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My home
Colour
Colour trends
2018
Essential
My home
Colour
Colour trends
2018
Essential
Colour Forecast 2018

Essential

It’s the simple pleasures that remind us that life need not be so complicated. The familiar comfort of a cup of tea, the warm kiss of the sun on your face – beauty can exist in the most humble and quietest of moments. Showy status symbols begin to lose their shine, replaced by the Nordic tradition of Hygge.

Kinship
Essential
Escapade
Reflect

Bring life back to basics

Time is no longer an elusive and fleeting luxury, rather a series of moments to be savoured and shared. Our search for a more authentic existence inspires a new-found appreciation for natural and recycled materials. As we embrace the old as new, we move towards a more genuine and conscious way of living.

interior decor. Grey table with books and plant.
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Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Colour tip

Combine naturals such as soft brown, sand and grey green for a relaxing scheme conducive to taking time out.

Charm of imperfections

Liven up a neutral look with different textures. Imperfect edges on textiles, handmade details and a mix of materials will give your space character and ensure your neutral colour scheme is never dull.

Paler colours create a calming and nurturing palette. The simple charm and raw honesty of imperfect finishes help to make your room feel comfortable and inviting. Start with hand-crafted ornaments and natural linens.

interior pink chair with warm tones.

Door

Spanish Olive

Spanish Olive is a silvery-grey with beautiful green undertones is a perfect colour for living spaces and bedrooms. It is ideal for creating a lovely neutral scheme and pairs well with warm whites such as White Exchange Half and reddish-brown Clay Court.

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Door
Spanish Olive
Wall
Gnu Tan
Crystal Palace
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Spanish Olive is a silvery-grey with beautiful green undertones is a perfect colour for living spaces and bedrooms. It is ideal for creating a lovely neutral scheme and pairs well with warm whites such as White Exchange Half and reddish-brown Clay Court.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Sophisticated colour twists

Adding a rich, warm colour such as Clay Court to your grey scheme can create a focal point within a space or highlight architectural detail. It can be the colour twist that elevates your colour scheme from simple to sophisticated.

interior decor, table with pot and bowl.

Ti Point

With a hint of a grey-beige undertone, Ti Point is ideal for pairing with cooler whites and muted shades. It is perfect for interior or exterior walls and trims. Ti Point schemes beautifully with Ōkārito or Millwater.

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Ti Point
Roys Peak
Table & chairs
Clay Court
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With a hint of a grey-beige undertone, Ti Point is ideal for pairing with cooler whites and muted shades. It is perfect for interior or exterior walls and trims. Ti Point schemes beautifully with Ōkārito or Millwater.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Textured feelings

Add character to your walls with Dulux Design Concrete Effect. This bespoke wall finish allows you to control the level of texture you want on your feature wall.

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Ti Point

With a hint of a grey-beige undertone, Ti Point is ideal for pairing with cooler whites and muted shades. It is perfect for interior or exterior walls and trims. Ti Point schemes beautifully with Ōkārito or Millwater.

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Ti Point
Knight Of The Realm
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With a hint of a grey-beige undertone, Ti Point is ideal for pairing with cooler whites and muted shades. It is perfect for interior or exterior walls and trims. Ti Point schemes beautifully with Ōkārito or Millwater.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Sleeping sanctuary

Dulux Bruce Bay is the perfect mid-grey to pair with light timber tones such as oak and ash. Contrast the subtle warmth in Bruce Bay with soft denim-style blues.

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Elusive Blue Quarter

Luminous, fresh, natural and light are just a few of the qualities of the Dulux Most Loved Whites and Neutrals collection. The right shade can easily transform any space, from clean and crisp to warm and inviting. The Whites and Neutrals range provides the flexibility to personalise your home with layers of other complementary shades or accent colours. These whites and neutrals are an excellent base for many interior styles.

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Elusive Blue Quarter
Bruce Bay
Little Shoal Bay
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Luminous, fresh, natural and light are just a few of the qualities of the Dulux Most Loved Whites and Neutrals collection. The right shade can easily transform any space, from clean and crisp to warm and inviting. The Whites and Neutrals range provides the flexibility to personalise your home with layers of other complementary shades or accent colours. These whites and neutrals are an excellent base for many interior styles.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Want to see more of the Essential trend?

For more details on the products and colours featured in our 2018 colour trends, read our digital magazine.

View Magazine
interior lounge essential magazine cover image.

Essential Palette

The Essential trend is a calm and nurturing palette draws on the soft warmth of leathers, a pop of bold blue, and the beautiful imperfections of aging materials in rusted tones.

Ti Point

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Roys Peak

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Spanish Olive

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Bruce Bay

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Mornington Half

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Crystal Palace

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Gnu Tan

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Clay Court

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Elusive Blue

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Knight Of The Realm

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Adele Island

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Little Shoal Bay

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Essential gallery

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Most Loved Whites + Essential

Dulux has been crafting some of New Zealand's iconic paint colours for over 80 years. Here’s how our Most Loved Whites and Neutrals can work in harmony with the Essential palette.has been crafting some of New Zealand’s iconic paint colours for over 80 yearshas been crafting some of New Zealand’s iconic paint colours for over 80 years

Dulux Manorburn Quarter

Dulux Manorburn Quarter is a soft white that teams beautifully with the soft grey-green of Dulux Spanish Olive and Mornington Half of the Essential palette. Subtle in warmth with a grey undertones, it’s the secret ingredient to a harmonious colour scheme.

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Wall

Manorburn Quarter

Manorburn Quarter is a very subtle warm white. It is a great neutral white that can be used as a main wall colour, trim or an exterior colour. Manorburn Quarter works well with a wide range of other colours including Manorburn, Greytown, Haast and Maraetai Quarter.

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Wall
Manorburn Quarter
Mornington Half
Crystal Palace
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Manorburn Quarter is a very subtle warm white. It is a great neutral white that can be used as a main wall colour, trim or an exterior colour. Manorburn Quarter works well with a wide range of other colours including Manorburn, Greytown, Haast and Maraetai Quarter.
Stylists: Bree Leech & Heather Nette King. Photographer: Mark Roper
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Mt Aspiring Half

The warmth of Dulux Mt Aspiring Half creates a perfect counterbalance to the cool hue of Little Shoal Bay. For a contemporary scheme team with Dulux Roys Peak – this natural tone brings together the striking contrast between white and deeper blue.

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Mt Aspiring Half

Mt Aspiring Half is a popular soft white with a hint of grey. It can be used internally and externally as either a main wall or a trim colour. Team it with Mt Aspiring Double, Pūkaki Half and soft greys and charcoals such as Tīrau and Lyttelton Half.

Explore colour-->
Mt Aspiring Half
Door
Little Shoal Bay
Wall
Roys Peak
Close
Mt Aspiring Half is a popular soft white with a hint of grey. It can be used internally and externally as either a main wall or a trim colour. Team it with Mt Aspiring Double, Pūkaki Half and soft greys and charcoals such as Tīrau and Lyttelton Half.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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interior labelled closeup of table and books.
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Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Suppliers

1. Reuber Henning Shibori Dots Rug in Earth, Halcyon Lake 2. Fogia Bowl Side Tables, Fred International 3. White pot & books, Stylist’s own
interior labelled closeup of table with pot and plate.
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Dulux Colour Trends 2018 – Essential Palette. Styled by Bree Leech. Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Suppliers

1. Table and chair, Stylist’s own 2. Lume Small Vase, Country Road 3. Zanat Touch Tray, Hub Furniture 4. Blume Timber knife & spoon, Country Road

Creating the look with Bruce Summers

Bruce Summers gets inspired with the Essential trend.

Learn how
portrait of bruce summers.
Dulux Colour Trends 2018 Supplier Information

View the Dulux Colour Trends 2018 digital magazine for full supplier and colour details.

View Suppliers

More 2018 Colour Trends

Pip Brett
Escapade

Pip Brett of Jumbled re-imagines the Escapade look with bold block colours and clashing patterns.

Learn more-->
Heather Nette King
Reflect

Heather Nette King shows us how to create a modern take on an elegant space taking cues from the Reflect trend.

Learn more-->
michelle halford kinship
Kinship

Interior stylist and writer of The Design Chaser, Michelle Halford, creates a warm, cosy space with the Kinship trend.

Learn more-->
Disclaimer

Colours displayed should be used as a guide for your colour selection. To ensure best accuracy, test your colour choice at home by ordering Dulux Sample Pots and A4 Colour Swatches.

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