A desire for a fresh start in 2022 will see people opt for lighter colours, according to Dulux as it revealed the Colour of the Year for 2022, Bright Skies, along with four supporting ColourFutures palettes.

The launch is supported by a range of tools, including a Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Decorator Guide, designed to help decorators talk to customers about the transformative power of the colour in both homes and commercial buildings. 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.

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.

To decide on the ColourFutures 2022 palettes and the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year, a panel of acclaimed international colour and design experts and trend forecasters from the worlds of architecture, cultural analysis, design innovation and technology, gathered virtually to consider the trends, innovation and events that will impact the way we all live and work. The colour experts then distilled the results of this into a single colour - and supporting palettes - that encapsulates the mood of the moment.

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 Colour of the Year Decorator guide, combined with digital assets available on the Dulux Trade website, have all been designed to support professionals in demonstrating their expertise to customers, with inspirational imagery paired with technical information on the best products available. 

The four colour palettes - Workshop, Greenhouse, Studio and Salon - feature colours all designed to work together in a room, helping decorators bring colour schemes to life for customers. Bright Skies features in each palette.

Workshop is about creating adaptable spaces that reinvent the home or workplace. Whether this is zoning a multi-purpose space such as a studio flat, decorating a home office or creating breakout areas in an open plan office, these are light and positive colours that make the space functional fun.

Greenhouse is full of fresh greens and blues that serve the purpose of being the perfect backdrop for bringing nature into a room, in the form of plants and natural materials such as bark or cork. The introduction of nature-inspired palette seeks to evoke the positive effects of nature in indoor spaces.

Studio spaces seek 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 customers who want a room, or space that’s ready for anything.  

Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux, says: “Over the past 19 years, decorators will know 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 decorators to make it easy for their customers to choose on-trend shades that work perfectly together.

“Dulux Trade is committed to equipping decorators with the tools and training they need to support their customers when making colour choices, and so we’ve created a handy guide to working with the Colour Of The Year 2022. Decorators are the gateway to breathing new life into homes up and down the country, so we see them as a vital part of the drive to quite literally paint positive new beginnings for the nation.’’ 

Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Bright Skies and the supporting palettes can be tinted in the widest possible range of Dulux Trade paints, including Dulux Trade Weathershield for exterior projects, and is available in decorator merchants from 14 September 2021. 

To download the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2022 Decorator Guide visit www.duluxtrade.co.uk/CF22.