Feast Your Eyes: The 3 Hottest Colour Palettes for 2022
See the three stunning colour palettes set to dominate interiors in the year ahead, according to the experts
Feel your home could do with an update? Paint is just about the quickest and easiest way to go about it. But before you pick up a paintbrush or call a local painter, be sure to read this first. Here, experts reveal the three colour palettes that fashionable homes will be wearing in 2022. Happy painting!
Walls in Dulux Pinkham; stripes in Dulux Equatorial Forest; trim and ceiling in Dulux Vivid White
Key colours
Need help using colour in your home? Find a local interior designer or decorator on Houzz for expert help
Key colours
- Dulux Pinkham.
- Dulux Edvard.
- Dulux Celery Green.
- Dulux Pax.
Need help using colour in your home? Find a local interior designer or decorator on Houzz for expert help
Left wall, ceiling and trims in Dulux Vivid White; feature wall in Dulux Celery Green
Where to use them: A main bedroom, teenager’s bedroom, living room, family room or playroom. Fresh and energising colours such as Dulux Harmonious and Dulux Celery Green will also add flair to a workspace. Or, create a warm welcome by repainting the front door in a cheery pink such as Dulux Pink Papaya, says Lucena-Orr.
Where to use them: A main bedroom, teenager’s bedroom, living room, family room or playroom. Fresh and energising colours such as Dulux Harmonious and Dulux Celery Green will also add flair to a workspace. Or, create a warm welcome by repainting the front door in a cheery pink such as Dulux Pink Papaya, says Lucena-Orr.
Walls, ceiling and trims in Dulux Pax
Architectural matches: Coastal homes, heritage homes or contemporary homes where you want a fun, retro-inspired look.
Architectural matches: Coastal homes, heritage homes or contemporary homes where you want a fun, retro-inspired look.
Lower walls in Dulux Pink Papaya; upper walls and trim in Dulux Vivid White; ceiling stripes in Dulux Ice Lemon
Browse more beautiful images of Australian bedrooms on Houzz
Browse more beautiful images of Australian bedrooms on Houzz
Image by Mike Baker
Pair these colours with: Florals and chequered upholstery fabrics, ribbed and coloured glass, needlepoint cushions, bold artworks, and curvy, ’80s-style furniture, says Lucena-Orr.
Pair these colours with: Florals and chequered upholstery fabrics, ribbed and coloured glass, needlepoint cushions, bold artworks, and curvy, ’80s-style furniture, says Lucena-Orr.
Haymes Paint images from the Clear View palette
2. Natural inspiration
The textures and tones of the Australian landscape inspire Haymes Paint’s Clear View palette. “These colours are found in native forest and flora, with deep forest greens, rust and bark shades inspired by our bushscapes and extending to the soft powdered blues and deep teals of the ocean,” says Wendy Rennie, colour and concept manager at Haymes Paint. “This palette captures the true colours of the outdoors and brings them into our homes.”
2. Natural inspiration
The textures and tones of the Australian landscape inspire Haymes Paint’s Clear View palette. “These colours are found in native forest and flora, with deep forest greens, rust and bark shades inspired by our bushscapes and extending to the soft powdered blues and deep teals of the ocean,” says Wendy Rennie, colour and concept manager at Haymes Paint. “This palette captures the true colours of the outdoors and brings them into our homes.”
Key colours
- Haymes Arboretum.
- Haymes Paradise Pool.
- Haymes Remote Green.
Where to use them: Areas of the home where there is already a connection to the outdoors, such as a kitchen or living area that opens to the backyard or a bedroom with a large window overlooking the garden, says Rennie.
Architectural matches: “This versatile palette suits homes of any style, old or new,” says Rennie. The colours are all about optimising the sightlines in the home to blur the connection between inside and out. You might, for example, use them in a room with a large window with views of foliage to create a seamless connection between the two areas.
Pair these colours with: Lots of greenery, matt-finish ceramics and furniture and accessories in natural materials, such as rattan and wood, says Rennie.
Wattyl images from the Local Comfort palette
3. Earthy beauty
“The Local Comfort palette, which combines warm neutrals such as ivory, greiges and browns, is all about cocooning comfort,” says Marylou Cafaro, Wattyl’s colour ambassador.
After a difficult year, we have a new-found appreciation of the simple things, she says. “We prefer to shop locally and have a deeper appreciation of nature. This palette teams perfectly with the textures and colours of foliage as well as handcrafted objects, art pieces and sculpted feature walls. The result is a feeling of being enveloped in comfort and beauty.”
3. Earthy beauty
“The Local Comfort palette, which combines warm neutrals such as ivory, greiges and browns, is all about cocooning comfort,” says Marylou Cafaro, Wattyl’s colour ambassador.
After a difficult year, we have a new-found appreciation of the simple things, she says. “We prefer to shop locally and have a deeper appreciation of nature. This palette teams perfectly with the textures and colours of foliage as well as handcrafted objects, art pieces and sculpted feature walls. The result is a feeling of being enveloped in comfort and beauty.”
Wattyl Northwest
“Overall, our desire for wellness and connection is the strongest factor influencing Wattyl’s colour forecast for 2022,” says Cafaro.
“Overall, our desire for wellness and connection is the strongest factor influencing Wattyl’s colour forecast for 2022,” says Cafaro.
Wattyl Signal Station
Key colours
Key colours
- Wattyl Dhimba.
- Wattyl Signal Station.
- Wattyl Northwest.
- Wattyl Iron Black.
Wattyl Iron Black
Where to use them: Areas where you wish to pause and relax, such as the living room, a home library or media room, says Cafaro.
Architectural matches: This palette suits contemporary architectural styles and warehouse-style apartments, she says.
Where to use them: Areas where you wish to pause and relax, such as the living room, a home library or media room, says Cafaro.
Architectural matches: This palette suits contemporary architectural styles and warehouse-style apartments, she says.
Wattyl Dhimba
Pair these colours with: Sculpted feature walls, interesting artworks, handcrafted local objects and greenery, says Cafaro.
Your turn
Which of these trending palettes would work in your home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see a home with colour? Check out this story: Palm Springs Meets Mid-Century Vibes in a Townhouse Makeover
Pair these colours with: Sculpted feature walls, interesting artworks, handcrafted local objects and greenery, says Cafaro.
Your turn
Which of these trending palettes would work in your home? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see a home with colour? Check out this story: Palm Springs Meets Mid-Century Vibes in a Townhouse Makeover
Styling by Bree Leech
Images (apart from final) by Lisa Cohen
Walls in Dulux Edvard; trims and ceiling in Dulux Vivid White
1. Preppy pastels
Prepare yourself for the return of zesty ’80s colours in 2022, says Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux colour and communications manager. Cornflower blue, lilac, lemon, celery green and quartz green – all of which star in Dulux’s Wonder palette – are guaranteed to give your home an optimistic lift (which, let’s be honest, is something many of us could do with right about now.)
“These colours set the stage for regeneration and growth, with unexpected tones drawn from nature,” says Lucena-Orr. Unexpected combinations of pattern, colour and furniture are central to this look; pair quaint florals with sleek, contemporary furniture or woven rattan pieces with a wall of candy stripes.