Dulux announces the China debut of ColourFutures 2017 and the Dulux Interior Design Award at a Shanghai launch event alongside the Huangpu River. At the event, audience members are introduced to ColourFutures 2017 by Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of the Dulux Global Aesthetic Center and Lead Designer of the ColourFutures development team, in an immersive presentation featuring holographic displays and a panoramic ring screen. Meanwhile, renowned Hong Kong designer Dr. Patrick Leung is also invited on the stage to share the thinking and intention behind the colours used in his designs.
Exploring interior colour trends
A leader in global colour innovation, Dulux has long been at the forefront of colour trends research. Over the 14 years since ColourFutures was first launched in 2004, Dulux’s Global Aesthetics Center has brought together experts from various industries every year to explore contemporary colour needs as well as social and cultural trends in different parts of the world, forecasting pan-industry colour developments ahead of time. With the overriding theme of "Life in a New Light", ColourFutures 2017 focuses on moments in life and encourages people to have a fresh perspective on the simple things that make life worth living. Through this special perspective, and after gaining inspiration from different industries, Dulux has determined that ‘Denim Drift’, popular in interior design, architecture, fashion and graphic design, is the ‘Colour of the Year’ for 2017.
Denim Drift , is a beautiful, timeless and versatile grey-blue loved by numerous trend-setters that perfectly captures the mood of the moment that takes on different characteristics depending on how it is used. "Denim Drift is everywhere, which tells the story of our ‘life in a new light' trend through its vast range of tones and colours," said Heleen van Gent, head of Dulux's Global Aesthetic Center. "Denim Drift is a wonderfully diverse foundation for the 2017 colour palette, which, together with its complementary colour palette, will set off your walls in a beautiful way. There is a colour combination for everyone's taste and preference within the palette, with denim blue as our favourite."
In addition, guided by the Colour of the Year, Dulux selected 45 trend colours and introduced four interior design trends, which are New Romanticism, Shared Individualism, The Working Home, and Considered Luxury, along with corresponding colour palettes. The New Romanticism explores the way we are becoming better connected with nature and allows us to reconnect with our spiritual selves. Pairing natural colours with Denim Drift, it creates a quiet and peaceful home space reflecting the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Shared Individualism focuses on observations into how we come together to create networks of like-minded people or new-families. It boldly combines warm colours with the Colour of the Year to create a shared space for better communication. The Working Home breaks away from the stereotypes of studies and offices and redefines a flexible work space through the appropriate use of Denim Drift and contrasting colours. Considered Luxury places value on experience rather than possessions. It captures the best of the soft neutrals and really makes Denim Drift stand out, not adding clutter but experiences instead. It vividly interprets the beauty of ‘Less is More’. Through the combination of new colour trends with interior design, Dulux hopes to provide guidance on colour pairing to families, to give them memories and surprises to cherish.
Introducing the 2017 ColourFutures trends, Heleen van Gent says, “the colour of the year and its colour pallets are a dynamic interpretation of the theme “life in a new light”, capable of transforming the atmosphere of a room when matched with different shades of colour. With 2017 interior design trends being led by a blue pallet of colours, Denim Blue represents a unique expression of the age we live in.
Experiencing how technology demonstrates colour
When announcing ColourFutures, Dulux combines a three-sided panoramic ring screen with a holographic display for the first time, to give viewers a deeper understanding of the colour trends by letting them see for themselves the effect of trend colour palettes on indoor spaces.
At the event, in addition to the awe-inspiring audio & video effects, Dulux also offers visitors the chance to experience colour trends in virtual reality and test drive the Dulux Visualizer App. Combining VR technology and colour trends, Dulux has created four virtual home spaces inspired by the four interior design trends. Visitors putting on the VR glasses are transported to a virtual world where they can explore homes representing these trends. They can use joysticks to recolour their interior space using the latest trend colours, allowing them to experience the transformative power of colour first-hand. Additionally, visitors can try the Dulux Visualizer App, a revolutionary colour tool allowing colour changes to be immediately visualized. After selecting a colour on the screen, users can immediately see what a wall looks like with the color applied to it, to appreciate the beauty of different colour combinations in a home environment.
Witnessing the first launch of the Interior Design Award in China
Since it was first conceived, Dulux has adhered to its brand message, ‘let’s colour’, and sought out creative ways to fulfill this mission. With the announcement of ColourFutures 2017, Dulux hopes to not only provide forward-looking colour selection choices to the public, but also encourage and guide people to use more colour in interior design. To this end, on the day of the event, Dr. Lin Liangqi, President of AkzoNobel China, along with colour design industry elites such as Mr. Liu Yi, President of China National Interior Decoration Association, and Design Master Dr. Patrick Leung, launched the "2017 Dulux Interior Design Award". Marking the first time the award has been launched in China.
"The Dulux Interior Design Award, an extension of ColourFutures, encompasses paint colour, space and design. We hope this event will encourage designers to freely use colour paint to design home spaces using the latest aesthetics and allow more people to enjoy spaces improved through colour”, said Dr. Lin Liangqi. “This also fulfills our company’s mission, which is to provide essential products and colours to help make people’s lives more liveable and inspiring.”.
一年一度的墙面色彩界流行盛典多乐士2017全球墙面色彩趋势发布会暨空间色彩奖启动仪式在繁华的浦江之畔盛大启幕，全新色彩趋势及空间色彩奖的中国“首秀”以全息影像结合环屏的震撼演绎终揭面纱。活动特邀多乐士全球美学中心创意总监及色彩趋势研发团队首席设计师Heleen van Gent 女士亲临现场，以原作视角对2017全球色彩趋势进行全方位的解读；更有设计大师梁景华先生受邀，现场以其设计作品生动诠释色彩趋势的深刻内涵。
探寻·空间色彩潮流前沿
作为全球色彩创新的领导者，多乐士时刻把握着色彩潮流的脉搏。自2004年至今，多乐士全球色彩趋势已经走过了14年的多彩历程。在过去的14年间，多乐士旗下的全球美学中心每年都会携手各界专家，探寻世界各地对色彩的不同需求、社会及文化流行趋势的变化，并融合不同行业对色彩的领悟，率先发布权威年度色彩趋势。以“生活，另眼相看”为年度主题，2017全球墙面色彩趋势着眼于生活中或自然惬意、或愉悦共享、或适意办公、或删繁就简的点滴瞬间，鼓励人们以崭新视角观察生活中的寻常细节，焕发生活新光彩。透过这个特殊的视角并汲取各行业灵感后，多乐士2017全球色彩趋势将风靡室内设计、建筑、时尚及平面设计等行业的“水洗蓝”定义为年度主题色。
徜徉在时间的长河中，“水洗蓝”凭借其隽永的内涵和多元的搭配风格，得到了众多潮流先锋者的喜爱。“水洗蓝在我们的生活中无处不在，但细心观察你会发现，其魅力会随所处环境的不同而变幻流转，可谓是对‘生活，另眼相看’的生动诠释。”多乐士全球美学中心负责人，同时也是此次色彩趋势研发团队的负责人Heleen van Gent现场说道，“水洗蓝为2017的年度色彩趋势定下了多元、包容的基调，以其为主导的室内设计和墙体美学拥有非凡的魅力，能满足每一个人对生活的不同品味和追求。”
此外，以年度主题色为指引，多乐士精选45个趋势色并以此为基础推出“浪漫新义·识自然”、“共享主义·拥世界”、“ 乐活soho·享自由”及“解构简奢·写岁月”四大家居设计趋势及对应的趋势色组合。以回归自然、探寻本我为指引，巧用自然色系与水洗蓝的搭配，“浪漫新义·识自然”营造了宁静安逸的家居空间，透视人与自然间的和谐共生；“共享主义·拥世界”以志趣相投、情感归属为联结，将大胆的暖色系色彩与年度主题色相融合打造美好共享空间，促进彼此展开新交流；摆脱书房、办公室的沉闷死板，“乐活soho·享自由”通过对水洗蓝及其对比色系的合理运用，重新定义适意自在的办公空间；以体验和品质为诉求，“解构简奢·写岁月”通过对水洗蓝及中性色盘的灵活并用，构建出删繁就简的家居空间，生动诠释少即是多的极简之美。通过全新色彩趋势与家装设计的有机融合，多乐士希望能为幸福家庭的家居选色配色提供指导，带来更多的回忆和惊喜。
Heleen van Gent女士以原作视角对2017全球色彩趋势进行解读：“年度主题色及其趋势色组合是对‘生活，另眼相看’的生动诠释，与深浅不一的其他色调搭配可以很好地改变室内氛围，以蓝色系列为2017室内设计主导，‘水洗蓝’独特地诠释了我们生活的时代。”
体验·科技赋能色彩
此次色彩趋势的发布，多乐士首次尝试将三面环屏与全息影像相融合，通过家居空间主题趋势色组合运用前后的效果对比等动态呈现，引领现场观众能更好地理解色彩趋势的内涵。
活动当天，除了色彩趋势发布现场的震撼视听效果，多乐士更是创新性地在场内设置VR（虚拟现实）及焕色大师APP两大体验区，交互式的趣味体验引得现场观众争相参与。得益于色彩与VR技术的完美结合，多乐士在虚拟空间中逼真还原了以四大家居设计趋势为主题的四个家居空间，现场观众只需戴上VR眼镜，就可瞬间置身于趋势主题房内，仿佛穿行于现实与虚拟的世界之间；而通过操控手中的手柄，更能轻松运用最新趋势色让空间焕然一新，“零距离”感知色彩所带来的焕新力量。借助多乐士的焕色大师APP，体验者可谓过了把“瞬间焕色”的瘾，利用这一革命性的色彩工具，观众在轻点屏幕进行选色后当下即可预览漆彩上墙后所呈现的真实效果，体验千万色彩在家居环境中碰撞出的灵感火花。
见证·空间色彩奖首落中国
自品牌创立以来，多乐士始终坚持为人们的生活增添色彩，并不断以创造性的方式践行这一使命。多乐士希望通过此次2017全球色彩趋势的发布不仅能向大众提供前瞻性的色彩选择，更能启发引导人们在家居设计中更多地使用色彩。为此，活动当天，阿克苏诺贝尔中国区总裁林良琦博士携手中国室内装饰协会会长刘珝及设计大师梁景华先生等色彩设计界精英共同启动首届“多乐士2017空间色彩奖”。
“作为色彩趋势的延伸，真诚希望能借空间色彩奖这一横跨涂料色彩、空间与设计的盛事，鼓励广大设计师自由运用涂料色彩来展现家居空间新美学，进而让更多人真切地感受到色彩赋予空间的无限魅力。”林良琦博士表示，“这也诠释了公司的宗旨，即通过提供日常必需的产品和必备的色彩，助力创造更宜居更多元的生活。”
