COLOUR IN THE HOME And RKW doesn’t expect the trend to be
short-lived. Philippa believes pink will remain influential well into 2027, sitting alongside another colour that has already proved it has staying power: sage green. “Sage green continues to prove its staying
power,” she explains. “It has become something of a perennial favourite within the home, and we’re continuing to see growing interest in softer, earthy green tones.” While consumers are still drawn towards colours that are relatively easy to live with, RKW is seeing more confidence when it comes to introducing something different into the home. And with household budgets under pressure, smaller housewares purchases can offer shoppers a way to refresh a space without taking on a much bigger project. “A colourful kettle, a new set of kitchen accessories or a statement piece can change the feel of a room without the commitment or expense of a major project,” Ms Simons says. “There is definitely an element of that small ‘dopamine hit’ from adding something fresh and uplifting to the home.” It also gives shoppers more freedom to experiment. After all, choosing a pink kettle is considerably less of a commitment than choosing pink kitchen cabinets. That appetite can be seen across RKW’s
brands. Tower Cavaletto is available in Pink, while Swan Windsor is expanding into the shade and Swan Nordic takes things considerably brighter with Fuchsia. Green remains another important part of the picture. The new Swan Linea collection, launching for Autumn/Winter 2026, will be available in Sage Green and Cream, tapping into demand for softer and calmer kitchen palettes. However, the colour itself is only half the story. Texture and finish are
increasingly being used to make familiar appliances and accessories feel more design-led. Tower’s new Velora collection, for example, combines a ribbed
texture with gold detailing and comes in Stone as well as classic Black. The range extends across matching appliances and storage, allowing consumers to carry the look across the kitchen. “Colour is extremely important,” Ms Simons adds. “Most consumers
have a fairly clear idea of how they want their kitchen or living space to look, and colour can be one of the quickest ways a product either fits into that vision or doesn’t.”
RKW has seen first-hand how much difference introducing a new colour can make to an established range. Even when the product itself remains fundamentally unchanged, a different shade can attract an entirely new customer – and relatively small differences in tone can determine whether a colour really takes off. Coordination remains important too, although that doesn’t necessarily mean making everything identical. Swan Retro has long offered colour across kettles and toasters, but now stretches into bread bins, canisters and other accessories. Swan Windsor is following a similar route, with coordinated housewares due later this year. At the same time, some shades are beginning to soften in popularity. RKW is seeing weaker demand for certain blues and deeper greens, including spruce and jade, as consumers move towards warmer and earthier palettes. Looking further ahead, that direction looks set to continue. RKW
already has more pink and sage green planned among its Spring/ Summer 2027 launches.
As Ms Simons puts it, consumers are becoming more adventurous with colour - just “in a more considered way”.
36 |
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
