BLUE IS THE HUE AS DULUX REVEALS ITS 2017 COLOUR OF
THE YEAR
‘Denim Drift’ announced as 2017 Colour of the Year
Dulux encourages a new outlook on life with the launch
of key colour trends for 2017
This week Dulux announced the 2017 Colour of The Year as
part of the highly anticipated launch of its Colour Futures 2017 trend
forecast.
The curated trend palettes, which are informed by a
global team of experts, align with four key colour stories inspired by an
overarching theme of ‘life in a new light’.
The leading paint brand’s team of global colour and
design experts develop the annual forecast based on emerging trends that shape
the way people live. From interior-design and architecture to fashion and
beauty, through to social and economic influences; the colour trends inform the
evolving landscape of our lives.
TREND FORECASTING
PROCESS:
International design and colour visionaries at the
Dulux Global Aesthetic Center have been scouring the globe for the latest
social and trend developments, to help them lead the way in colour innovation.
The colour experts have used this insight to define the tones and shades that
best represent how we will live our lives in 2017.
2017 OVERRIDING
THEME: ‘Life in a new light’, a new way of being
This year, the overriding theme encourages you to
celebrate a new outlook on the simple things that make life special. With real
and authentic experiences becoming more important than ever before, Dulux is
taking a fresh look at the foundations of everyday life that contribute to our
extraordinary lives.
Louise Tod, from the Dulux Global Aesthetics Centre
says “As the world changes, people are taking a fresh look at the everyday
elements of life – our family and friends, work, connecting with nature, and
the pleasure of experiences. We are incredibly excited that ‘Life in a new
Light’ is the driving influence for 2017 and is seen in all our colour trends
for the year.”
COLOUR OF THE YEAR:
Dulux is excited to announce ‘Denim Drift’ as the
defining colour of 2017. A beautiful, timeless and versatile grey-blue, is the
must-have colour for the year ahead. It perfectly captures the mood of the
moment and is a true embodiment of the way we’ll live our lives in 2017.
Dulux Colour and Design Trend Expert, Rebecca
Williamson says: “Denim Drift is a wonderfully diverse foundation for the 2017
trend palettes, which tells the story of ‘life in a new light’. With denim blue
set to dominate the interior and fashion trend agenda for 2017, Denim Drift is
the perfect fit to reflect the times we live in, that real desire for
simplicity. Designers love it and so do we.
“Denim Drift and its complementary colour palette of
tonal blues shows the growing importance of this colour area which we are
constantly surrounded by. It’s even the world’s favourite colour. There is a
colour combination for everyone’s taste and preference, but with that soothing
denim blue being our firm favourite, just like in our wardrobes.”
COLOUR AND DESIGN
TRENDS OVERVIEW:
Colour of the Year Palette: Dulux has developed a beautiful tonal colour palette
specifically to complement the Colour of the Year, Denim Drift, featuring a
spectrum of blues and complimentary blue-hued tones.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux
says: “Creating a blue colour scheme is successful when you choose shades that
work beautifully together. This year the Colour of the Year, Denim Drift, has
been teamed with a palette of blues which give you the confidence to get it
right every time. There are ten blues within the palette, five of them,
including Denim Drift, are muted and atmospheric and the remaining five are
cleaner, brighter hues that pack more of a punch. The whole collection has been
designed to be used in combination across different elements of an interior
from the walls to the furniture, furnishings and accessories. You can
turn the visual impact up with the brighter blues and down with the muted blues
to suit the style and personality of a room and can be sure that none of them
will ever look out of place.”
New Romanticism: As the world becomes more passionate and vocal about
issues surrounding the environment, this topic infiltrates the way we are living
and our priorities in life, with sustainability and responsibility front of
mind. We are all connected to nature and yet we live in an overwhelmingly urban
and digital world. Being closer to the planet allows you to reconnect with your
spiritual self, ensuring you have a healthy mind and soul. Although this trend
comes from a place that is deeply considered, it can be translated easily into
our homes in a boho, eclectic fashion that immerses you in the natural world.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux
says: “Lush
greens and smoky violets team cleverly with wicker and natural wood which
really come back into their own as affordable materials which reconnect our
homes with the earth and nature. The look is rooted in the found, revamped and
restored rather than the pristine new and plants are everywhere, improving the
air we breathe while they fill a space with life, colour and texture. Use
strong colour to connect pieces of painted furniture that don’t match and add
small clever touches of sharp cool green alongside broader areas painted in
warmer verdant shades
Shared Individualism: Cities are growing, demographics and social settings
are changing, and so the importance of having a sense of belonging and being
part of a group is increasingly relevant. Dulux has observed the way in which
individuals come together to create a network or family, whether that’s
friends, relatives or a wider community of like-minded people and share their
ideas, dreams and spaces. This colour palette has a fresh and playful mood
which is perfect for creating a shared space to enjoy together.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director for Dulux
says: “When
combining some of the smokey neutrals in the palette with the sweeter warm
shades, something magical happens. Use the strongest colours in blocks,
circles and graphic patterns. Chalk in the circles and paint by hand rather
than worry about getting the shapes perfect. The hand painted is much
more authentic and appealing than crisp graphics in this very human centred
trend.
The
palette isn’t bound to paint alone so in spaces where you want a more relaxed
feel, you can combine the colours you are using to decorate the walls with pops
of other shades from the palette in the soft furnishings. Combine with
pure white and pale woods in furniture and don’t be afraid of a bit of black to
ground the look”
The Working Home: The boundary between work life and personal life is
shifting, and as such
we seek a more balanced way of living and working. The
home has become an office, and likewise offices are becoming more like homes as
we are living 24/7 lives, and so we need beautiful places to work at home, and
new inspiration for how to do this. Dulux has developed a colour palette to
help you create different zones in the home, and a fluid environment that fits
both. Whether you like to take your laptop to the kitchen with a coffee, or
carve out a specific area for working, you can be comfortable, relaxed and
focused within your living space.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director for Dulux
says: “There
is no longer a line to blur between the places we work and the places we live
but there are ways in which we can make our homes a better place to do both.
Work spaces can be defined by painted blocks and circles of contrasting colour
which at once become both zones for activity and focal points of interest. Use
the cool neutrals in the palette as a backdrop to bursts of warm colour in
graphic shapes which can either be dynamic and curved or more restful and in
blocks. Horizontal bands of colour instil an element of tranquillity which
allows you to think clearly as well as relax and connect the working home
interior together.”
Considered Luxury: This trend captures a new way of living; a new
consumerism in which value is placed on experience rather than possessions.
Creating memories that are priceless is our priority as we look at the world
with fresh eyes, not adding clutter but experiences instead. It is the new way
of consuming: buy less, choose well and make it last. You walk away with less
but are infinitely more enriched. The senses are stimulated in a magical, powerful
way with soft textiles, tactile walls, beautiful smells, and music. It is a
subtle and modest luxury, with poetic surprise rather than cluttered
belongings.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director at Dulux
says: “This
palette of sophisticated neutrals have the quality to subtly change in
different light conditions, giving a greater flexibility on how a space looks
and feels at any given time. In this look, everything counts and everything is
meaningful, even different sheen levels of the same colour can be used to make
an impact that is whispered and memorable.
The
experience you have of the space should be as important as the way it appears,
so resist the temptation to fill it with stuff that looks great but has no back
story. A nice chair is just a nice chair, but one that you had
specially made, or made yourself is something that provides lasting joy. Feel
the space as well as see it by extending the palette into tactile materials and
fabrics that delight your fingers and toes and tell stories through the art you
hang and objects you display”
dulux press release
