You’ll find her basking in the sunlight. Radiant and earthy, optimistic and grounded, our 2024 Color of the Year is a powerful, orangey-brown shade named for the ancient glossy tree resin that glows translucent, emanating light as if powered from within.
So enigmatic is its glow that Russia’s 18th-century Amber Room was often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World (and famously looted during World War II, a heist that broke hearts across the globe, again flexing its allure).
Though we love the idea of the blazing, mystical color in a sunken living room, this isn't your 1970s amber: Think of it as an old-soul niece with a fire in her belly—and she has plenty to say about the year ahead. Here, how Electric Amber is meeting the moment in a big way, with a confidence that borders on mysterious.
A Sweeping Return to Nature
Expect a near-feverish focus on the natural world in 2024. A rising demand for authentic artisanship and permanence in design, together with the tidal forces of technology fatigue and conversations about the climate and personal wellness, calls for hues with roots, and amber’s prehistoric and literal origins in cedars, redwoods, and other trees are nothing if not grounding. Think of this shade as the light between the trees.
Plus, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, representing growth and transformation; our last wood dragon year was 1964, around the time palettes began shifting from soft pinks and blues to groovy oranges and yellows.
Smoke Signals from Milan (and Beyond)
The Italian runways last fall exploded in brights, signaling a renewed appetite for juicy oranges and yellows—a trend sure to light a fire under interior color schemes in the coming years. Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, and Alberta Ferretti in particular set catwalks ablaze with organic, sunlit looks.
Duality of Color
A complicated year requires a complicated shade—and the latter is not necessarily a bad thing. While election drama perches ahead of us like a lion waiting at the door and dichotomy abounds, chameleonlike colors play like catnip for creatives: Imagine silken fabrics that shift from earthy to orange in morning light, an ultratextural sheepskin that picks up the warm glow of a lamp, amber-hued glass that reads yellow in the sunlight.
“Ambiguous colors are my favorite,” notes San Francisco–based designer Palmer Weiss. “I like colors that can’t be nailed down.”
Is Warmth the New Wellness?
The cold blue light of 24/7 screens might finally be fading. Over the last 12 months, The New York Times, CNN, and a handful of other outlets have reported on a growing number of teens ditching smartphones for no-bells-and-whistles flip phones (aka nights out with friends spent off the screen).
While the appeal of retro anything is as old as, well, retro, experts point to a rising awareness among younger generations of the toll endless screen and social media time can have on mental health. Call it a new awakening to wellness and balance, reigniting our senses through reading, music, and spending time in nature (and doing wonders for our creativity). Enter lively, sensory shades like Electric Amber to echo the warmth and real-world stimulation we're craving.
Not So Fast, A.I.
Is this our generation’s William Morris moment? Artificial intelligence’s swift march into all manner of industries puts a new era of innovation right at our doorstep—and this one is not attached to the machine. Just as the Industrial Age gave rise to a countermovement of makers (led by Morris, John Ruskin, Gustav Stickley, and others), so, too, will A.I. awaken a mighty individualism as we prepare to go toe-to-toe with automated everything. Electric Amber is the fire within.
Products shown in video above: Curtain is made from Smoking Jacket fabric; de Le Cuona. (From left to right): Tintura wallcovering; Arte. Jaipur dinner plate; Pinto. Genoa fabric; Jim Thompson. Roma wine glass; Yali Glass. 1940’s Citrine Rivière necklace; Fred Leighton. Volterra link necklace with Venetian glass intaglio; Elizabeth Locke. Fiori bar lamp; Yali Glass. Bollenglass glass candlestick; Abask. Fleumartin fabric; Pierre Frey. Hand-etched glass; Ecru. Unico citrine ring; Marco Bicego. Moser Bar crystal whiskey glass; Abask. Tourbillons vase; Lalique.
