Professional Builder attended Dulux Academy’s launch of the Colour Excellence Programme and produced its own paint colour, Bank Holiday Blue.
When it comes to paint, we can talk about the technology used, the science behind the materials, the range of application methods, and on and on the list goes, until we’re blue in the face. Indeed, we do spend a lot of time talking about the technical details of paint, and rightfully so. The workability, durability and finish of paint can be the difference between a good job and a bad one. Yet, when it comes to the customer, there is one variable that trumps them all – colour.
As homeowners are opting to improve their homes, rather than move homes, there is an increased focus on adapting the interior space to suit individual tastes, and homeowners expect to be able to customise their properties to a high degree, matching their personal spaces to the latest trends and reflecting their own character.
Dulux Trade has come up with an answer for painter and decorators looking to go that extra mile in offering their clients an unforgettable service. The paint manufacturer has launched its latest colour mixing technology to give professional decorators the ability to provide a highly accurate and bespoke colour match for their customers.
The cutting-edge technology has been developed by the paint brand to redefine the way colour is created in the industry, providing faster, more accurate and more consistent colours across a range of products.
Using a unique system, Dulux Trade products can now be mixed into a unique colour that can then be personally named and stored, allowing decorators to return to store and re-tint the exact colour in any product for years to come from the one single scan.
Committed to the way colour is delivered and applied, Dulux Trade is not compromising on quality – with the paint still reaching an immersive depth of colour as well as keeping its consistency robust and repeatable.
A team of specialists has been working tirelessly to introduce new technology throughout the colour creation process, with new scanners, colour mixing recipe updates and updated paint matching software to ensure excellent colour accuracy and a smooth end to end experience for decorators and their clients.
Improving on previous matching services, Dulux can now offer colour matches that go beyond what is distinguishable to the human eye, and that new colour can be saved and named by the customer. What’s more, the manufacturer has developed the Colour Sensor – a pocket-sized scanning gadget. The product was launched in July to help decorators make colour recommendations to customers in the comfort of their own homes.
The device scans any given surface to enable the user to make colour recommendations on the spot. Not only does this provide a quick, useful colour matching service, but it also provides the wow factor that really impress a client and lead to more work.
This improved colour matching technology is also supported by the development of a new streamlined Dulux 384 colour wall so that it is easier for decorators to help their customers to choose and scheme with colours in store.
The palette is the perfect choice for those that don’t have a colour in mind and can be viewed on new colour walls being installed in stores across the UK.
Karen Wilkinson, Dulux trade marketing lead, said: “Dulux Trade puts colour at the heart of all we do, we bring the magic of art and science together to make it as easy as possible for professionals to get the perfect colour for their customers, every time.
“This has resulted in a continual drive to deliver more innovative and expert colour technology with the latest innovations the result of years of hard work by our research and development experts.
“The upgrades not only make colour choice easy but provide an unrivalled experience in colour matching so that professional decorators can have every confidence they are providing the best and most accurate product to their customers.”
Martha Dunican, colour operations manager at Dulux Trade, explores the impact of paint, and colour, on occupant outcomes in homes.
The World Health Organisation forecasts that stress related illness will be the primary cause of sickness by 2020. It’s no surprise that, in our increasingly always on, technology driven world, people are now investing in physical and psychological health.
The global wellbeing market has grown by 18 per cent in the last two years alone to $4.2 trillion, exemplified by the growing desire to ensure our health, particularly in the design of our homes.
Our researchers have been investing substantially in research, working to develop frameworks that show just how powerful colour and design is in the built environment.
Trend analysis shows that while we are surrounded by technology, extravagance and distraction, there is a growing desire to strip things back to basics and welcome the beauty of imperfection.
It is insights like this that have informed the development of the Dulux ColourFutures 2020 palettes. The universal theme for 2020 reflects a desire to create more opportunities to experience ‘A Human Touch’ at work and home, at a time when advances in technology are making us feel increasingly disconnected from each other.
People are seeking more positive real-world experiences that provide maximum benefit in a short space of time. Architects and designers can use colour to encourage making better human connections, enhancing wellbeing and productivity as a result.
The new Colour of the Year, Tranquil Dawn is a versatile, soft green hue with a calming, restful quality that perfectly supports our inclination to blur the boundaries between our indoor and outdoor spaces. Its almost ethereal dimension creates an illusion of space and perspective, a nod to the biophilic design values that espouse the benefits of a greater connection to nature, natural materials and daylight.
An eminently usable shade of green, Tranquil Dawn will happily stand alone in a home, creating a restorative overtone, or can be paired with other colours within each of the four supporting palettes: Care, Play, Meaning and Creativity – where Tranquil Dawn provides a soothing anchor to pops of richer, more dynamic shades.
