Crown Paints welcomed students from the University of Salford to its dedicated space within Material Source Studio in Manchester. 

The paint manufacturer invited third-year Interior Design students from the university to take part in a full-day itinerary of brand, colour and product workshops, alongside inspirational talks and presentations from the Crown Paints Architect and Design team. 

The students heard from the experts on upcoming colour trends they should expect to see coming to light in Spring/Summer ‘22, as determined by Crown Paints trend panel members. The panel regularly comes together to review design developments and societal behaviours to create a series of inspirational colour palettes and stylised photography for the upcoming season.

In addition, Tiling supplier, Casa Ceramica, which also has a POD within Material Source Studio, held a session with the students, delivered by Gary Russell, Architectural Specifications Manager.

‘Fostering young talent is crucial’

Melanie Thomas, Architectural and Design Consultant at Crown Paints, says: “Our partnership with Material Source Studio is at the heart of our continuous collaboration with the architecture and design community – and it’s fantastic to have extended that relationship to the next generation of industry professionals, too. 

“Fostering young talent is crucial to our industry and we’re proud to put Northern talent on display, while bringing experts from the wider design industry together to share ideas, inspiration and expertise on the latest trends and products.”

‘An essential resource’

Tim Bramley, Interior Design Programme Leader at The University of Salford, adds: “It’s been fantastic to see our students integrating with the wider design community and having the opportunity to learn from the expertise of the Crown Paints team.

“Material Source Studio is an essential resource for current and future industry professionals – and we’re so fortunate to have it on our doorstep.”

Crown Paints has operated an exhibit at Material Source Studio since 2021, providing a source of inspiration for the design community, complete with trend insights, sample sharing, industry-leading case studies, colour expertise workshops, and a relaxing break-out area.

Set across two levels in the Grade II listed Hanover Building in Manchester City Centre, the 15,000 square foot studio is also home to an 80-seat theatre, CPD area, 300+ book library, co-working hub, meeting spaces and podcast studio. Plus, an internal garden with a fully mature, six-metre tree, spanning both floors.