Dulux's Colour of the Year has been revealed and, just like last year's pick (Heart Wood) it's another cosy, warm, inviting shade. Named 'Spiced Honey', this soothing caramel hue was chosen for its nod towards the unsettling nature of 2018, but also as a colour that will re-energise our homes and encourage positivity in the year to come.
Why was Spiced Honey chosen as Colour of the Year?
‘2018 was an unsettling and unpredictable time. We were overwhelmed by the deluge of news, choices and demands upon our time, causing us to close up and retreat into spaces where we feel safe and cocooned.
‘As we move forward into 2019, we find this pause has given people time to re-energise and deal with the sense of unpredictability with positive action, optimism and purpose. If the unpredictability of last year forced people to retreat and regroup, 2019 is the time for their awakening. We are ready to let in the light,’ say Dulux's team.
The amber tones of Spiced Honey perfectly capture this theme. ‘It can be both calming and nourishing or stimulating and energising, depending on the palettes and light surrounding it,’ explains Heleen van Gent, Head of the Global Aesthetic Centre, who chairs the ColourFutures panel. ‘The contemporary hue is versatile, sophisticated and timeless and lends itself to a broad spectrum of life and interior styles – perfect for reflecting the universal mood encapsulated by the panel.’
‘Every year, we seek to transform a trend into a colour that responds to consumer needs and enables them to bring a mood, affecting their life, in to their homes,’ explains Heleen. ‘In 2019, as a society, we want to reach out, engage with our communities, make things better and "be the change". It’s time to act and Spiced Honey enables transformation, inspiring a positive, emotional change.’
How can you incorporate Spiced Honey into your home?
‘Spiced Honey has a raw, natural quality that works like a warm neutral, which makes it so adaptable to pairing with different materials and styles of decoration,’ explains Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director for the Dulux brand in the UK. ‘Its rich caramel tones visually turn up the thermostat a few degrees and so it’s perfect for creating a relaxed cosy atmosphere in places where we like to think, dream, love and act.’
Along with unveiling Spiced Honey as Colour of the Year, the ColourFutures panel also released four palettes, all featuring the shade, each with a very different vibe. Each palette was inspired by a different mood of the moment: think, dream, love and act.
The first palette, ‘A Space to Think’, is an inviting mix of rich, warming hues, with touches of soft pinks, deep burgundies and inky blues. Polished woods, Mid-century furniture and graphic rugs all emphasise the smart, yet soothing, feel of the palette.
‘A Space to Dream’ is much more ethereal. Spiced honey is paired with powder pinks, violets and blues to create interiors that evoke calm.
The warmest palette, ‘A Space to Love’ is filled with richly pigmented shades, deep forest greens, bold teals and a terracotta reds. It definitely creates a cosy, homey space, but has a retro vibe that keeps it modern.
Bright colours come into play in ‘A Space to Act’, with the golden tones of Spiced Honey being joined by vivid reds, pale blue and crisp greys.
