We believe in blue for 2026! Whether meditative, uplifting or airy, blue is a calming and cooling colour – just what we need in our homes at a time when life can feel chaotic, demanding and overheated.
This was the sentiment that came out of our Annual trend forecast when international design experts share their thoughts on where the world is heading and what we'll be needing in our homes in the next few years.
This time, we spoke about the importance of slowing down and having space to reflect and recharge our batteries. We saw the value in being in swing with our surroundings so we feel supported and connected. And we talked about the momentum that can come with boundary breaking; how embracing a free approach can help us feel carefree and do a little blue sky thinking. What tied all these thoughts together was rhythm.
Our theme for 2026, 'Your space, your pace' is all about creating a home that flows at the right tempo for you using Fluid colour schemes and balancing blues. We've selected the vibrant Free Groove™; an airy light blue – Mellow Flow™; and the meditative dark blue – Slow Swing™, and we've created three new colour stories around them (the Slow colour story, the Flow colour story and the Free colour story). Our soulful collection of blues features in all three, with one hero-ed in each palette.
With these indigo tones and complementary colours, you can play with the pace of each room of your home so it perfectly matches your mood.
There's a blue for every one of you in our Versatile colour palettes!
The lead colour in Dulux Flow colour story, this light, airy blue - Mellow Flow™; makes a perfect background colour for a living room. Calming without being cold, it brings an expansive, open feel for space transformation. Here, teamed with warm beige furniture and accents of our striking Free Groove™, it creates a space where you feel instantly at ease. To get an idea of how blues could create a calming backdrop in your living room, download the Visualizer tool
Fluid and harmonious, blues can work particularly well in a kitchen – often a hectic and overheated space. Here our vibrant Free Groove™ brings a dash of colour to the work area; while Slow Swing™ - the dark blue gives the room a solid framework. Dulux has a range of easy-to-clean products specially formulated for kitchen walls.
"Our vibrant Free Groove™ is a shade to get lost in. Intense and resonant, it can create the perfect dreamy flow in a bedroom, especially when paired with lighter and deeper blues from our soulful indigo collection. Be inspired by the colours of Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night and slow the pace right down for the perfect night-time retreat.
To try before you buy, order a Dulux Colour of the Year tester.
Blue has been shown to improve concentration, making it the ideal colour for a home office. Here a dark blue bookshelf in Dulux Slow Swing™ is set against a wall painted in Free Groove™ to create a space that's made for quiet focus.
Find out how to transform the mood of your living room with our 2026 colour storiescolour tricks for every room in your homehere
