Dulux Trade predicts a colourful future

Dulux Trade, the renowned colour authority, has unveiled its colour trend predictions for the year ahead with the highly anticipated launch of its unique ColourFutures™ 2011 resource. Compiled by the colour experts at Dulux Trade, the insightful publication translates global themes into style trends for interior and exterior design.

The overall inspiration for the collection of diverse and stimulating palettes in ColourFutures™ 2011 is 'appreciation': valuing the natural environment and being content with what we have, rather than what we want, and understanding the harmony between nature and technology.

Taking into account developing trends and influences from all over the world, the resource is divided into five key themes:

The Beauty of Everyday Life - encouraging an examination of everyday objects that we may take for granted, and an appreciation that everything has its own beauty. The palette is reminiscent of the simple things in life that make us happy; blue skies, flowers, fruits and vegetables, fragrant herbs and fresh washing drying in the breeze

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Finding the Way - inspired by maps and urban architecture, the trend looks at simplifying the world around us. It looks at how colour can be used to give people direction, using accents and shades that are contrasted with cool neutrals to define areas and spaces

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Pop Up Pleasure - embracing our need for fun and excitement, as well as temporality in the modern world, this is a light-hearted palette with a modest vibe. Capturing a sense of magic and joy with childlike innocence, the theme uses light, zingy tints and clean pastels - including greens, pinks and yellows - set against a clean background and grounded by a typical cardboard brown

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Made With Love - focusing on the long-term environmental benefits of using quality materials, this theme places emphasis on man-made, long lasting structures and is dominated by a spirit of honesty, directness and creative pride. An appreciation of nature is still apparent in the palette, however, which consists of deep blues that are set against browns and yellows

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Molecular Magic - considers the idea that beauty can be indentified in everything, including the things we traditionally think of as destructive or unhealthy, such as moulds, viruses and bacteria. As such, this theme contrasts stunning greens, purples and turquoises with understated dark colours

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In addition, each year, the colour specialists at Dulux Trade highlight a single colour from one of the five themes that best represents the prevailing mood of the time. For 2011, this is a zingy and fresh citrus yellow, symbolising positive thought and well being, it is also representative of how technological advancements can work harmoniously with nature to create something enduring and beautiful.

The ColourFutures™ 2011 literature is based upon research conducted by colour experts from around the globe and produced in conjunction with ICI Paints AkzoNobel's aesthetics centre, a unique colour and trend forecasting facility. The literature is designed for the architect and design industries, and is developed to inspire and provide insight into upcoming trends.