Lifestyle

Bright Skies™ ahead: Trend experts predict hope and optimism for 2022 – and the colour we all need to embrace

Published

2 years ago

16th September 2021

Editor

A desire for a fresh start and a wave of hope and optimism is set to dominate 2022, according to trend experts assembled by the nation’s favourite paint brand Dulux.

As Dulux announces its Colour of the Year for 2022 as Bright Skies™, an airy light blue that perfectly captures this hopeful mood of the moment, all signs point to new beginnings and a breath of fresh air.

For the 19th year in a row, Dulux has assembled leaders in design, fashion, colour and the built environment to consider the trends, 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 Global Aesthetics Centre, the group gathered online for the first virtual summit.

The colour experts at Dulux then distilled the results of this into a single colour – and supporting palettes – that encapsulates this mood.

The result is Bright Skies™, a blue colour that can bring any living space to life and is good for the soul – a true breath of fresh air.

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.

Marianne Shillingford, 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?

“It is widely known that nature makes us feel better and taking steps to bring the outside in enhances our sense of wellbeing.

“So whether we are working or relaxing, creating or exercising, it is essential to have a space that reflects the optimism and desire for a fresh, new start that is top of the agenda for the year ahead.

“However, Bright Skies™ is 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 Colour of the Year 2022 and its supporting palettes are practical, open and flexible to all kinds of requirements.”

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

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. This helps people feel the positive effects of nature.

Salon is an enabler of fresh ideas and creative thinking. Consciously pale and soft, this palette is for those who want a room, or a home, that’s ready for anything.

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.

Finally, the Workshop allows people to create adaptable spaces that reinvent the home. Whether this is zoning a multi-purpose space such as a studio flat or decorating a home office, these are light and positive colours that make the functional fun.

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 on-trend shades.”

To inspire complete home makeovers, Dulux has teamed up with partners Houzz, DFS, Topps Tiles and Stoves to take Bright Skies™ beyond paint and into other elements of homes and interiors this year.

Furniture retailer DFS has produced a range of soft furnishings in Bright Skies™, including a sofa and complementary cushions in palette colours.

Kitchen appliances manufacturer Stoves, meanwhile, has created its Richmond Deluxe collection of range cookers in the Bright Skies™ colour as a centrepiece to a modern kitchen.

There are also two types of Bright Skies™ tile sold by Topps Tiles to encourage different transformation projects around the home.

Dulux Colour of the Year 2022 Bright Skies™ is available from 14 September 2021, in a specially designed unique can that features new branding to set it apart from the rest of the Dulux range.

For more information, visit: dulux.co.uk/COTY22