The latest paint trend: Coloured neutrals

While most people tend to play it safe when it comes to paint colours, there’s a new trend in town and it’s a welcome relief for those tired of the usual suspects - white, beige and grey. Enter the coloured neutral and it’s a trend we’ve noticed in the new Haymes Paint, Taubmans and Dulux palettes.

“I’ve developed this palette of nine neutrals to inspire, influence and engage consumers to use more colour in their homes. It’s a palette that contains hints of pink, peach and blue, which contrast well with the greys, injecting life and soul to interior spaces,” says Haymes Paint colour and concept manager Wendy Rennie of the brand's ‘Blended Neutrals’ range.

Haymes Paint 'Siesta' is a subtle, versatile peach tone

“What I love about this palette is that it creates a wonderful conversation around the definition of neutrals and how we can use them in our homes to create playful, unique and relaxed spaces. This more playful and relaxed approach to neutrals provides an opportunity for people to shift their approach from always using greys and whites to seeing how colour can be translated into making spaces warm, balanced and liveable,” says Wendy.

Haymes Paint 'Sun Dew' is a lovely washed pastel blue

The coloured neutral paint trend is one that interior designer, The Block judge and Taubmans brand ambassador Shaynna Blaze has noticed too. “There is a clever new generation of shades which seemingly have a stylish foot in both the neutral and colour camps. A pitch-perfect case in point is the Taubmans current Colour of the Year, Violet Verbena. Whether in its paler quarter, half, or striking full-strength formulation, this mutable ‘chameleon’ colour can appear as the palest dove-to-charcoal grey, or with a graduating blue-purple haze to it,” says Shaynna.

Taubmans' 2017 Colour of the Year 'Violet Verbena'

The recent Dulux 'Sentience palette embraces the trend too, with its subtle pastels including wasabi green, peachy pink and stronger beige and grey tones.