Dulux reveals that the nation’s top colour choices have changed during lockdown

The nation’s colour choices are becoming bolder, as people up and down the country adapt their homes to make them suitable for work and relaxation.

According to new data from Dulux, a key trend to emerge from lockdown is the need for colourful yet calming shades, to make being at home for longer periods more enjoyable.

More paint trends: Can you guess which colour has beaten grey as the nation's most popular paint shade?

The paint brand has looked to its own best sellers of the year so far to identify the colour trends of 2020. These trends, which would usually develop over long periods of time, have been speedily accelerated since we've all been turning to DIY over the last few months.

Greens and blues are among our favourite shades

With three greens (Tranquil Dawn, shown above, plus Fresh Sage and Willow Tree) and three blues (Sapphire Salute, Oxford Blue and Cornflower White) in the top 20 colours sold by Dulux in 2020, it is evident that our homes are getting more colourful. Not just that, we are being influenced by the colours of nature in our paint choices.

Even the popular neutrals (after Pure Brilliant White) had names such as Polished Pebble, Rock Salt and Goose Down.

Related: Four ways Dulux Tranquil Dawn can change the mood of your home 

The research commissioned by the paint brand reveals that almost half (49 per cent) of people believe that colour influences how they feel, with one third saying it makes a big difference to their mood.

Furthermore, one in five people say they feel more productive in a green room while four in five people say that blue walls give them a more confident feeling.

Our colour confidence is growing

'During the past few months we have all had time to consider our living spaces like never before,' says Dulux Creative Director Marianne Shillingford. 'We have begun to realise that we want our homes to do more for us than just function practically.'

'They need to be places in which we can be energised, soothed, creative, switched on and switched off as well as places we are proud to live in.'

Related: Green kitchen ideas – redecorate with a colour that’s both sophisticated and fresh

'Colour undoubtedly has the power to make our homes look more beautiful but it also has the power to change the way we feel about them and behave in them. It can connect spaces together as much as the people in them and it can make us rest better, work better and just feel better.'

With millions of us having now spent three months working from home and social distancing, the near future is likely to involve extended periods of home working. So making our homes a more uplifting environment for working, living and resting makes absolute sense.

Will you be reaching for the paint brush in the coming weeks?