We are thrilled to share with you the latest Dulux 2026 Colour Trend Forecast, designed to inspire fresh ideas and guide you in decorating your houses and favourite spaces with confidence.
The 2026 report unveils three distinctively curated palettes—Elemental, Evoke, and Ethereal, reflecting our universal yearning for wellness, stability and reconnection. Informed by international design fairs, global research, and collaborations with forecasting leaders, these colour stories highlight the cultural, social, and aesthetic influences shaping interiors in the year ahead.
Here are some highlighted insights from the presentation:
Andrea Lucena-Orr, the Colour and Communications Manager from Dulux remarked,
"This year's forecast reflects a growing collective need for warmth, calm, and reconnection with both ourselves and with nature. In a time of uncertainty, marked by geopolitical unrest, economic pressures, and our growing reliance on digital connection, many are turning inwardly, looking for refuge and renewal. This feeling drives a strong shift towards comforting and nurturing colours that foster positivity, well-being, and a secure haven."
Elemental
Dulux Elemental offers a calm grounded counterbalance to the overwhelm of modern life. Embedded in anti-burnout culture and inspired by brutalist design principles, it reflects a growing desire for slow living, emotional clarity, and intentional simplicity.
"Elemental is a tonal grounded palette built around warm whites and neutrals. These colours bring stillness and structure whilst darker tones create depth and dimension. The result is a timeless cohesive palette that feels quietly confident. Elemental reflects a desire for balanced living. It's not about having less for the sake of it, but making room for what truly matters."
On the mood board, there is a sense of the organic and natural collective:
Some materials that would go perfectly with these tones are stone, timber, and concrete with a hint of chrome and metallic accents. It also compliments leather and suede in clean lines and organic forms.
Evoke
Evoke celebrates the resurgence of maximalism, vintage aesthetics, and artisan skills. It blends past and future to create eclectic style, reflecting a shift towards circular design, sustainability, and reuse of materials.
Retro-futurism emerges from combining Art Deco, Postmodernism, and Futuristic styles. Vintage shopping, archive rugs, glossy furniture, and statement lighting from the 1950s–1970s play key roles.
"Rooted in vintage aesthetics, it embraces imperfection and cherishes treasures, blending elements of past and future to create fresh and eclectic style, reflecting a conscious shift towards circular design, sustainability, and the reuse of materials. Retrofuturism emerges from blending elements of past eras like art deco, postmodernism, and futuristic styles to create a vision for our future. This growing appeal of blending old and new is also evident in the rise of vintage shopping to discover those authentic pieces such as archive rugs, high gloss furniture finishes, and statement lighting from the period of the 50s right through to the 70s. Older generations find familiarity and refuge in these classic styles, whilst younger generations can appreciate the opportunity to blend these classic styles with modern elements."
Evoke embraces maximalism, warmth, character, and authenticity, moving away from paired-back interiors:
Marble, glass, faux fur, and velvet with light to dark-tone timber can add to the depth and richness of the design. Some ideal combinations include Germania and Topelo Honey (tonal), Misty Grape and White Beach (contrasting), or Deep Aqua and Topelo Honey for a more bold twist.
Ethereal
Ethereal offers a gentle, uplifting optimism —a palette inspired by nature, hope, tenderness, and emotional restoration. It moves away from climate gloom and embraces positive solutions.
"Ethereal offers a gentle, uplifting refuge, a pallet inspired by nature, grounded in hope, and designed for emotional restoration. In a world marked by uncertainty, it responds to a collective need to pause, reconnect, and appreciate the soothing pace and subtle beauty found in everyday natural surroundings. Dulux Ethereal moves away from the usual gloomy narrative around the issue of climate change embracing a more hopeful and optimistic outlook focusing on posit positive solutions."
The power of tenderness reflects:
The Dulux colour professionals noted, Ethereal represents “delicate blend of soft and mid-tone hues—gentle greens, mauves, blush pinks—evoke serenity and joy.” Its design ethos comprise reflective surfaces, sandblasted finishes, texturised timbers, botanic patterns, plush fabrics and dreamlike soft lights.
Continue discovering the full Dulux 2026 Colour Trend Forecast report by visiting:
https://www.dulux.com.au/colour/colour-trends/2026-forecast/
With Elemental, Evoke, and Ethereal, this year’s colour trends provide the perfect guide to styling your favourite spaces and exploring artworks that reflects your personal style and complements every palette.
