Issue 235
Regenerative Colour: a way to reconnect with nature
Regenerative Colour: a way to reconnect with nature
Written by Laura Perryman for Mix Interiors, December 2024
"Extractive human activities are pushing our climate and natural ecosystems to the brink. As designers and consumers, we must embrace our ethical and ecological responsibilities to the planet and the ecosystems that sustain us."
Colour is not merely a design element, it is deeply intertwined with nature. Since the dawn of humanity, we have sourced pigments from minerals, plants, roots and fungi. Today, as we synthesize dyes and commodify colour, we must recognise the significance of our daily choices and their profound impacts.
As a colour consultant and insights specialist, I diligently research natural and textile waste pigments, circular dyes and biotechnologies. It’s my mission to champion alternative colour choices for my clients. Countless sustainable dyes and pigments, derived from nature – such as purple-producing bacteria and shades from food waste – offer us a path forward.
We can no longer take from nature without giving back; we urgently need a bold, alternative approach to nurture a new spectrum of colour. An ethical approach to colour and materials demands our attention to provenance, process, energy consumption, and impact as interconnected facets of a complex, living system. Ethical colours must evoke emotional experiences as rich and compelling as those offered by unsustainable options to replace them successfully.
As designers and tastemakers, we possess the power to shape brighter futures. Our response to the intricate challenge of circularity requires us to embrace, optimise and promote a new aesthetic where colour evolves organically.
To achieve true regeneration, human systems and planetary systems must align to coexist and cooperate. Green or eco design has focused on minimising harm to nature and integrating more natural elements into our environments – seen in innovations like living walls and carbon-capturing paint. However, true regenerative design calls us to do more – we must implement restorative systems that not only enhance natural ecosystems but also coexist with them and repair past damage.
"The question arises: how do we start with colour? We must operate with unwavering care, forging deep connections with the resources available on our own doorsteps."
At London Design Festival 2024, my studio, Colour of Saying, led a series of active and participatory public workshops. We crafted locally foraged palettes in collaboration with leading regenerative practitioners, showcasing how we can harness neglected native plants to create beautiful coloured dyes. This initiative empowered local designers, makers and consumers to reconnect with nature.
Throughout this process, we adopted a code of conduct, learning how to gather pigment producing stems and leaves sustainably, fostering a nature positive approach. Though this may seem small, cultivating care is essential for the wellbeing of future generations. By uniting natural processes with human ingenuity, bioengineered colour represents a ground-breaking field characterised by dynamic partnerships between designers and scientists.
Bacterial ‘living colour’ can be biosynthesized directly onto textile fibres within closed loop systems at scale, while pigments derived from fungi provide desirable qualities such as lightfastness, antioxidation and UV protection. These innovations will undoubtedly ripple through the built environment. The benefits of these solutions are clear: they inflict far less harm on humanity and the planet.
Holistic colour processes that respond with intelligence and sensitivity to ecological and social challenges illuminate the path toward more responsible design practices.
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Holistic colour processes that respond with intelligence and sensitivity to ecological and social challenges illuminate the path toward more responsible design practices.
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