Creating a Color Palette

We asked Jesseca van Haneghem about her approach to creating a color and material palette. "Various factors influence the palette's composition, and a thorough analysis of these influences and client desires is the first step," says Jesseca. For instance, the location plays a role: "For a city apartment, you might choose different colors than for a vacation home in Portugal." Factors such as room size and ceiling heights also matter. In a city apartment, subtle, understated shades can make the limited space appear larger, while a vacation home in Portugal invites the use of vibrant colors that enhance the summery feel. It's crucial that the palette is not only aesthetically pleasing but also perfectly suited to the location and use of the space.

Jesseca also emphasizes the importance of seasons and natural light in creating a palette. At the studio, they work with large tables and light sources that mimic natural daylight. "We build material palettes on these tables. Sometimes we walk through the studio with samples to see how different light affects them," she explains. This practice helps to get a realistic view of how colors and materials will look under different lighting conditions, which is essential for creating a harmonious and attractive space.

At FORMANI, we understand how light affects the color of our products. Developing a beautiful finish can be quick, but the real challenge lies in maintaining this color consistency across our entire collection. Our collection includes door, window, furniture hardware and accesoires, and ensuring a uniform tint across all surfaces, whether cylindrical parts of door handles or flat surfaces of shields or rosettes, is challenging. We examine products under different lighting conditions and adjust the finish until we achieve a perfect result for the complete concept. Only then do we add the color to our strong palette, contributing to a harmonious look.

Subtle Shades and Dynamic Layering

Studio Piet Boon has a clear brand identity that is evident in all their projects, according to Jesseca van Haneghem. The color palettes are built from this brand identity, meaning the base palette remains calm with subtle shades. This palette is enriched by adding layers with different textures and materials in the same color. When color is added, for example, they might choose a striking natural stone for a side table, combined with accent pillows and artworks in more vibrant colors. This results in a dynamic yet cohesive look.

According to Jesseca van Haneghem, the color palette of Formani excellently aligns with their brand identity. The palette focuses on sustainable finishes and offers a wide range of subtle shades that can still be used in a pronounced manner. This palette provides the flexibility to seamlessly integrate various textures and materials, ensuring a harmonious and stylish appearance in every space.

The FORMANI color palette fundamentally consists of 16 different finishes, with a 17th on the way. Despite the diversity, the complete palette includes subtle colors and shades. Think traditional steel-colored finishes, the popular black and bronze, but also white, gold, polished, and copper. Within these basic colors, there are different shades created by various finishing techniques. For example, a powder coating in black has a different look than a matte black PVD finish. Copper is available in a polished finish for a classic look, but also in a matte PVD finish for a more modern appearance. Bronze was currently only available in a deep, dark earthy shade, but our new PVD finish introduces a lighter alternative.