The colors adorning your walls aren't just personal choices – they're reflections of global trends, political climates, and societal shifts that span decades. According to color experts, the paint choices that feel uniquely personal are actually influenced by much larger forces, including international design movements, technological advances in paint manufacturing, and even worldwide political uncertainty.
Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux's resident color expert based in Melbourne, has witnessed these transformations firsthand over nearly three decades. Each year, she and her team travel to Milan Design Week, known as Salone de Mobile, to assess international design influences and translate them for Australian audiences. When she speaks at industry and trade events, designers often mob her with questions about color trends and forecasting.
The early 2000s marked an era of overwhelming whiteness in Australian homes, with every surface – ceilings, walls, and sometimes even floors – painted in shades like Chalk USA or Clotted Cream. This wasn't coincidence but rather a response to architectural changes. "There was a study many years ago on why whites became so important and why the Australian public were using so much white in volume, and a lot of it was the [introduction of the] open plan living space," Lucena-Orr explains. "Prior to that, in the 60s going into the 70s, you had more allocated spaces. You didn't have that open plan kitchen-living-dining space like we do now – and a lot of people didn't know how to stop the color."
While some homeowners experimented with painted effects like sponging, feathering, and limewash in the early 1990s, most found comfort in choosing from the 125 or more shades of white available by the turn of the century. Lucena-Orr, who transitioned from IT and finance roles within the parent company, found herself tasked with updating Dulux's color palette, known as the atlas, to meet this growing demand for white variations.
"When we first brought out the specifier we had a few whites in it but not that many," she recalls. "Then when we did the second edition, we incorporated a lot of whites because in the 90s going into the 2000s whites became a much more popular main color." The palette expanded exponentially, moving beyond warm whites to include greyer whites that dominated through the latter part of the 2000s.
The 2010s brought a shift toward "greige" – a soft neutral mixing grey and beige – as every shade of grey dominated both interior and exterior walls. However, by the end of that decade, the ground had shifted away from whites and pale greys toward more colorful palettes. "I'm not saying the whites are not still the biggest thing we make, because they certainly are, but people are getting a bit more adventurous in the way they use color, especially color drenching," Lucena-Orr notes.
Color drenching, where the same or similar color appears on both walls and ceilings, represents a dramatic departure from traditional design rules. "You would never think of doing ceilings and walls in the same color even 10 years ago," she explains. "That would have been quite a risqué approach, whereas now I would not hesitate recommending that to people because it envelops you and cocoons you in a space."
This cocooning effect reflects broader societal needs, according to Lucena-Orr. Unlike the 2010s, which were characterized by general optimism and stability internationally, current concerns about world affairs – exacerbated during COVID-19 – have fueled a desire for homes that provide nurturing environments. This has led to stronger interest in warm, inviting spaces featuring natural tones.
"It is always around consumer sentiment," she emphasizes. "A lot of our research is around macro and micro trends and certainly looking at the zeitgeist and how people are feeling overseas, but also the cost-of-living crisis and what is affecting people globally, that uncertainty does make us crave those more nurturing hues." She points to brown's return as a base color three or four years ago as the beginning of this trend, which COVID-19 accelerated dramatically overnight.
Despite overarching trends and theories about color psychology, Lucena-Orr stresses that individual responses to various shades remain deeply personal. "Often we are drawn to colors that have given us some positive interaction when we were a child but that also tells us what we don't like," she explains. "If we lived in a home we don't have fond memories of, often the color will be part of the trauma. It goes very deep."
For those selecting their own colors, Lucena-Orr offers practical advice. First, choose something you love and examine the color swatch in the actual room where it will be used, since indoor and outdoor light significantly affect color perception. Second, ensure your swatch is positioned vertically rather than horizontally. "Have it on a vertical axis – that's something a lot of people get wrong," she advises. "They put color on a flat surface like their dining table or their coffee table and look at all the other elements they might be placing, but walls tend to be on a vertical axis."
When pressed about her personal color preferences, Lucena-Orr compares the question to choosing a favorite child. However, she admits to being drawn toward more natural colors – greens and beautiful mushroom pink tones. Looking ahead, she predicts continued popularity for warm browns and natural hues as people seek spaces that provide comfort and security in an uncertain world.
