Reality Reno with mitch and mark – Is ‘Spice’ The New ‘Black’!

For so long Australians have been in love with the whole coastal ‘Hamptons’ look. Crips white features against varying shades of grey, with a touch of blue, tan or pink in the décor. All tasteful and beautiful. 

But we’ve noticed a change in recent months. Customers coming into our store in Newport, NSW, are continually being drawn to colour and patterns.  The most common response we have from our visitors to mitch and mark HOME is that they love seeing pops of colour in the store, and those are the items flying off the shelves. 

So, we wondered, what is going on? Is there a shift in peoples’ taste, and it seems there is. Perhaps after our recent years of dealing with isolation, and the weight of the pandemic, we are all looking for some brightness and fun in our decors. It’s been a rough few years starting with the bushfires in the east, the trials of isolation across the country followed by the floods of 2022 and on the world stage the war in the Ukraine. 

This is where your home, and how you decorate and style it, is an opportunity to keep positive and bring some joy to life. It’s like a daily reminder that we can bring hope and beauty to our world and have a sanctuary in which to re-energise and get ready for the world outside. 

With so many of us having spent more time at home, we’ve rediscovered the importance of colour to our lives. We’re seeing a real attraction to colour and patterns, and in particular colours we refer to as ‘spice inspired’. They have the mysteries of spices, a touch of Morocco, and a little bit of the exotic. 

We’re thinking of the hues of saffron, tobacco, brushed gold, pepper, paprika, rich chocolate, coriander seed, ginger, turmeric, sage, or olive. Whether it’s bright and bold, or a more subdued and subtle interpretation, these colours, particularly in cushions, throws, coverlets, and pillows have made a big splash in our world. 

Inspired by nature, how can you go wrong? If you love colour, then go for it, but if you prefer classic neutrals as your colour base, you can still bring in touches of ‘spice’ to your décor.

For a while now green has been a popular choice, but we’re seeing a move toward more ‘earthy’ hues of green inspired by sage and olive but pared back and mixed wonderfully with linen textures. 

There are also wonderful opportunities to play with sun-bleached saffron teamed with burnt orange, and a hint of chocolate through the inclusion of dark wood décor items. Alternately the rich hue of paprika is wonderful 

Along with colour we’ve been inspired by a return to geometric patterns, using shapes like circles and triangles in symmetric and repetitive ways on lampshades and cushions. Its rich and luxurious. 

As we head into Autumn and Winter, these colours can bring warm accents to your home. 

The attraction to neutrals allows a base from which to play with these colours, then adding a touch of spice might just be the thing for your room! 

If you’re looking for a touch of inspiration check us out at mitchandmark.com, or on Instagram @mitchandmark @mitchandmarkhome.