Dulux Trade shares colour trends expertise at Clerkenwell Design Week 2017

Dulux Trade, the UK's leading paint brand, marked its return to CDW by presenting trend forecasting workshops with Interface, Global modular flooring manufacturer. Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director, provided insights into how the Global Colour Futures trends are created each year, and discussed current influences for interior and exterior colours. The coveted Colour Futures 17 trend books were available for commercial designers to take away and the Dulux Trade team demonstrated the extensive range of colour tools available from digital CAD plug ins to visualization tools.

Colour Forecasting

14 years of leading colour trends with Colour Futures Forecasting For the past 14 years, international design and colour visionaries at the Dulux Global Aesthetic Centre have scoured the globe for the latest social and trend developments to help them lead the way in colour innovation. The colour experts use this insight to define the tones and shades that best represent how we live our lives and each year produce a new palatte, themed to reflect current trends and influences.

Colour Futures 17- Life in a New Light This year, the overriding theme for Colour Futures, celebrates a new outlook on the simple things that make life worth living. In an increasingly digital world where real and authentic experiences are becoming more important than ever before, Dulux Trade is reconsidering the foundations of living.

Colour of the Year- Denim Drift For 2017, 'Denim Drift' is the defining colour of the year. Complementing this beautiful, timeless and versatile grey-blue, is a tonal colour palette featuring a spectrum of blues and complimentary blue-hued tones.

Louise Tod, Dulux Global Aesthetics Centre, says: "Blue is known to be the world's favourite colour, cutting across geographic and cultural boundaries. Creating a blue colour scheme provides commercial specifiers with flexibility in both a residential and commercial setting with hues that run the gamut of being calming to energising. This year the Colour of the Year, Denim Drift, has been teamed with a palette of blues which gives specifiers options for every environment. There is something for everybody whether working the colour into large-scale housing developments, offices or a private residence."

Denim Drift- 4th best-selling colour The success of the Dulux trend forecasts is not just evident within the design industry, but it has proven popular with interior designers and homeowners alike.

"Denim Drift is currently our fourth best-selling colour" explains Marianne Shillingford. "When you consider that the paint has only been on the market for three months and is only marginally behind our most popular, neutral tones*, it is testament to our trend forecasting success. We believe that our colour forecasting not only drives demand for a particular colour palette, but that it truly reflects what the industry and customer needs."

*Chic Shadow (no 1), Polished Pebble (no 2) and Goose Down (no 3)

Colour Tools

As part of the mission to make it easy to work with colour, Dulux Trade colour experts were available to demonstrate the professional tools:

Digital colour Palette (CP 5 plug in) Easy to download (compatible with Photoshop, AutoCad, Archicad and Sketchup), it allows designers to create bespoke palettes, and apply Dulux colours directly to their digital designs.

Colour & Contrast Making compliance easy, this program is designed to help specifiers maximise the inclusivity and usability of a space, by creating colour schemes that are both aesthetically pleasing and also comply with the visual contrast guidelines set out in the Building Regulations Part M. Using colour and contrast to maximum effect can enhance spatial awareness and navigation, particularly for those with visual impairments; aiding in the identification of key building features and contributing to safety.

Dulux Trade Paint Expert app for Interior Designers Create great mood boards within minutes with this free tablet app for professional designers and architects. Professionals can use the app to bring ideas to life by quickly and effortlessly creating concept boards to share with colleagues and clients. Available for iPad & Android tablets, it provides an interactive canvas with links to order A8 colour chips for direct delivery. Mood boards can be easily shared with colleagues or clients.

Dulux Trade Paint Expert app for Specifiers (visualiser) Dulux Trade Paint Expert is the ultimate app for professionals specifying colour and product on decorating projects in the UK. Created especially for Architects and Specifiers, the app is designed to provide useful tools and information on the go and includes a mobile version of 'Paint Specification Creator', the new and exclusive 'Dulux Trade Paint Expert Visualizer', as well as the ability to find an approved Painting Contractor.

Paint Specification Creator To allow correct specification every time, this can be used as a quick reference guide or can help to build an in-depth specification for tender documentation. With some basic information supplied, it can advise on the best type of finish and allows a search of the full range of AkzoNobel professional products.

Further infomation https://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk