Dark & Light’ is the next Dulux paint trend for 2016 and they have an interesting story behind the collection. They talk about the introduction of Earth Hour- where millions of people all around the globe all turn their lights of on the same day, and this has highlighted how much light pollution affects us all. They go on to say that we all need darkness in order to have a restful sleep and recharge our batteries and that light pollution not only affects us but the nighttime biological activity of plants and wildlife. They then make reference to the Dutch Masters of the 17th century and how their painting techniques captured the lustre and play of light within their workings, and how this was best portrayed against the contrast of dark hues. What this paint collection reflects are the tones of both dusk and dawn during what they call the ‘golden hour’.
Some of the deep and rich tones from ‘Dark & Light’ shouldn’t be that unfamiliar to you as we have seen a lot of grey (5o shades!) and more recently an array of blues, from indigo through to midnight and whilst this Light & Dark palette includes touches of these hues, we are now seeing an injection of red with bold aubergine and burgundy and lastly, crossing over into the green spectrum .
The trick to making this scheme work within your home is knowing how to pull the colours together. Most of the room-sets below will always include a highlight with the introduction of the silvery grey and ochre or perhaps highlighted with the use of furniture and accessories instead and it’s this addition that act as a light relief against the deep and sumptuous colours. A good example is the kitchen below, the worktops and lighting are the highlight. Personally, I have never been a fan of anything purple and would naturally steer more towards the green, greys and blues, but, as a Stylist, I can appreciate how luxurious and restful this palette could be, particularity for a dining room, living room or snug.
