Every year, trend experts from across the design, fashion, colour and architecture world come together to predict what colour we will be using in our homes and on the catwalk in the coming year and this year Dulux has chosen Bright Skies™

Described by Dulux as “an airy, light blue”, this colour has been chosen as it “perfectly captures the hopeful mood of the moment, all signs point to new beginnings and a breath of fresh air”.

Colour experts at Dulux look at how we live, work and play and produce a colour palette from this to encapsulate the current mood. “With millions of people now adopting hybrid home and office working patterns, there is a need for colour that is flexible and open”. With this in mind, they look at the palette and the Colour of the Year is selected.

Bright Skies™ is the 19^th colour of the year from Dulux and was selected because of its flexibility and ability to bring a room to life, a true breath of fresh air. Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director of Dulux UK, explained:

“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?”

Bright Skies™ Colour Palettes

Bright Skies™ is supported by four colour palettes to help inspire decorating projects in every room – they are Greenhouse, Salon, Studio and Workshop

Greenhouse

This is full of fresh greens and blues and my favourite palette. I love biophilic design and bringing nature into the home and this is the perfect palette to do so! The Greenhouse palette helps people feel the positive effects of nature in their home and can be complimented with layers of colour in the room.

Salon

Salon is described as an enabler of fresh ideas and creative thinking. This is a pale and soft palette with off whites and strong mineral colours. These colours can really be brought to life in furniture and soft furnishings.

Studio

With its mix of pale pinks, reds and oranges, Studio spaces seek to soothe and create a sanctuary away from the busyness of modern life. It is a creative palette that helps set our imagination free with Bright Skies included to give it that breath of fresh air.

Workshop

Our homes have had to work hard over the last 18 months. They have become a place of sanctuary, but also where we work and play with family. The Workshop palette allows people to reinvent their home by creating zones or multi-purpose spaces where we can chat and thrive. Using textures is key to making this palette work.

Heleen van Gent, head of the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetics Centre, says:

“This year, 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”.

This year, Dulux has teamed up with DFS, Topps Tiles and Stoves to take Bright Skies™ beyond paint and into other areas of our homes and interior. This will include sofas in the pale blue shade, tiles to take your kitchen into 2022 and a Stove in a Bright Skies™ hue. 

Is Bright Skies™ the ultimate Biophilic colour? It is tranquil, serene and synonymous with the sky and ocean. I think it can automatically make us feel calm, something we have all needed over the last 18 months.

I have to admit, I am not a fan of light blue in the home. It seems to be confined to boys’ rooms and bathrooms and I find it a little cold and unwelcoming in spaces like the living room or kitchen.

However, by incorporating Bright Skies™ into the colour palettes and using complimenting colours, I can see it working brilliantly with previous Colours of the Year like Brave Ground and Tranquil Dawn.

What do you think of Bright Skies™?

Mel x