Dulux has selected Soulful Sage™, a soft, silvery green, as its Colour of the Year for 2027. The new shade is being positioned as a versatile option for architects, specifiers and designers when creating a coordinated framework for developing schemes across sectors.
The colour has been developed as part of AkzoNobel’s annual ColourFutures™ research, which examines emerging social and design trends and translates them into colour directions for professional use.
According to Dulux, the 2027 research points towards a move to lighter and more considered environments, reflecting growing concerns around information overload and wider global uncertainty.
Soulful Sage has subsequently been chosen as a flexible base colour that can be adapted to different levels of warmth, neutrality and visual energy, depending on the requirements of a project.
Three palettes for different design directions
Alongside Soulful Sage, Dulux has introduced three complementary colour palettes designed to give architects, specifiers and designers a starting point for developing coordinated schemes.
Glow Colours combines Soulful Sage with soft clay, terracotta and lilac tones. The warmer palette is aimed particularly at residential and hospitality projects where designers are looking to create a welcoming environment with greater character and warmth.
Light Colours pairs the green with greys, browns and blues to create a more restrained, neutral scheme. Dulux highlights workplaces and healthcare as potential applications where clarity, simplicity and visual order are key considerations.
Lift Colours takes a more expressive approach, combining Soulful Sage with ochres, pale pinks and other greens. The palette is intended for projects requiring a more energetic identity, including education and workplace environments.
Dawn Scott, senior colour designer at Dulux Trade, AkzoNobel, said colour should be considered at an early stage of the design process alongside materials, finishes and the function of a space.
“The challenge is translating emerging trends into a colour direction that is practical, credible and adaptable enough to use on a real project,” she said.
“Soulful Sage and its complementary palettes are designed to provide a starting point and give professionals the flexibility to develop schemes around the brief, the building and the people using the space.”
Available from September
Dulux says the Soulful Sage colour and shades from the three accompanying palettes will be available through Dulux colour mixing retailers from 8 September 2026.
A Peel & Stick Sample of Soulful Sage is also available.
For specifiers, Dulux has produced a Trade Colour of the Year 2027 Specifier Guide, while its Paint Specification Creator can be used to develop project specifications. The company also offers support through its Commercial Colour Services team.