Dulux ColourFutures™: Painting a vivid picture of how we live right now

Since 2004, Dulux has championed the transformative power of paint by collaborating with leading trend experts from across the globe to devise a single annual colour that defines the mood of the moment, resulting in 20 Colours of the Year (and counting) to date. 

Because we’ve been a household name in more than 80 countries for years – trusted not just because of the beauty of our palettes but because of the quality of our paint – our Colour of the Year and supporting palettes have inspired how countless people across the world have decorated their homes through generations, using a rigorous process informed by expertise and passion to create a trending shade. Our method? ColourFutures™. 

ColourFutures™: a process of trend forecasting 

Everything starts with our team of experts at the Global Aesthetic Centre in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, led by global creative director Heleen van Gent. Once a year, Heleen and the team invite a consortium of global design experts to a creative Trend Forecast to share their wisdom about where the world is heading and how people are feeling.

From architects, editors, designers and photographers to stylists, restaurateurs and chemists, international experts from various disciplines contribute to the ColourFutures™ process, providing us with crucial insights into political movements, cultural trends and economic behaviours, amongst others.

After much discussion, collaboration and even debating, these insights are finally translated into a single Colour of the Year and series of colour palettes that reflect society and its mood.  

Christian Muller, Creative Director in industrial material design for Muller van Toll, says: “We might come from different fields of expertise and parts of the world, but the language of colour unites us.”

“It’s a truly global debate representing every continent”, adds Zuzanna Skalsa, a strategic trends advisor. “With our different creative eyes, we’re in search of a common narrative and connected by a passion to share and learn.”

Architect, Marijn Schenk, concludes: “Our annual ColourFutures™ encounters are one of those rare moments to reflect on what has been and what’s to come in the world. Sharing thoughts, anxieties and hopes with bright minds from all over the globe is a great pleasure” 

By turning feeling into colour, we aim to offer our customers an emotional as well as practical way to transform the environment around them.

Looking back… to look forward

“Evolving year on year, our colour choices tell the stories of our times,” explains Heleen. “They inspire everyone, everywhere to transform their lives with paint.” 

While times, trends and the mood of the moment have certainly changed since we started Colour Futures and Colour of the Year in 2004 – shifting from brighter tones to neutrals and back to brighter colours again – commonalities such as nature, balance and simplicity have remained the same. Perhaps it’s those themes that make us all human? From turquoise-green and light blue to sherbet lemon and juicy red – to name just a handful – our back catalogue remains as relevant now as it was when each individual unique colour was unveiled.  

Just one question remains: what’s next? Time – and a lot of expertise and passion – will tell. 

Be the first to discover Dulux Colour of the Year 2025 on 10th September by following us on social media @duluxuk or signing-up to our newsletter. 

Meanwhile, explore the last 20 years of ColourFutures™ below and get inspired to transform your home with paint.