Colour as a mass product. Designing of the collection of interior paint colours for the Polish market

Abstract

The paper concerns the issue of using colour in contemporary Polish residential interiors based on the example of design and sales of paint collections by selected Polish manufacturers. The collections of colours, which usually contain between 40 and 60 shades, constitute a popular offer for the customers who do not employ interior designers and feel no need for more advanced colour selection from mixers. A collection of colours with a rather small number of shades makes it easier for the customers to choose the colour and is an economically beneficial alternative to mixing colours based on the currently used colour systems.

Designing colour collections for two large Polish companies over several years has allowed me to make certain interesting observations concerning the specific colour preferences of the Polish customer, based on both sales results and the colour trends established by the Polish market, which are often different from the trends of Western Europe. The presentation will recognise the changes made to the collections in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 – which will reflect both the changing colour trends and the local colour traditions or inclinations resulting from climatic, historical, and economic conditions.