Brave Ground (also known as Wright Stone 10YY 30/106) has been unveiled as Colour of the Year for AkzoNobel, the leading decorative paints and coatings company and maker of Dulux paint. It’s a warm and grounding neutral shade that gives us the courage to embrace change.
As unprecedented events and experiences become commonplace, it’s no wonder that people are feeling more off-kilter with the modern world. According to our extensive global trend research, what people need most right now is to feel the ground beneath their feet. When we can take comfort in the stability of simple things, we’re emboldened to express ourselves, stand up for what we believe and make new connections from the past to the future.
“This year, we’ve chosen a Colour of the Year that can give us a strong foundation during a period that has been shaky for the entire world. Brave Ground is a bolstering, balancing shade that connects us back to the earth. The colour is warm and neutral by nature, and this evokes stability, growth and potential while creating a sense of serenity”, shared David Teng, Cluster General Manager, AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Southeast Asia Pacific.
“The annual trend research we do with leading design professionals has applications across our paints and coatings businesses,” says David Menko, AkzoNobel’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Our design teams use these insights to develop on-trend, market-specific colours and finishes for our decorative paints, architecture, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and wood coatings customers.”
Neutral colours like Brave Ground can either stand strong on their own or help other colours to shine. Complementary colour palettes have been designed around the colour to make it easy to use and achieve the right look. Four palettes will help decorative paint consumers choose on-trend colours with confidence: Expressive, Trust, Timeless and Earth palettes.
The four colour palettes built on Brave Ground take this neutral shade in very different directions.
Responding to specific needs, each one allows consumers to confidently express themselves with colour:
- The Expressive colours palette stands out with shades of reds and pinks that are balanced by soft neutrals – granting the courage to be yourself
- The Trust colours palette brings together earth tones from across the globe to encourage collaboration and a sense of community – offering reassurance in connection
- The Timeless colours palette celebrates the old and the new with yellows, ochres and soft neutrals – lending inspiration to build on the past
- The Earth colours palette connects us to the natural world with blue, green and brown echoes of the sea, the sky and the soil – giving us the courage to adapt
In addition to Decorative Paints, other businesses that rely on colours, such as Automotive and Specialty Coatings, Powder Coatings and Wood Coatings, make use of similar palettes. Each business tailors its coating palettes to the colour, texture and surface needs of its customers. A wide variety of markets take advantage of the Colour of the Year, including consumers and specifiers, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, furniture, domestic appliances, cabinetry, flooring and building product producers and the architecture industry.