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Just like colours in fashion, trends in interior paint colours for your home change with the seasons. While no-one wants to repaint their entire house every year, small interior design changes can keep your home looking current and contemporary for little effort and outlay. Here’s what paint colour trends we’ll see this summer and beyond, and how to work the popular shades into your home.
The overarching theme for this season’s colour trend forecast is warmth, as we seek nurturing spaces, says Dulux colour expert Davina Harper. “The colours are more muted this year, with palettes dominated by rich, warm neutrals like reddish browns, brown-based pinks, olive greens and muted blues,” she says.
More than ever, we’re romanced by the natural world. PPG Paints colour specialist Fiona Dawson says the biophilic trend is emerging into interior house paint colour palettes. “To ‘bring the outside in’, play with different shades of green, plus blues and dusty pinks reminiscent of sunsets and sunrises,” she says.
White has long been considered a compulsory choice for ceilings, but painting the ‘fifth wall’ in colour can transform a room. “Go with a lighter colour on the ceiling and darker on the walls, or one colour on both,” suggests Davina. “The beauty of ceilings is they mainly only get diffused light, so even if you use the same colour, it will still look a little different.”
Take this interior trend further by painting all woodwork the same shade. ‘Colour drenching’ is where you apply one colour to multiple surfaces, explains interior designer Charlotte Minty (@charlotte minty_interiordesign). “It’s a cost-effective way to get a high-end look,” she says. “It can be used to great effect in smaller spaces.”
The antithesis of colour drenching is the painted feature wall, but there’s still space for this decorating staple, especially if you give it a stylish stripy twist! “Stripes look amazing and add such a fun element to a room. Using a good-quality painter’s tape, you can set up the wall and paint alternating shades of colour,” says Fiona. “This is especially loved for kids’ bedrooms.”
Lovers of white needn’t dive straight into the boldest hues – there’s still a place for neutral shades. Charlotte advises a move towards warmer whites as a gentle transition into colour. “Explore tones of taupe, ivory or sand,” she says. “The change might be perceived as subtle, but the results can be transformational.”
As you gain confidence with your interior design skills, Davina suggests starting in more private rooms. “The bedroom is a personal space – people won’t be going in and judging!” she says. “If you want to use a darker colour, the fact that you’re mainly in there at night makes this an easier choice.”
Your home’s architecture style can also influence your inside paint decisions, with the style of your home inspiring a particular interior palette. Think retro tones in a mid-century house or nautical blues in a Hamptons-style build.
Trending colours are not just for walls – upcycling furniture with paint is a low-risk way to experiment and update your home decor. “Bringing in trend colours could be as simple as a single element, like bedside tables or a coffee table, or even a frame on your favourite artwork,” says Davina. “It doesn’t have to be a big change – those small volumes of colour add up to the sense that there’s something new and exciting happening.”
Whether you’re jumping on a colour trend or brushing on a fresh coat of white, paint is the go-to design solution for making your home look tidy and well loved – especially in the run-up to Christmas. Before family and friends descend for the entertaining season (and before it gets too hot to raise a roller), here’s how to give your home a new look.
Come on in: Painting the front door is a one-day project that pays enormous dividends. “It’s the first thing people see as they enter your property, so it’s a great welcoming device,” says Davina. Why not capture the spirit of Christmas with a cheery red front door?
Metal makeover: From stair railings to outdoor furniture and even the clothesline, metal surfaces around your home can start to look shabby. “The White Knight Rust Guard range treats rust and protects your metal surfaces from future corrosion,” says Fiona. Rust Guard can also be tinted any PPG Paints colour.
Pot luck: Refresh existing outdoor pots or planters for your front porch. “Painting pots in current-trend colours is a really nice way to keep your home updated,” says Davina.
Tablescaping: Use your brush on other home decor objects. “Paint old candlesticks or lamp bases, or go to the op shop to collect preloved vases and trinkets for painting,” says Davina. This is an inexpensive way to add an eye-catching accent to a room, or to customise your Christmas table.
Browse our wide range of paint products as well as our helpful guides.
Photo Credit: Andreas von Einsiedel/living4media, Dulux, Bureaux/Elsa Young, Brigid Arnott
