Through the decades
We have seen many colour and style changes in the last 50 years. Check out our timeline below and look back on some of the Dulux classic looks.
Click to view larger images of the rooms and colour cards.
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The 60s were a time of huge change - as the country emerged from post-war austerity the mood was light with an air of rebellion against the long-established traditions. In the home, everything became more dynamic, graphic and colourful. This was also the time that DIY began to boom and people were encouraged to style and decorate their own homes, which was reflected by the 1961 Dulux strapline 'Hey mate let's decorate'.
1961 Colour Guide
Dog facts
- The Dulux dog was used for the first time in our 1961 TV commercial which was in black and white!
- The first Dulux dog was called 'Shepton Dash' or 'Dash', who held the role for 8 years.
1966 Colour Guide
With everyone trying their hand at decorating for the first time, Dulux stepped in to help with a handy guide entitled 'How?', which provided information on what paint to choose, how to apply it and even advice on choosing colour and pattern: "Make ceilings disappear by using pastel tints of blue or grey - colours that give an impression of distance", "Plain colour and plain colour go well together; pattern and plain can be used to very good effect but to put pattern alongside pattern calls for considerable discrimination."
By the late 60s the bold colours and patterns that are so synonymous with the decade were the height of fashion. In order to create the desired look people needed real room inspiration and so Dulux partnered with Woman, to produce the book - 'At Home with Colour, the Woman guide to decorating with paint and wallcovering'.
1969 Colour Guide
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The most fashionable way to colour scheme in the 1970's was tonally - several shades of the same colour applied to the walls, ceiling and woodwork. Creating a light spacious interior was not a consideration, people wanted an interior that encompassed as much pattern and colour of the time as possible.
1971 Colour Guide
1973 Colour Guide
In the early 70's pattern and texture were integral to design - this was the heyday of woodchip and anaglypta. Gloss finish was king and colours were vivid, Dulux colour guides were providing inspiration with colours like Poppy, Sultan, Limejuice and Sunshine.
By the late 70's trends had shifted to natural materials, warm, earthy colours and wood panelling. The 1976 Dulux strapline was 'Feel more at home with Dulux natural colours'.
Dog facts
- 'Fernville Lord Digby' or 'Digby' was our second Dulux dog and was perhaps the most famous.
- Digby starred in his own movie in 1973, 'Digby the Biggest Dog in the World' alongside Jim Dale and Spike Milligan.
- Digby was trained by the famous dog trainer and TV personality, Barbara Woodhouse.
1975 Colour Guide
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The 80's were all about warm, pale shades of cream, yellow, pink and peach, which were reflected in the introduction of the Dulux Natural Whites range of paints. This was the 'designer decade', with interior style inspired by the glamorous settings of Brideshead Revisited, Dallas & Dynasty.
1982 Colour Guide
Dog facts
- Digby retired from his role as the Dulux dog in the early 1980's with the role being taken over by 'Duke'.
- Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been 'Breed Champions' and have won 'Best in Show' prizes at prestigious dog events.
- In 1986, Duke retires after a long and happy career.
In stark contrast to this was the 'yuppie' look - cool, high-tech and aggressive styles with grey as the central colour, offset by chrome and black accessories.
For the first time, in the late 80's, there was a move away from tonal colour scheming to contrasting. Woodwork and ceilings were still painted, however they were in paler shades of white and cream to create a frame for bolder walls.
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The 90's were real growth years for DIY. In the early 90's 'blend' and 'tone' were words that featured heavily in the colour guides, with décor continuing the soft 80's feel. Pastel shades of cream, lilac and pale green were all popular choices.
1997 Colour Guide
1998 Colour Guide
Everyone was trying their hand at paint effects in the mid-90's - sponging, ragging, rubbing, dragging and stencilling. To meet this demand Dulux introduced 'Dulux Special Effects' in 1996 - a range of semi-transparent paint in 10 pastel colours.
The biggest impact on late 90's decorating might just have been Changing Rooms. In the late 90's we were all inspired to colour and 'theme' our rooms. This coincided with the launch of two on-trend paint ranges: Dulux Naturals; a collection of warm neutrals and earth tones, and Dulux Exclusives; dramatic, exciting and vibrant colours.
Dog facts
- In the 1990's, the 1st female dog is appointed, 'Jedforest Magic Flute' - or 'Tanya' for short!
- Following Tanya comes 'Dreamweaver Lorien's Lament', another female Dulux dog, Pickle.
1999 Colour Guide
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In the booming early 'noughties', we shifted from 'freshening up' every five years or fewer to a complete redecoration every two or three years. With the property market soaring, neutrals became the dominating colour palette and the idea of 'house doctoring' was ubiquitously popular. It wasn't about individual character, rather light, airy and tasteful décor intended to appeal to everyone.
2000 Colour Guide
Dog facts
- The noughties sees the arrival of our much loved current Dulux dog, Spud.
- Spud is a real character, taking many hours to be groomed for an 'appearance' and is even partial to a roast dinner!
2007 Colour Guide
The Dulux Easy Living Editions range, launched in 2004, was a collection of 'new neutrals' specifically designed to combine together to help people achieve a beautifully coordinated home. Maximising space and making rooms appear bigger and lighter were common aspirations. Dulux helped people to achieve this in 2006 with the launch of Dulux Light & Space, the paint that reflects up to twice as much light.
In 2007 Dulux unveiled the memorable 'We Know the Colours that Go' campaign, that signalled the start of a new wave of personalisation and colour. This was complimented by the introduction of products and services, such as The Dulux Feature Wall Paint, that were designed to help people get colour confident. In 2008 Dulux launched the biggest innovation in painting since the roller and tray - the Dulux Paintpod - which made painting, easy, fast and clean.
2009 Colour Guide
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Throughout 2010, personalisation and individuality have been at the core of interior style, and we've been afforded the freedom to choose the colours and objects that we love. Crafting, customising and renovating are all enjoying a huge surge in popularity - those small changes that create a big difference without the need to completely redecorate. Dulux has been known for its colour mixing service for many years but now, Dulux Tailor Made Colour is more relevant than ever, with a vast range of colours and finishes to choose from, to help you create that individual look.
2010 Colour Guide
2011 Colour Guide
More recently Dulux has launched the Let's Colour Campaign to demonstrate the emotive impact of adding colour to people's lives. The 'improve' not 'move' mentality has had a positive impact on our use of colour. New colour help tools like Dulux Colour Click support this idea of regeneration, by providing colour schemes that will work with existing furniture and furnishings, then products such as the Dulux Perfect Finish Accessories help to make the job even easier.
Looking forward to future trends for this decade, Dulux see colour being used in less serious, more surprising and spontaneous ways. In an era where everything seems possible, we yearn to return to a more relaxed and informal style of living - a more creative, carefree approach.
Dog facts
- 2011 sees the 50th anniversary of the Dulux dog!
- Help us celebrate by entering our competition to win a giant cuddly Dulux dog here.
