When you think of pastel shades for the home, you might picture a home from the 1980s with pale blues, greens and pinks donning the walls of each room. 

Summer 2013 is to see pastel shades make a dramatic return to contemporary effect, with Dulux showing us how to use ice cream-like palettes in a whole new light.

‘Collective Passion’ describes the look which uses translucent pastel shades including pinks blues, yellows contrasted with neon colours, a trend known as ‘fluro,’as seen on this season’s catwalks.  

So how do you get the look?  Use subtle cloud like layering of closely connected pastels or stronger more intense shades to create a delicate freestyle appearance. The colour palette swoops from one cloud of colour to the next creating a haze of blending colour.

According to Louise Smith of Dulux, ‘Without colour, an open plan space is just that. A cleverly considered palette doesn’t have to be overpowering and in such small amounts, colour has as much impact as whole walls. Use groups of harmonious colour that flow into each and frame with white and cool neutrals for furniture and flooring – it works! With Collective Passion colour becomes more than just decoration but a method a tool and design in its own right.’  

For more inspiration from Dulux the colour experts log onto www.dulux.ie.