Four students walking through a corridor with walls painted in a soft lilac

Transform education spaces with Dulux Colour of the Year 2024

02 January 2024

Today, more than ever, education spaces need to feel welcoming and positive. Uplifting colours can transform learning environments and help students feel motivated.

The knock-on effects of the pandemic continue to affect young people’s mental health.¹ Research shows that creating a joyful, comfortable learning environment can help motivate students and reduce stress.²

Combining modern yellows and soft lilacs, the Dulux uplifting colour story is perfect for creating a friendly feel in a school building. These joyful tones can add personality to an assembly hall, corridor or classroom without overpowering the space, and create a welcoming backdrop.

¹"COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide, and the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people." WHO, March 2022.

²“When we scrub joy and comfort from the classroom, we distance our students from effective information rocessing and long-term memory storage.” Judy Willis, neurologist quoted in A Space for Joy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Summer 2022

Bring personality to an exterior

A school building with exterior walls painted in soft pink with accents painted in ochre

Dulux uplifting colours can bring personality to an exterior scheme, helping to give a building standout. Here, walls painted in Dulux Colour of the Year, Sweet Embrace™ and a combination of soft ochres give the exterior a welcoming, approachable feel.

Which colours?

Get creative in the classroom

A nursery painted with a mix of soft pastels and warm ochre

A mix of Dulux Colour of the Year, Sweet Embrace™, and uplifting shades in graphic shapes brings the perfect combination of creativity and playfulness to this nursery setting. Together they create a space that feels friendly and inclusive.

Which colours?

Bring energy to a sports hall

A sports hall with walls painted in soft pink. The far end wall is painted with a split wall effect.

A sports hall calls for colours that bring as much as energy as the games. Here, a split wall creates a striking, upbeat backdrop. The softness of Dulux Colour of the Year, Sweet Embrace™, makes the space feel open and expansive, while the ochre and yellow beneath add warmth and visual interest.

Which colours?

Make functional spaces fun

A stairwell with a wall painted using a split wall effect.

Uplifting colour combinations bring a sense of energy and positivity to a space, and can make even functional, in-between spaces feel welcoming. Here, a split wall effect, created with Sweet EmbraceTM, lilac and yellow, creates an inviting stairwell, whilst a splash of yellow on the window frame draws the eye outside.