Serve ice cold: heat wave inspires frozen paint creations

To help mark this summer’s surprise heat wave, paint brand Dulux, in an industry first, has launched a series of unique images  which present an assortment of this season’s colour trend predictions in the form of ice cream treats.

The images are the first to come from ‘Dulux Lab’ – a series of studies into the possibilities of paint and colour presentation – and predominantly showcase a palette of colours from ‘Collective Passion’, an interiors trend prediction for summer 2013.  The trend prediction follows the outcome of research undertaken by an 18-strong panel of global colour and trend experts who specialise in different areas of colour use, brought together by Dulux parent company, AkzoNobel. Collectively the team scours the globe, drawing on social and economic influences and exploring a broad range of cultures and industries including interiors, fashion, beauty and design.

In this first project the paint brand has collaborated with interiors stylist, Emily Blunden, and photographer Simon Bevan, who worked with Dulux in-house technicians to create the series of retro ice cream parlour scenes and still life settings, following hours of trials and experimentation.

The idea of freezing paint for the first Dulux Lab was the brain-child of Blunden who – from starting out with some simple ice cube experiments at home – teamed up with Dulux to take the tests to the next level and present colour in an entirely new way. She says of the initial experiments: “I was desperately keen for it to work and it was too exciting a prospect given the colour range working with Dulux would open up. It’s been great to push the boundaries of what we can do with colour and to think outside the box.”

Bright and bold colours selected from the Collective Passion palette to receive the deep freeze treatment included Rock Candy 2, Bermuda Cocktail 2 and Bongo Jazz 1. To create her Victoriana inspired lolly-pop shots and rustic ice-cream bowl still life, Blunden selected soft, muted tones Timeless Classics and earthy, rich shades of Authentic Origins – additional paint ranges from Dulux, contrasting with the fluro hues of the latest trend palette.

Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director, says of the collaboration: “Our aim for Dulux Lab was to produce a series of shots which really encourage us to engage with colour in a completely different way.

“By taking some of our newest palettes and classic ranges and pushing the boundaries of how they’re presented, we’ve been able to open up the creative field and, in doing so, hopefully challenge the way people see and connect with colour.”