INTERIORS

Dulux’s new Colour of the Year is a soft, silvery green called Soulful Sage. If it appeals, use the announcement as a reason to try a sample before planning a whole-room repaint.

Homes & Gardens reported the launch on 8 September 2026. The colour sits within three Dulux palettes called Glow, Light and Lift. It is the manufacturer's selection for 2027, rather than evidence that every home needs a new colour scheme.

The useful question is how the shade works with what you already own. Here is a simple way to make that decision without turning one paint sample into a long shopping list.

Choose the room you are considering and gather what you can: a flooring offcut, curtain fabric or worktop sample. Where those materials cannot move, take the paint sample to them. Pay particular attention to the largest fixed finishes. You may like green on its own but feel differently about it beside your carpet or kitchen doors.

Write down what you want the change to achieve. Is the existing wall colour too stark? Do you want a gentler background for furniture? A clear aim gives you something to judge beyond whether the new colour is fashionable.

Use a genuine sample of the intended colour and follow its application instructions. If suitable for the product, a sample board lets you move it between walls. Check it in daylight and with the lamps you normally use in the evening. Avoid making the decision from a phone image or a colour swatch alone.

Compare only a few candidates at once and label them. Include your current colour as a reference, if possible. Leave the samples in the room long enough to see them during your usual routine.

Ask the supplier to confirm the precise UK colour, the finish available and the surfaces it is suitable for. Walls, cabinetry and trim may need different products and preparation. Check the product instructions for coverage, coats, drying and maintenance before calculating quantities or accepting a decorator's quote.

Include preparation, repairs, materials and labour when budgeting. A colour announcement does not establish what a finished room will cost.

Try the sample behind furniture and beside the ceiling and skirting. Consider the view through an open door into the next room. If the colour only works in one corner, pause before extending it everywhere.

Keep the finishes you still like and make the paint earn its place alongside them. The sample check is successful if it leads to a decision you can live with, including deciding to keep the room as it is.