Photography: Lisa Cohen / Styling: Bree Leech
Trends are moving faster than ever. New aesthetics appear quicker than a Japanese bullet train, popular one minute and ‘vintage’ the next. But when it comes to colour and interior style, things move a little slower.
Nobody knows this more so than the forecasters at iconic paint brand Dulux. The team monitor and research the global and local design trends throughout the year—scouring Milan Design Week for innovative furniture, art, and textiles—to uncover the emerging colour schemes and bring us the annual Dulux Colour Forecast.
The forecast features three beautiful palettes that will influence the way we live and style our homes in the year to come. Here, we share everything you need to know about the Dulux Colour Forecast 2024 and how to make it work in your home.
Palette one: Solstice
A melting pot of Scandinavian and Mediterranean design, the Solstice palette is comprised of warm, comforting neutrals, rich and organic hues, citrus yellow accents, and mid-tone blue contrasts.
Signifying the start of summer and the joyful anticipation of warmer weather, Solstice is designed to feel familiar and inviting. Rather than feeling cocooning, this warm palette creates an open, uplifting sense of calm and clarity when used liberally in interiors.
“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,” says colour forecaster and stylist, Bree Leech.
Style tip: Decorate with tactile materials like natural stone, ceramic and highly textured fabrics to amplify the nature-inspired tones.
Palette two: Journey
The Journey palette is inspired by storytelling, weaving mythical iconography and cherished folk aesthetics into a maximalist colour scheme.
“Olive greens and mustard yellow shades are prominent hues within the 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,” says Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux Colour and Communications Manager.
For people who love to travel, this is the perfect palette to add rich layers of depth and colour to interiors. “The Journey palette … brings together global influences to reflect on the history of our ancestry through objects and items handed down through time,” Bree adds.
Style tip: Eclecticism is key to nailing the Journey palette at home, so dust off your antiques, travel treasures and family heirlooms, and pair wicker and rattan chairs with heavily patterned rugs that tell a story.
Palette three: Muse
Nostalgia reigns supreme in the Muse palette, as it draws design references from the 60s through to the 80s, with an emphasis on the glamorous and adventurous 70s. The palette balances expressive, nostalgic colours with modern, contemporary hues.
“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,” explains Andrea.
When it comes to decorating with the Muse palette, don’t hold back. Complement the bold colour scheme with glossy surfaces, coloured glass and mirrored finishes, and style the space with furniture upholstered in rich fabrics like velvet or satin.
“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,” Andrea adds.
Style tip: Use vintage-inspired décor to bring this palette to life. Look for geometric and curvy shapes, or simply feature the iconic mushroom lamp for an instant hit of fun and free-spirited style.
