How to use the Dulux Colour of the Year 2023 in your home

The Dulux Colour of the Year for 2023 is a beautiful colour called Wild Wonder, a delicate green hoping to rival shades like sage green which have proved enduringly popular in our homes over the last few years. 

"This color is like a cardamon pod," exclaims Dulux's creative director Marianne Shillingford, speaking exclusively to woman&home. "A beautiful, golden, very delicate green – an amazing organic shade that works with everything."  

"The phenomenon of Dulux Color of the Year, spurred on by Pantone's Color of the Year, is focused on interiors and how we use colour," continues Marianne. "It has become a mark on the calendar for designers and those who love interiors. It's a chance for us to share with the world what we know about colour and how colour can transform spaces and help you feel better, giving you what you want and what you need from your home."

Shades of green, from calming sage green to invigorating forest green, have been top interior paint colour trends for the last few years. Widely regarded as the best paint colors for living rooms and bedrooms alike, shades of green make us feel closer to nature and enhance our sense of wellbeing. Below we explore how you can use Wild Wonder in your home to create uplifting spaces that can help us feel better in our homes as we navigate through times of uncertainty.

How to welcome Wild Wonder, the Dulux colour of the year 2023, into your home

As recognized in recent interior design trends, the influence of nature is growing ever more important to us for enhancing a sense of well-being within our homes, welcoming the benefits of the great outdoors into our own personal sanctuaries to create a sense of calm and restfulness.

"In times of uncertainty, we return to the familiar and over the last few years, this return to nature has been absolutely huge," Marianne continues. "This color of the year for us is really important because it captures what's happening in the world around us."

So will 2023 be the year you invigorate your walls with on-trend color? Here are five inspiring ways to use this soothing shade of green in any room in your home.

1. Color drench for maximum impact

Color drenching has become one of the most popular ways to embrace the latest paint color trends in recent years. As the name suggests, it is the action of drenching the entire room in one chosen shade, which means painting all surfaces within the room, beyond the four walls, in one colour – so this includes door frames, skirting boards, ceilings and more.

The softness of the Dulux colour of the year 2023 tone makes it ideal to use in such a way because the color won't overpower the space - big or small. As a color "which connects us with the cycles of life, by creating a sense of energy and positivity" color drenching a room in Wild Wonder feels like being quite literally surrounded by nature.

2. Refresh your kitchen color scheme

So often, we rarely think past the kitchen cabinets when we talk about colour in kitchen trends, but it is amazing what a splash of new paint on the walls can do to transform and reinvigorate your existing cooking space. 

Used on the walls, the earthy green shade of Wild Wonder is ideal for making all kitchen surfaces feel refreshed, like seeing them with fresh eyes. The gentle shade of green will enliven contrasting white surfaces, while working harmoniously to compliment warmer wooden countertops and materials. Given that the color is in essence derived from seeds and pods, it seems only fitting for the very room where natural ingredients play such a key role.

3. Contrast with colorful stripes

Paint can play a transformative role in the home and add personality to any room. While communal spaces tend to benefit from a more neutral colour palette, bedroom paint colours can be used to reflect the inhabitants personal style.

Embrace the Dulux Colour of the Year and pair it with your favorite pink paint colors to create pleasing stripes that make an alternative feature wall in any room. All you'll need to follow this look is some masking tape to mark out clean lines and a steady hand to paint them with.

4. Paint the ceiling to add interest

Who says ceilings have to always be one of the best white paint colors? Make the ceiling of any room 'pop' by giving it a flush of an on-trend colour. Choose to contrast your existing wall colour against an alternative ceiling painted in the Dulux Colour of the Year.

Adding a soft contrasting colour can help to add interest to your space by painting the ceilings and a picture rail below it. If you don't have the architectural detail of a picture rail why not add one anyway to bring the colour down onto the walls?

5. Contrast walls with coordinating colors

Make a feature wall of a complimentary wall color by painting the remaining walls in Wild Wonder to give any room a creative refresh. The nature-inspired hue will instantly breathe new life into the space while the feature wall provides a chance to pick a deeper shade from the chosen color palettes to contrast beautifully, adding depth to your decorating scheme without running the risk of overpowering the serenity of the golden green.