Dulux Trade has revealed its ColourFutures 2022 trend palettes, including Dulux Trade Colour of the Year Bright Skies.
The launch is supported by the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Specifier brochure, designed to inspire commercial design professionals working in all sectors, from hospitality to healthcare.
This brochure is part of Dulux Trade’s ongoing dedication to supporting specifiers with their latest projects, and is part of a wider package of ColourFutures content, including design mood boards and advice videos, that can be harnessed by professionals looking to create the perfect space – in any setting – using Bright Skies™.
Now in its 19th year, the four ColourFutures 2022 palettes have been selected using insights from a range of market-leading experts from across the globe, to support design professionals when it comes to colour and design projects for their clients across all sectors.
The new Dulux Trade Colour of the Year, Bright Skies is an airy, light blue that perfectly captures the optimism and desire for a fresh start that is the mood of the moment. It can bring any space to life, a true breath of fresh air.
For the 19th year in a row, AkzoNobel assembled leaders across a diverse set of design disciplines including, fashion, colour and the built environment, to consider the global social, cultural and political trends that are sparking new innovations and events that will impact the way we all live and work. This was a year like no other and for the first time, rather than attending the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetics Centre in Amsterdam, the group gathered online for a virtual summit.
With millions of people now adopting hybrid home and office working patterns, there is a need for colour that is flexible and open, to empower this multi-purpose lifestyle and the demands we put on our spaces. This is where Bright Skies™ comes to the fore, as a colour that is good for the soul.
The four colour palettes will inspire and facilitate commercial projects in a range of sectors – they are Workshop, Greenhouse, Studio and Salon.
Workshop is about creating adaptable spaces that reinvent the space. Whether this is zoning a multi-purpose space or creating breakout areas in an open plan office, these are light and positive colours that make the functional fun.
Greenhouse is full of fresh greens and blues that serve the purpose of being the perfect backdrop for bringing other natural materials into a room, in the form of plants or materials such as bark or cork.
The Studio palette seeks to soothe, with a mix of pale pinks, reds and oranges. Subtle and inspiring, decorating with this palette enables the creation of a sanctuary, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, so will be perfect for quiet areas or breakout spaces in offices or gyms.
Finally, the Salon is an enabler of fresh ideas and creative thinking. Consciously pale and soft, this palette is for those who want a room, or space that’s ready for anything.
Marianne Shilingford, Creative Director of Dulux UK, says: “Right now, people want to feel revitalised and enjoy the freedoms that are returning to them, to look out and bring in new ideas. What better inspiration can we take than the endless skies around us?
“Biophilic design which embraces design cues inspired by nature, is entering the mainstream, and it is now widely known that nature makes us feel better and taking steps to bring the outside in enhances our sense of wellbeing.
“So whether clients want spaces to work, relax, teach or exercise, it is essential to have colours that reflect the optimism and desire for a fresh, new start that is top of the agenda for the year ahead.
“However, Bright Skies and the palettes are not about idle day-dreaming. It is about turning those dreams into reality and forging ahead with the changes that we want to make.
“This is why the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year and supporting palettes are practical, open and flexible to all kinds of requirements. Professionals should relish talking to their customers about the transformative impact these colours can have.”
Heleen van Gent, head of the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetics Centre, says: “Over the past 19 years, we’ve seen a dramatic shift from a concentration on brighter tones to an emphasis on neutrals.
“This year, however, vibrant colours and light tones are re-emerging – a reflection, perhaps of our need for positivity and a fresh approach. After a spell of feeling shut in, we crave expansion – the great outdoors. The 37 curated colours in this year’s collection help to make it easy to choose complementary shades.”
Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Bright Skies™ and the palettes are available to specify from 14 September 2021.
To download the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Specifier Brochure visit www.duluxtrade.co.uk/CF22.
