Colour Narrative: Harnessing Light
Spring 28
Introduction
It’s been a surprisingly sunny spring in the UK with record temperatures of 35 degrees recorded in Richmond, west London. I love the longer days but when we switched to British Summer Time in March I really struggled to adjust. So this year I got up at sunrise for a walk in the countryside to help me adjust my body clock and metabolism.
Adjusting our bodies intuitively isn’t easy when we have life commitments which get in the way. However, the health and environmental benefits of sunlight are being harnessed more effectively by innovators and creatives to improve our well being.
Harnessing Light: Spring 28
The Spring 28 forecast revolves around solar energy and the light environments. This field, which I have been monitoring across the design and wellness sectors, is set to significantly impact material and colour choices in future seasons.
Self-optimised health is evolving into an intuitive phase as consumers track their natural rhythms via tracking devices. As wellness enthusiasts become more intuitive they’ll tune into the impact of light on their bodies. This is an emerging topic which UK-based wellness retailer Healf is calling out. It recently highlighted the connection between light and metabolic health plus explained how daylight absorption at different times of the day can stabilise blood sugar and improve organ function.
The global surge in solar energy installations is a direct consequence of geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. According to the Global Electricity Review 2026 from thinktank Ember, ‘solar power cemented its role as the dominant driver of change in the global power sector’. In the UK, this trend is reflected in official government data showing that March 2026 installations reached 27,000—the highest monthly volume recorded since 2012. Exploring these shifts, climate author Bill McKibben’s latest work, ‘Here Comes the Sun’, investigates the emergence of low-cost, abundant solar energy and its long-term consequences for global economics and human civilisation.
Solar design is a growing field and one of my favourite designers in this space is Netherland-based innovator Marjan van Aubel. Marjan’s work and collaborations with global brands has significantly enhanced the image of solar design, elevating the technology to a new level of sophistication. The renown designer has also co-founded the Solar Biennale, a new education platform which last year held a show in Lausanne Switzerland at the Mudac.
Accessory brands are also tapping into the wellness benefits of light. Premium eyewear brand RA optics is addressing the impact of light on the body, by producing blue light protective eyewear that reduces fatigue, headaches and eye strain. Its lenses are infused with a pigment designed to absorb harmful wavelengths and protect the body from artificial light sources. The company just launched Lumios, a collection of three revolutionary LED ‘human friendly’ bulbs which have reduced blue light and mimic the biological and spectral benefits of traditional incandescent bulbs.
Drawing on this research I have curated a palette of citrus based colours which speak to this desire to harness light and enhance wellness. This selection features glowing orange and yellow, balanced with a sharp injection of acidic lime and aquatic turquoise.
These spring tones are given an airy, uplifting feel through a focus on translucency and lightness. To brighten the palette and reflect the light, I have curated a mix of soft and hard materials, including foiled leathers, jacquard wovens, air mesh, carved resin, and hand-blown glass.
This light attuned colour and materials palette is designed for a home or lifestyle collection with a well-being narrative.
If you’d like to learn more about the Colour Compass 2028 colour and materials forecast, get in touch via our website at colourcompass.co.uk
