Finalists for the 2023 Dulux colour awards as colour is dubbed as the new home styling trend

After white and beige coastal chic homes took Australia by storm in recent years, interior designers and home stylists are now leaning towards bold and striking colours. 

The finalists for this year’s Dulux Colour Awards have been announced with over 100 houses from all over Australia and New Zealand making the cut and leading the way for the vibrant new home styling trend. 

While the some of the award’s finalists prove neutral palettes aren’t going completely out of style, Dulux Colour and Communications Manager Andrea Lucena-Orr said more homeowners are experimenting with ‘vigorous and energetic’ colour schemes with jaw-dropping results. 

‘Earthy tones are always strong – this year, particularly, warm whites and neutrals, muted pastels and subtle greens are permeating many residential projects,’ she said. 

‘Contrastingly, deep, colour-saturated interiors are coming through, especially in moody blues, environmental greens, burnt reds and dusky pinks.’

Andrea said award judges also noticed a shift toward the consideration of painted architectural details, such as skirtings, window frames and doors, which she added inevitably adds a level of refinement to any project. 

Similarly, editor at Houzz Australia and New Zealand Vanessa Walker, pegged colour blocking as an up-and-coming trend based on Houzz search results. 

‘Striking colour-matched interiors, particularly where the same colour is used on joinery adjacent to walls, are growing in popularity,’ Vanessa said.

‘The clean, sophisticated look also addresses a way for designers and homeowners to make cabinetry more discreet and integrated into surroundings.’

Pros on Houzz say there’s been a resurgence of people looking to energise their spaces with colour, so expect more dramatic colour-blocking displays in kitchens, living rooms and wardrobes through 2023 and the years to come. 

Dulux Colour and Communications Manager Andrea Lucena-Orr said more homeowners are experimenting with ‘vigorous and energetic’ colour schemes with jaw-dropping results

Among the Dulux Colour Awards finalists are five stand-out examples of why Aussies should be embracing colour in their spaces. 

There is a tiny studio apartment that is completely painted in deep salmon and a stunning home with a modern bathroom decked out floor-to-ceiling with bright green tiles and a ultra-stylish pad with a moody-yet-sophisticated formal living room in dark, earthy tones. 

Also making the finals was a ‘castle’ family home peppered with pops of colour as well as a quaint restored home with a spectacularly pink period-style lounge room. 

Pros on Houzz say there’s been a resurgence of people looking to energise their spaces with colour, so expect more dramatic colour-blocking displays in kitchens, living rooms and wardrobes through 2023 and the years to come

GLOSS HOUSE – MELBOURNE  

A fifties home has been given a modern-meets-retro makeover by Melbourne designers Studio Doherty who took inspiration from trends of the thirties all the way to the eighties while adding a contemporary touch and preserving the building’s roots. 

The result was a series of ‘kooky’ and colourful spaces including an eye-catching ensuite off the main bedroom where every surface is adorned with a mint-green hue. 

A deep cobalt covers the walls in the shared bathroom as well as the custom blue spiral staircase connects the terrazzo home study downstairs and family room on the first level with a quirky grey-tiled kitchen. 

Studio Doherty principal designer Mardi Doherty told The Design Files they wanted the blue bathroom to ‘make an impression’ for guests because of its close proximity to the home’s conversation pit and outdoor pool. 

‘We loved that people would be completely surprised and possibly taken aback when entering this space,’ she said.

A fifties home was given a modern-meets-retro makeover and the result was a series of ‘kooky’ and colourful spaces including an eye-catching ensuite off the main bedroom where every surface is adorned with a mint-green hue

The custom blue spiral staircase connects the terrazzo home study downstairs and family room on the first level with a quirky grey-tiled kitchen

STUDIO ELROY – SYDNEY 

A tiny service cupboard in the basement of a heritage building in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs has been re-imagined into a contemporary and uniquely stylish studio flat. 

The space ‘attests to the possibility of inspired living on a small scale’ according to the designers at Lintel Studio as its small 19sqm floorplan fits a queen-sized bed, home office, kitchen and living spaces, a cellar and a bathroom.

What is most striking about the pint-sized flat is that every wall is decked out in a dramatic ‘cochineal-red’ which is both rich and soothing. 

The bold colour is complimented by exposed ceiling batons as well as brass fittings, light, ribbed timber details and natural stone. 

A tiny service cupboard in the basement of a heritage building in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs has been re-imagined into a contemporary and uniquely stylish studio flat

What is most striking about the pint-sized 19sqm flat is that every wall is decked out in a dramatic ‘cochineal-red’ which is both rich and soothing

OMANA HOUSE – NEW ZEALAND 

The owners of a charming historical home gave their pad an extra dose of character by decking out their lounge space with vivid hot pink.

Every wall, the curtains and even the curtain rails don the daring colour which is complimented by a purple velvet couch and dark wood floors. 

The master bedroom takes a more muted approach to the living room’s pink and purple colour scheme where stunning stained-glass bay windows add an extra pop of colour. 

In the entry hall, tall archways and doors are painted brown to jut out from the crisp white walls while another bay window in the dining room features ornate cornices.  

The designers from at.space said the ‘larger than life’ home has ‘an incredibly majestic feeling’ and the colours and windows bring warmth and character to ‘an otherwise austere interior’.

‘We turned to colour to embody and personalise the spaces, bringing warmth and a new story,’ they said. 

‘Our clients’ favourite colours of hot pink and purple where used as inspirational starting points and the basis of our selection of a sophisticated, earthy and thoughtful colour palette.’ 

The owners of a charming historical home gave their pad an extra dose of character by decking out their lounge space with vivid hot pink

In the entry hall, tall arch ways and doors are painted brown to jut out from the crisp white walls while another bay window in the dining room features ornate cornices

The master bedroom takes a more muted approach to the living room’s pink and purple colour scheme where stunning stained-glass bay windows add an extra pop of colour

THE WHISKEY ROOM – MELBOURNE 

Designer Simone Haag was commissioned to reimagine the informal living room, entry way and master bedroom in an empty-nesters’ new Melbourne home. 

Wanting to steer away from ‘cookie cutter’ design concepts, she created The Whiskey Room, a sophisticated space with soaring ceilings and dark rustic shades that give an earthy feel. 

Simone told Elle Decor she ‘relished’ working on a period home after many jobs on new-builds and was struck by the residence’s ’19th century grandeur’. 

The home’s owner had already started experimenting with colour before enlisting the help of Simone and had started painting the walls and ceilings unusual hues. 

Simone was intrigued by her ‘confidence’ in colour and took inspiration from her wardrobe to come up with the home’s final colour scheme.

‘In one of our meetings, we started with our usual commentary about my client’s epic outfit selection, which led to a walk-through of her wardrobe,’she said.

‘I could see that every piece of clothing she owned was khaki, mustard, olive, or rust, and it was a natural springboard for the interior’s palette.’

The edgy palette was the basis for the rest of the design concept which married the home’s original period features with mid-century furnishings and eclectic artwork. 

Designer Simone Haag was commissioned to reimagine the informal living room, entry way and master bedroom in an empty-nesters’ new Melbourne home

Wanting to steer away from ‘cookie cutter’ design concepts, she created The Whiskey Room, a sophisticated space with soaring ceilings and dark rustic shades that give an earthy feel

Simone was intrigued by the home owner’s ‘confidence’ in colour and took inspiration from her wardrobe to come up with the home’s final colour scheme

GLEBE CASTLE – SYDNEY 

A one-of-a-kind home in Sydney’s inner west is already eye-catching for its castle-like exterior however inside it features a kaleidoscope of colour. 

Pink hues and ‘blaze blues’ are scattered throughout the home’s decor that give the space an unconventional-yet-fun personality. 

A blue spiral staircase contrasts a backdrop of pink, patterned wallpaper and the bright blue colour continues in the kitchen and bathroom which even has matching taps.

Under a second cobalt staircase lies a pink-framed hanging net that looks down to the floor below and the sleek kitchen has a pink mosaic splashback, terrazzo flooring and custom lighting under the island bench. 

‘Colours and wallpapers were used selectively to highlight the architectural aspects of the space,’ designers from KLK architecture said of the castle home. 

‘Utilitarian elements such as staircases and void were turned into playful sculptural elements. By playing with the architectural features, this gives a longevity to the interior aspect of the building.’

Pink hues and ‘blaze blues’ are scattered throughout the Sydney inner west ‘castle’ home’s decor that give the space an unconventional-yet-fun personality

A blue spiral staircase contrasts a backdrop of pink, patterned wallpaper and the bright blue colour continues in the kitchen and bathroom which even has matching taps