Each year, the experts at Dulux share insight into the colours shaping our world. For more than 15 years its annual forecast has revealed the shades we’re gravitating towards and how we can adopt them in our lives and interiors.
Unveiling its forecast for 2027, the Dulux Colour Team says we’ll be getting more personal with colour than ever.
Its three curated colour palettes – Play, Sensory and Treasure – span calming blues, botanical tones and sophisticated jewel-like shades. These selections reflect what Dulux says is a growing desire to express our individuality, create rhythm and ritual and feel a sense of belonging.
The palettes are chosen by the Dulux Colour Team, led in New Zealand by Colour & Design Specialist Davina Harper.
Drawing on extensive year-round research, the team looks at the global and local trends shaping interior design in New Zealand. Major events such as Milan Design Week are a key focus, alongside industry forecasts, collaboration with international brands, design shows and seminars.
Creating expressive, personal spaces
This year Dulux notes the impacts of artificial intelligence, rising living costs and global uncertainty are also playing a part in what we want to surround ourselves with.
“As we become increasingly technologically sophisticated, many of us are also feeling more socially disconnected,” explains Davina Harper.
“The palettes reflect an urgent desire to create spaces that feel more personal, expressive and deeply human,” she says.
Meaningful familiarity provides comfort. Think of the tufted bedspread in your grandmother’s home, the sensory delight of a rich, flavourful curry you finally nailed, or the burst of colour as bulbs from your parents’ garden finally bloom in your own. It’s these little moments that influence our connections with colour.
The natural world also provides plenty of inspiration and if the Dulux team could sum up the year in one colour (but don’t ask them to!) it would be blue. The experienced forecasters even go so far as predicting it as a ‘new neutral’ for homes going forward.
What’s exciting is the sense of individuality running through the palettes, with colour playing a more expressive role in the home through unexpected combinations, layered tones and thoughtful details. Even hand-drawn accents have been flagged in the ‘Play’ selection, emerging as a fun and creative way to personalise interiors.
Many of these concepts are beginning to bridge the worlds of design, interiors and fashion. Textures that demand to be touched, handcrafted techniques such as weaving and crochet, organic shapes, botanical inspiration and colourful flourishes work alongside the new shade selections to provide plenty of inspiration for the coming year.
Here’s how Dulux’s palettes translate the key design trends emerging locally and globally:
PLAY
Embracing the joy of unpredictability in design and in life, the Play palette invites us to draw outside the lines. Figuratively, of course, but it also recognises that imperfection has its own charm and celebrates the human touch. The palette captures this spirit with unexpected light and mid-tone colour pairings. Soft yellow-greens meet lively, rich berry and vibrant orange accents. Cornflower blue and spearmint bring a lightness and optimism, while navy and warm browns provide familiar balance.
Unexpected personality and texture come to life across a room as the design world experiments with innovative materials including silicone, rubber, pleated details and padded, inflatable-looking furnishings, creating spaces that are modular, inviting and individual. Coloured glass and stone bring bright accent shades into the mix. Even nostalgic but beloved items such as record players, chess sets and board games are making a comeback as both functional objects and design features.
SENSORY
The Sensory palette is designed to bring us back to the here and now, with mindful living and simple grounding rituals. A sense of overwhelm can be countered by predictable rituals such as lighting a candle or making a cup of tea. These approaches are shaped by Japanese restraint, quiet, structured order, and craftsmanship.
The palette leans into this idea with tones that create a serene sanctuary. Botanical greens join rich, earthy browns and touches of light coastal blue, while familiar tan and wheat shades can easily be layered into a calm and considered space.
In the wider design scheme, sound-softening materials such as honed stone and rich wood grains, paired with woody scents and refined weave, offer a steadying presence in our busy lives. Smoked glass, textured tiles and brushed brass bring elegance without ostentation, while sculptural furniture and handcrafted details are also on the rise. The result is a blend of pleasing symmetry and raw, tactile, organic details that feels authentic and real.
TREASURE
Personal storytelling and heritage drive the Treasure palette. Jewel tones and historic design influences feel rich, elegant and warm, with a sense of history and layers built over time.
Interiors draw on the grandeur of eras and places past, bringing a touch of drama without veering into an OTT feel. Layered with contemporary furnishings and fittings, these elements create a timeless yet luxurious feel.
Berry shades are prominent, while shades of yellow and gold bring warmth and luminosity, anchored by deeper tones such as moody blues. Teal and coral-pink play-off these main shades well.
Further enhancing the enveloping feel are plush velvet fabrics, drapery and fringing, alongside distinctive marbling and sculptural metals. Patina and oxidised surfaces tell of time and history, while polished finishes interplay with light and shadow, heightening the narrative quality of this style.
Ready to explore the Dulux Colour Forecast 2027 in your own home? Try your favourite colours with free A4 Colour Swatches or discover more at dulux.co.nz/colourforecast
Main image: Artwork: Louise Knowles – Light In The Sky 4 (Studio Gallery); Decorative Wall Sculpture: Quevara – ‘You Are Loved #26’ (Craft Victoria)
PLAY image: Artwork: Margaret Delahunty Spencer – A Day Full Of Surprises 01 (Fenton & Fenton); Artwork: Elizabeth O’Connor – Colour Crush Bondi Blue #004 (Studio Gallery)
SENSORY image: Decorative Sculpture: Tracy Muirhead – Large Oval Serving Bowl in Green (Craft Victoria); Decorative Sculpture: Amy Wale – “Beautiful Vomit” Sculptural Vessel (Craft Victoria); Decorative Sculpture: Laura Veleff – “Specimen Gully” Vessel #9 (Craft Victoria) ; Decorative Sculpture: David Austin – “Ra” Sculptural Vessel – on Mantel (Craft Victoria)
TREASURE image: Artwork: Jessica Olpp – Nature Morte Aux Poires Et À La Bouteille (Forman Art and Framing)
