Tenderness and connection through colour

This yr’s forecast champions heat earth-based neutrals, wealthy burnt oranges, caramels, and greens akin to moss and spearmint. Smooth pinks and classic rose tones additionally function, alongside tender pastels and muted berry shades. Harper says, “New Zealanders are feeling digitally overwhelmed. There’s a robust shift in the direction of emotional reconnection — with ourselves, with others, and with nature. This interprets into a necessity for heat, calming interiors that encourage reflection and pleasure.”

Whereas every of the three palettes are distinct, there may be common craving for wellness, stability and reconnection that may be seen inside every of the palettes.

“As a part of this analysis, the Dulux Color Staff carefully collaborates with worldwide manufacturers, attends design reveals and seminars, and international occasions akin to Milan Design Week,” says Harper. “We additionally draw from customised development analysis and insights accessed via Dulux’s international community throughout the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific. As members of the Colour Advertising and marketing Group (CMG), we analyse key reviews from CMG in addition to forecasting companies akin to Colour Hive – Combine Journal and LS:N World to make sure our forecasting displays what’s forward.”

Harper provides “Every palette has been thoughtfully designed permitting customers to combine and match shades with ease by staying throughout the confines of every palette. This flexibility empowers folks to personalise their areas in a manner that really displays their fashion and life-style.”

Dulux Ethereal

Dulux Ethereal is a mushy, female, and kooky palette that provides a magical celebration of nature’s nurturing energy. Designed to uplift and soothe, it attracts on themes of wellness, quiet power, and religious selfcare. This delicate but playful palette encourages a reconnection with the pure rhythms that form our lives over time.

Impressed by fantasy fiction, and restorative rituals, Dulux Ethereal gives a delicate escape — providing calm and luxury in a time of worldwide uncertainty. “Dulux Ethereal contains a delicate pastel-like mix of soppy and mid-tone hues — light greens, mauves, and blush pinks — that evoke a way of serenity and pleasure,” says Harper. “With romantic tones like Dulux Snowdon Forest, Dulux Completely different Pink and Dulux Masks, alongside refined pastels akin to Dulux Wainui Seaside, Dulux Lake Camp and Dulux Waitiki Touchdown, this palette feels playful, uplifting, and quietly luxurious.”

“That is our most expressive palette,” says Harper. “The supplies really feel mushy and alluring — like mushy oak, bleached wooden, and plush materials with light botanical designs. Shiny surfaces like glass and chrome convey mild, while sand-blasted textures soften the shine, making a dreamy, layered look.”

See extra about Dulux Ethereal…

Dulux Elemental

Dulux Elemental affords a relaxed, grounded response to the overstimulation of recent life. Rooted in anti-burnout tradition, this brutalist-inspired fashion embraces sluggish dwelling, emotional readability, and purposeful simplicity. The temper is calm, considerate, and intentional, with items that really feel strong, enduring and quietly stunning.

“Dulux Elemental is a tonal, grounded palette constructed round heat whites and neutrals akin to Dulux Duvauchelle and Dulux Tōrere Quarter and enriched with golden brown hues akin to Dulux Kingsland and Dulux Herald Island,” says Harper. “Delicate layers of gray, together with Dulux Godley Head and Dulux Boulder Seaside, convey stillness and construction, while darker charcoal tones add depth and dimension. The result’s a timeless, cohesive palette that feels quietly assured.”

“Dulux Elemental displays a want for considerate consumption and balanced dwelling. It’s not about having much less for the sake of it however making room for what actually issues.” provides Harper. “The supplies are made to be sturdy and merchandise are designed to be simple to restore — assume clear linens, uncooked concrete, and polished marble, which mix each fashion and practicality. Chrome and aluminium convey a contemporary, industrial really feel, softened by heat tones and small hints of copper.”

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Dulux Evoke

Dulux Evoke is an optimistic, daring and expressive palette that channels individuality, memory and emotional heat. Impressed by maximalist interiors and ‘nana stylish’, the Dulux Evoke palette displays a acutely aware shift in the direction of round design — celebrating sustainability, repurposed supplies, and the fantastic thing about imperfection. This sentiment is mirrored within the rise of vintage purchasing for one-of-a-kind items, and the rising variety of designers creating new works impressed by the elevated design of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.

“Dulux Evoke is prone to be widespread with dwelling fans as the colors lean into deep, comforting tones somewhat than vibrant hues,” says Harper. “Clay pinks like Dulux Benhar, burnt oranges like Dulux Ligar Bay, and heat golden tones akin to Dulux Desert Street are layered with deeper hues like Dulux Warkworth, Dulux Wink and Dulux Crimson Jacks to create persona and depth.”

“Dulux Evoke favours eclectic, character-filled styling,” provides Harper. “It options vintage-inspired supplies, handcrafted parts, and curated muddle, making areas really feel alive and layered, including to our collections over time. Chrome and aluminium exchange gold, while daring color layering and clashing prints add texture, allure and a way of layered character.”

See extra about Dulux Evoke…

View all colors within the Dulux 2026 Color Forecast palettes right here.