The start of a new year sees many of us looking for a fresh new look in our homes to match our ambitions for the year ahead. But with so many colours to choose from, how do we pick a scheme we’ll love?
We recommend starting off by considering how you want your home to make you feel. Are you looking to create a calming space that will restore a sense of wellbeing or maybe you’d like your home to raise your energy levels and inspire creativity? Would you like to introduce unexpected elements that will challenge you to view the world from a new perspective?
To help you find the perfect new look for your home, we investigate the latest palettes being used by designers and how you can use these colour trends to create a home that helps you feel great.
Restorative naturals
For a look that encourages you to focus on wellbeing and connects you to the natural world, combine a gentle palette of barely there neutral shades with a handcrafted artisan look. With a pared back colour scheme and natural materials, you can create a reassuring and comforting home that will feel like it’s rooted in history and has always been this way.
A neutral palette of warm tones in matt finishes, from the palest chalk through to earthy clay, terracotta and charcoal grey, is undemanding and will enhance natural light to make your room feel larger. For a comfortable, lived-in vibe, introduce plenty of tactile fabrics coloured with natural pigments and vegetable dyes to add soft layers of colour without eye-catching contrast.
Pair this relaxing colour scheme with a rustic mid-toned limestone or natural oak flooring to inject texture and interest.
Distressed Oak (available in a rigid core VGW82T-SCB and gluedown VGW82T format)
Adventurous brights
For a fresh playful look that will inspire a sense of optimism for the future, head over to the pure hues on the bolder side of the colour chart. Whether you introduce small amounts of colour with accessories or be brave with wall-to-wall brights, this is a colour trend that is sure to lift your spirits.
Opt for a mix and match of vivid mid-tones, from pastels to brighter sorbet colours, such as lavender, lemon, mint and sky blue for a look that will evoke the energy and passion of Latin America.
Perhaps you’ve fallen in love with Pantone’s colour of the year for 2022, Very Peri, a periwinkle blue hue with violet-red undertones. For a look that’s bound to be a show stopper, why not combine this confident and daring shade with rose pink or leaf green, balanced with charcoal or taupe.
To complete your fun colour scheme, add a touch of whimsy with quirky shaped curved furniture or artwork and pair with a cool toned flooring which will let your bold colour choices shine.
Bold contrasts
If you’re looking to create a unique look that’s unexpected and thought provoking then you’ll love the trend for experimenting with surprising combinations. Add in some abstract or geometric patterns and you’ll create a look that is sure to stand out from the crowd.
If you yearn for warmer days, you can recreate that feeling with a hot mix of zingy yellow, burnt orange and crimson. Add in a pure mid-blue like Dulux’s colour of the year Bright Skies to highlight an architectural feature and you’ll be transported to an autumnal forest on a sunny day.
Alternatively, tone things down with deep dusky tones that contain a touch of grey such as petrol blue, aubergine, teal and dusty rose. Combine these vibrant sensual shades on walls and decadent materials such as velvet, silk or leather to create an intimate, cosy space that truly reflects your individuality.
A warm toned floor will balance these bold shades and add depth, so opt for a rich wood flooring or dramatic charcoal grey stone.
For more colour and style ideas, visit our home inspiration hub.