function makes it resistant to stains. 'iLUX High Chroma' can be applied both indoors and outdoors, and its colors can be chosen from the 950-shade chart provided by NCS Color. 'iLUX' has obtained not only eco-friendly mark certification but also certification from the Korea Asthma Allergy Foundation (KAF), and it contains no formaldehyde or heavy metals, the main causes of sick house syndrome. A Samhwa Paints official said, "We plan to expand the brand lineup with iLUX as a specialized interior and exterior paint, steadily increasing our share of the professional application sector."
▲ Architectural paint brand 'iLUX'