Colour trends for 2016

Dulux Colour Futures™ from AkzoNobel have once again come up with what they think the upcoming trends for colour for 2016 will be, through their international research they have selected a range of colours they think will be in trend throughout 2016, this year it consists of a muted and sophisticated palette .

Colour palettes and colour trends for 2016

Quote from ColourFutures™

For 2016 we see a muted and sophisticated palette which centres on soft mid tone shades. The overall feeling continues to be warm, but with even greater subtlety. Bright colours have moved away from primary to something more interesting. Think coral, not orange; ochre not yellow and midnight, not blue. This is a friendly palette but with a dark, mysterious side.

The theme consists of the following four colour palettes and colour moods:

• Heritage & Future
• Words & Pictures
• Dark & Light
• The Grid & Letting go

What is to colour for 2016

The colour of the year 2016 is…… 20YY 36/370 (also known as Cherished Gold).

“We have selected a gold influenced ochre which is both bright enough to attract attention and combines well with other tones. Gold and gold tones are being used everywhere in the design world. It is a recurring colour and material at design fairs and in graphic design as well as in architecture, fashion, beauty and interior decorating.”

Quote from ColourFutures™

You can see more of this years colour schemes here:
Dulux Trade website or here:
http://www.colourfutures.com and download the Colour Futures book(PDF).

Paint Calculator

If you would like to use the colour of the year (20YY 36/370) or any other colour you need to buy and need to work out how much you need to buy, use our FREE Paint Calculator.

Review of Purdy products

I was recently contacted by a PR company representing Purdy Professional Painting Tools, they asked if I would like to try some of Purdy’s products and give a review. I thought this would be a good opportunity for both myself and Purdy. For me, I get to try some of Purdy’s world famous products and for Purdy, they have a professional decorator giving an honest real life review. All of the products I reviewed were tried and tested on real life jobs.

Here is my review on the products tested.

Purdy Sprig Elite Paint Brush 2 Inch

I have used this brush for Masonry paint, emulsion and primer/undercoat, all water based products. I found this brush to be a good size and the bristles are just the right stiffness. I haven’t tried this brush on a oil based paint but think it would give a good finish and ideal for laying off.
I also like the fact that all Purdy’s brushes are hand finished and have the person’s signature on a label on each brush.

Purdy Marathon Roller Sleeve

I used this roller sleeve on a recent exterior job. The sleeve performed well and held a large amount of paint which was really good when doing a gable end wall, which meant less times up and down the ladder.

I also used the sleeve on a ceiling and was again pleased with the result it gave me, it left a good even finish.

The only thing I noticed was it seemed slightly longer to wash this roller out than other sleeves I had used, but maybe I hadn’t scrapped enough paint out before washing?

The marathon can be used for both water and oil based paints.

Purdy 9″ Revolution Frame

This cageless frame is great to use, it is lightweight and it rolls very smoothly. The roller sleeve has a good snug fit to the frame so doesn’t move whilst in use. This frame had a slightly longer handle / arm than I normally use which was good I was able to emulsion a standard height ceiling with ease without a ladder.

This frame also features a quick connect feature for connecting with the Purdy Power Lock extension poles, but can also be screwed onto other makes of pole.

Purdy Power lock extension pole 2′- 4′

This extension pole is well built and sturdy and is an ideal length at 2 – 4 feet just to get to those hard to reach places or a ceiling without using a ladder. It is made from Aluminium and fibreglass with quick adjustment locking system. It also has a quick connect system for there new Revolution frames, but it will also take their old frames and other make of roller frames too.

This extension pole makes is easy to change length with it’s locking system and is ideal to keep in your van to call upon when needed.

Purdy Jumbo Mini Roller Frame

The jumbo mini roller frame is ideal for getting into tight places, such as behind radiators. Used in conjunction with the Jumbo marathon roller sleeve it hold lots of paint and performs like the bigger 9″ roller.

The frame is cageless and glides well giving a smooth action.

Purdy Jumbo Marathon Roller Sleeve

This sleeve holds lots of paint so you can go a long way with this roller system, ideal for tricky to reach areas. This sleeve can also be used for water and oil based paints.

In Conclusion

After trying all the above products I was pleased with how they all preformed, I especially liked the new Revolution Frame as it was light and had a good smooth glide, I will be using it a lot in the future.

As a result of this review I shall be considering incorporating Purdy products into my tool box, so they could well be appearing in my van very soon!

Review of Dunlop Pro Decor Interior Filler

Following on from my last review for Dunlop Pro Decor on their Flexible Acrylic Filler caulk, I have been asked to review another product, this time it is their Interior Filler.

The interior filler comes in two pack sizes, 2KG or 5KG (in multiples 1KG bags). It is a Gypsum based product and is brilliant white in colour. It has a working time of around 30 minutes and surface dry within 5 hours but this will really depend on thickness and temperature. Once dried it is easy to sand. This filler can be used up to 30mm deep without any slumping.

I was keen to try this product after the great results I had had after trying Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Caulk with great results.

I tried the Pro Decor Interior Filler on my latest interior job, and here is my review.

My review of Dunlop Pro Decor Interior Filler

On the Dunlop Decorators website it says this about the product:

A brilliant white, fast drying, gypsum based interior filler for smoothing, plastering and filling large surface damage, holes or cracks.

• Easy to apply
• Build up to 30mm thick
• Creates a smooth finish
• Will not crack
• Easy to sand
• Can be sponge finished
• Interior wall filler

Available in: 2kg or 5kg cartons
(each unit contains multiples of 1kg bags)

I used this filler on my latest job, a bedroom. The walls were wallpapered but the client wanted the walls to be emulsioned. I stripped the paper and used the Interior Filler to fill cracks and holes including larger holes where a curtain pole had been removed.

The filler was easy to mix and was workable for around 30 minutes. It dried quickly and I was able to rub down the filler I had applied in the morning later the same day. I didn’t notice any shrinkage even in the larger holes I had filled.

Once I had rubbed the filler down and removed any loose dust I applied two coats of emulsion, it didn’t flash or show once painted and the client was happy with the finished result of the newly decorated bedroom.

Buy Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler caulk

You can buy Dunlop Pro Decor Interior filler in 5kg boxes or in 2kg boxes from My Paintbrush.

In conclusion

The Dunlop Interior filler was easy to mix, work with and sand. It didn’t slump or shrink when used in larger holes. It dried well and I was able to sand it down later the same day. Obviously drying conditions and thickness of filler will play a part in drying times.

I wasn’t disappointed in the results I got from this product and will use it again in the future.