Positivity and warmth radiate through colour

Led by the Dulux Colour Team, comprising of Colour Specialist Davina Harper, Colour and Communications Manager Andrea Lucena-Orr and Colour Forecaster and Stylist Bree Leech, the annual Dulux Colour Forecast is based on year-round research into the latest global and local trends that are predicted to influence interior design and how we live.

“The team is informed by seminars, including Future Laboratory London, Colour Hive, and Milan Design Week,” Harper says. “We also dissect trend reports and editorials, review fashion catwalks, product and design launches, engage with global and international brands, and analyse customised research through Dulux’s extensive networks in the UK, Italy and France.”

“Every Colour Forecast is significant as colour and design continues to evolve,” adds Harper. “As design exists on a global platform there is always something new and exciting, and being our 15th anniversary of the Dulux Colour Forecast in New Zealand makes 2024 significant.”

“There is a really important element to this year’s Forecast in the way it invites colour and texture into the home. We can see yellow and rich gold becoming more prominent in this year’s palettes. Furthermore, the zesty green and clay brown shades that we saw coming through in the 2023 Colour Forecast are transitioning to a warmer space, featuring yellow and subtle red undertones.”

“We are seeing some lightness in colour, however, the majority of shades are mid-tone with darker shades predominantly used for small accents. The warmth we’re seeing across each of the 2024 Colour Forecast palettes is the answer for consumers who are looking to add positivity by adding colour in their homes.”

Alongside warmer palettes, Leech advises tactility will be another important focus for the year ahead. “Overall, the 2024 Colour Forecast palettes have become more sophisticated, whilst tonal palettes are still popular and particularly comforting.”

“This year we see a shift towards the use of multi-hue schemes, but crafted to reflect a balanced interior,” says Leech. “The colours are richer and there are less pastel and bright hues, compared to what we saw last year with a shift towards more sophisticated nostalgic references.”

Mid-tones work well when they are used on all four walls particularly in bedrooms and living spaces, but even introducing one or two of these colours through paint or accessories can help to keep your home in the current era. “Just changing one space is inspiring and helps you connect and influence emotions through colour,” Harper says.

Solstice palette

Dulux Solstice is a warm and reflective palette of rich browns, clay and warm neutrals with a sun loving yellow as an accent, designed to evoke a comforting, familiar and inviting feeling. “This is a warm and welcoming palette of nurturing hues to make you feel safe and at home,” Harper explains.

“Sunsoaked neutrals are influenced by a soft orange glow and paired with softer shades of pastel blues and citrus yellow. This trend embodies a harmonious blend of cosy and calm styling elements, with captivating material highlights like natural stone, ceramic and highly textured fabrics,” she says.

According to Leech, Solstice starts with inspiration from the pared back Scandinavian design style but adds a Mediterranean and desert influence. “From the Australian outback to the African savannah, the palette brings together warm colours with cooler accents and tactile details, such as braiding and primitive sculptural forms.”

“The 2024 Dulux Colour Forecast images are a great place to start to see how the colours from this year’s palettes can be brought together within an interior setting and allow you to create your own beautiful living spaces,” Leech adds.

Muse palette

Heavily influenced by the nostalgia of the postmodern era, with a particular emphasis on the 70s, the Dulux Muse palette is a celebration of modernising the free spirited styles of the past.

“Whilst sustainability is an underlying theme for each of the 2024 Colour Forecast palettes, it’s particularly prominent within the Muse palette as we reimagine past trends with vintage pieces, to create an interior that feels unmistakably contemporary,” Harper explains.

“The Muse palette is a colourful array of hues predominantly in the mid-tone with warm brown and rich tans, accented with deep blues and soothing greens, to create a distinctly modern interior that has been fused with nostalgic design references reminiscent of the 60s to the 80s, in addition to the textures and glamour from the 70s.”

Leech adds that the Muse palette is a trend that strikes the perfect balance between nostalgia and modernity. “The sophisticated palette results in spaces that are timeless and simultaneously modern, that pays tribute to the design icons that have come before us,” she says.

Journey palette

Dulux Journey takes inspiration from our travels and cultural differences, highlighting rich mid-tone hues with yellow green at the heart with rich decadent reds for contrast. “At its core, Journey celebrates the art of storytelling, where mythical iconography and cherished folk aesthetics find their rightful place, adding layers of depth and colour to your space,” says Harper.

“Olive greens and pale yellow are prominent shades within our Journey palette, with dusty blues and rich burgundy acting as accents within a mix of faded and soft textured furnishings and handmade pieces including painted wicker,” she says.

Leech adds that “the Journey palette has a much more eclectic and maximalist feel and brings together global influences to reflect on the history of our ancestry through objects and items handed down through time.”

Download the 2024 Dulux Colour Forecast palettes paint swatches here.

To learn more about Dulux’s Colour Forecast 2024 visit www.dulux.co.nz facebook.com/duluxnz @duluxnz #DuluxColourForecast2024 #DuluxNZ

ArchitectureNow works with a range of partners in the A&D supply sector to source appropriate content for the site. This article has been supported by Dulux.