A renewed relationship with the outdoors is certainly one of the pandemic’s few bright spots. It is fitting, then, that a few months shy of Pantone’s annual color reveal, the revered British wallpaper and paint brand Graham & Brown has announced a homage of its own. As of today, the British company is out with its own wallpaper and color of the year, both of which are odes to vibrant landscape and the aura of much-needed tranquility: Breathe, a pale blue paint, and Restore Midnight, a verdant wallpaper option. Taken together, the powdery Breathe meshes well with the brooding navy paper for a layered, dramatic look.
“As time seemed to slow over the past 18 months, we had a moment to consider what is important to us and the value of the environment. . .” Maryanne Cartwright, design manager at Graham & Brown’s headquarters in Blackburn, England, comments to AD PRO. “The yearning for being closer to nature and its innately palliative properties played a big part in inspiring our Wallpaper of the Year design.”
The statement wallpaper that Graham & Brown has chosen to embody 2022 is the moody Restore Midnight. Against a chalky backdrop reminiscent of concrete, a swath of hypnotic, hazy blue dominated by a melange of wild botanicals subtly hints at Mother Nature’s hold on even the most urban of settings. “We have always been drawn to blue tones in times of chaos,” Cartwright says, “as they evoke feelings of serenity and wellness, making Restore Midnight a true reflection of the times.”
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Along with Midnight, two other uplifting Restore colorways are available. The crisp Sky melds a palette of cerulean and frosty white, and the deep green Emerald recalls tropical surroundings. “Bedrooms and living rooms are a perfect choice for these calming and restful papers,” Cartwright says. However, given that she is also noticing a resurgent interest in biophilia, which “pervade[s] every room in the house,” she singles out Restore Emerald as an ideal choice for any entrance area. Notably, all of the wallpaper colorways are paired with complementary water-base, low-VOC paints, as per Graham & Brown tradition.
Both Restore and Breathe promote wellbeing and a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle, which dovetails with Graham & Brown’s new eco-conscious mission. After a recent shift to renewable electricity, decreasing its carbon emissions by 29%, the company has vowed to be carbon neutral by January 2022.
