For the first time ever, Dulux has unveiled three Colours of the Year. For 2026, the paint manufacturer is asking decorators and their customers to dance to the Rhythm of Blues™ with a harmonious collection of signature indigos that can be used to create spaces that feel harmonious and free.
Over the last three decades, the Dulux Colour of the Year has been chosen through extensive trend research by Dulux colour experts at the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Centre and international design professionals. The 2026 selection, Rhythm of Blues™, has been chosen to provide a versatile trio of colours that reflect any customer’s needs: the light blue Mellow Flow™, the dark blue Slow Swing™ and the vibrant Free Groove™.
The three tones capture the expansive nature of blue to help decorators create spaces that make customers feel connected and comfortable. From the timeless, soothing qualities of Mellow Flow™ to the meditative, calm and grounding nature of Slow Swing™, and the vibrant, exciting and uplighting Free Groove™ there is a shade to suit any brief. Used individually or in combination, the Colours of the Year 2026 offer decorators and their customers inspiration and the flexibility to bring colour to any space.
To help decorators and their customers embrace the Rhythm of Blues™, Dulux has created three complementary palettes that provide effective and versatile colour combinations for interior projects. Each palette is designed to reflect a specific mood and can therefore be used anywhere in the home to bring the customer’s vision to life.
A Slow Colour Story: Natural shades of blue and brown, this family of wintery earth tones can help create calm spaces that quieten the mind and feel restorative. This palette works particularly well in spaces where people need respite from noise and stress. The meditative dark blue is the hero in this palette.
A Flow Colour Story: Here, the family of blues, with airy sky blue as the hero, is joined by warm and tactile earth shades of terracotta, brick and clay. These familiar, natural colours can help create spaces that feel comfortable and harmonious. They work well in areas where people want to come together.
A Free Colour Story: A combination of multicolours with the balancing blues, this palette feels young, energetic and uplifting. It can help bring momentum to a space and create a fun, ‘anything-goes’, forward-looking feel. It works well in settings where people seek stimulation and fresh ideas. The energising colour in this palette is the cobalt blue.
Dulux has also created three additional exterior colour palettes of the same names to support decorators working on exterior projects.
Dawn Scott, Dulux Trade Senior Colour Designer at AkzoNobel said: “With the Rhythm of Blues™ collection, we have captured the different ways colour shapes people’s needs. From creating moments of quiet reflection to sparking energy and creativity, each of the three colour stories offers decorators and their customers inspiration.
“For example, the Flow Colour Story lends itself perfectly to residential spaces. When it comes to making a house a home, it’s important to create an inviting, warm and cosy feel in a space. The natural earthy tones balance with indigo blues for a contemporary take on cosy, making them perfect for creating welcoming spaces where people can relax and entertain family and friends.”
Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director and Colour Expert at AkzoNobel, explains: “Blue has been the world’s favourite colour for years – but it’s far from one note. It delivers a sense of fluidity, relief, stillness and freedom, which is exactly what’s needed in today’s fast-paced world.
“It’s roots in nature give us something to connect to, as well. When we see light blues like Mellow Flow™, we might think of soothing springs or sunrise skies, for example, or be reminded of the deep ocean’s chilled stillness with a dark blue like Slow Swing™. Whereas Free Groove™ offers a more intense heat, like that of summer pool parties. Some of us are slowing the beat to recharge and find balance, while others are looking to crank up the volume and create spaces that are simply fun.
“Rhythm of Blues gives us the opportunity to do both – it’s a family of colours that can soothe, steady or excite, depending on how you play it. This collection offers colours you can find peace in, and colours you can dance to, centred around three distinct rhythms to offer endless possibilities for changing the pace of your space.”
For further advice and guidance on how to use the Colours of the Year 2026 for your next project, sign up for the Dulux Academy LIVE session on September 10 and 11 via the Dulux Academy website. Decorators can also use the Dulux Trade Paint Expert Visualiser App, to bring the colour schemes to life for customers.
The Dulux Colours of the Year 2026: Rhythm of Blues™ collection and colours from the accompanying palettes will be available for purchase from September 9, 2025.
For more information, visit www.duluxtrade.co.uk/cf26 and follow #CF26 #COTY26 #AkzoNobel #DuluxTrade and #RhythmOfBlues on social media.
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