Dulux Heritage Review – Written by a Decorator

We all know that trade paint is better than retail, but what’s better than trade? That was the thinking behind Dulux Heritage. Dulux already had plenty of retail and trade paints, but they wanted to go a step further and produce a paint that would outperform the available designer brands.

I’ve been using Heritage for a couple of years now, and as a Professional Decorator, I’ve also used a lot of competing brands. I thought it would be good to sit down and write a Dulux Heritage review based on my own experience. I’ll work my way through each product, and I’ll be honest throughout.

Choosing Dulux Heritage Colours

As with most other high-end paint brands, Dulux Heritage put a lot of focus on style and colour. If you pick up a colour card from your local Dulux Decorator Centre, you’ll find a limited, but very stylish range of tones.

A lot of thought has gone into the colours in the Heritage collection. World-renowned colour Historian and paint analyst, Patrick Baty is behind the collection, and the colours chosen are based on scientific analysis of historical colours. They’re inspired by periods of historical significance between 1714-1939.

This might be music to an Interior Designer’s ears, but choosing colours has never been my strong point. Luckily for me (and anyone else who isn’t qualified in design), Dulux have made it easy to select the perfect colour scheme for any room.

Next time you’re in your local Dulux Decorator Centre, ask them for a ‘Dulux Heritage Colour Picker’. This is a cross-shaped piece of cardboard that you lay over the colour chart. It blocks out all but 7 of the colours. Choose any combination of these colours and you know they’ll work together. The colour selector even tells you which white you should use as part of your colour scheme.

I’ve used this tool many times now and the colours look lovely every time. I tend to look at the colour of something that’s staying in the room, like furniture or curtains, match that colour to the closest Dulux Heritage colour, and then plan the rest of the colour scheme around that.

A Video Demo of How the Dulux Heritage Colour Picker Works

 Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt Review

Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt is a durable matt emulsion used to coat interior ceilings and walls.

• Touch dry – 1-2 hours
• Recoat time – 2-4 hours
• Application – brush, roller, or airless sprayer
• Solvent – water

Dulux Heritage Eggshell Review

This is a fully water-based eggshell, suitable for interior woodwork like doors, windows, skirting boards etc.

• Application Method – Brush, Roller
• Recoat – 6 hour
• Solvent – Water

There are a few things about Dulux Heritage Eggshell that I really like. You can apply it directly to old oil-based coatings without the need for a separate primer, and the adhesion is fantastic.

As with the Velvet Matt, it’s a joy to apply; a lot of other water-based paints suffer with a poor open time, a tendency to sag or run, which makes them difficult. Dulux Heritage Eggshell is levels above most of the other trim paints I’ve used.

Brush and roller marks seem to settle brilliantly too, leaving you with a defect-free finish. Opacity and coverage are also good. 2 coats are usually enough to achieve a solid colour change (most other water-based eggshell products require 3 coats). It’s very durable once cured too.

The only minor downside is that it does smell a little bit. Avoid sleeping in a room for a couple of nights after you’ve applied it.

Review Summary

FAQs

Is Dulux Heritage better than Dulux?

Dulux Heritage is the best paint range that Dulux manufactures for the UK market. It’s designed with the best materials, so it outperforms many of the designer brands.

Is Dulux Heritage more expensive?

As with any high-end paint, Dulux Heritage is expensive. If you want a slightly cheaper, but still high-quality paint brand, then you should opt for Dulux Trade instead.

Is Dulux Heritage paint washable?

Yes, Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt is a durable emulsion, so it can be wiped clean. Dulux Heritage Eggshell is waterproof and durable, so you will have no issues cleaning the paint film once it has cured.

Should you water down Dulux Heritage Paint?

I dilute Dulux Heritage slightly to make it easier to work with. The paint has great opacity, so you can thin it without needing additional coats.

How many coats of Dulux Heritage paint?

Two coats are all you need.

Final Thoughts

I’m not over-exaggerating when I talk about the good qualities of Dulux Heritage. In fact, I’m holding it to a high standard because of the price tag. However, I do like quality paint because I know how much of a difference it can make. I don’t mind paying more if I believe I’m getting a better product. Dulux Heritage fits that description perfectly.

You can buy Dulux Heritage from any Dulux Decorator Centre, and several online merchants. I’ll link a couple below.