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Dulux Trade paints a colourful possibility

Understanding the power of colour, renowned colour authority, Dulux Trade Paints, has announced its trend predictions for the year ahead with the launch of its annual ColourFutures™ book for 2012.

The key concept for the 2012 ColourFutures™ collection is 'Possibilities': encouraging us to look at our surroundings for opportunities and combine materials and colours in new, unsuspected and satisfying ways. The resulting palette comprises full bodied hues with lots of character, as well as complementary hushed pastels, chic neutrals and edgy brights.

Every year, the colour specialists at Dulux Trade also select one prevailing colour to encapsulate the essence of the collection. The 2012 'Colour of the Year' is a blushing, lively red. Described as at once whimsical and serious, yet dynamic and soft, this radiant shade was chosen for its design diversity. Within a palette of hues, this colour offers many possibilities and is an ideal shade for accent areas or feature walls.

Drawing on a variety of cultural sources and influences from global themes, the resource is divided into five key trends:

Delicate Mix - in times of turbulence we are attracted to design that offers silence and visual stillness. This theme therefore exudes subtlety via elegant neutrals, warm camels, blushing coral and nude pinks, and captures a new type of luxury that does not aspire to express wealth through glitz and excess.

One Small Seed - this theme celebrates our intrinsic connection with nature. It allows us to surround ourselves with nature's beauty and comprises a fitting compilation of watery greens, bright blossom and dark soil shades.

Living Scrapbook - our perception of privacy is challenged by Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, changing the way we think and also our boundaries of creativity. With this in mind, Living Scrapbook contains a lot of happy, yet mature, pastels and modern shades which have a warm and charming edge.

Different Worlds - this concept concentrates on the idea of how state-of-the-art-technology allows us to exist in different realities at the same time. To capture the essence of reality and escapism, the colours swing from the dreamy and surreal to the solid and super real. Lush, velvety bright blues, green and reds are played off against delicate and translucent pastels.

Rediscovered Heroes - encouraging an appreciation of the beauty and value of simple, ordinary objects, this theme promotes the discovery of new possibilities in unlikely places. As such, the collection incorporates colours inspired by the down-to-earth qualities of our industrial heritage, and the masculine aesthetics that have always accompanied them: denim blue, industrial neutrals and rusty metal tones.

The ColourFutures™ 2012 literature is based upon research conducted by colour experts from around the globe and produced in conjunction with ICI Paints AkzoNobel's aesthetics centre, a unique colour and trend forecasting facility. The literature is designed for the architect and design industries, and is developed to inspire and provide insight into upcoming trends.

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