Colour of the Year 2025 – Johnstone’s Trade Acai Berry

By Paul Surridge
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Acai Berry is a dark, neutral, dusty violet purple with a mauve undertone that represents adaptability in times of change.

A warm and impactful hue that celebrates the transformative power of colour, Acai Berry encourage users to embrace dramatic and bold choices in their design endeavours. This vibrant shade reflects the growing trend of maximalism across various industries, including design, fashion, and consumer goods.

The shade represents self-discovery and self-expression, inspiring designers and DIY enthusiasts to embrace the energy and vibrancy it brings to any space. Johnstone’s colour experts recommend using Acai Berry on interior walls, wood, and metal surfaces to create a home aesthetic reminiscent of a “jewellery box.” It can be paired with abstract or vintage-style wallpaper, used as an accent, or applied to ceilings and feature walls for added drama. Additionally, Acai Berry adds depth and character to interior cabinetry, especially when combined with mixed metallic hardware and lighting.

Extra Celestial – A design theme that draws influence from the energy within and the growing trend toward self-trust.

Bio-Fuse – A design theme that explores nature, science, and futurism as a fusion of influences that have the ability to create a better world.

Artificial – A design theme that is made in partnership with AI and the ever-blurring boundary between what is considered real and unreal.

Earth & Archive – A design theme that evokes nostalgia for natural materials and exceptional craftsmanship while remaining contemporary.

Colour of the Year 2025 – Dulux Trade True Joy

By Paul Surridge
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It is time to break free and welcome the new! Our homes should inspire us to confidently jump out of our comfort zone. Be inspired by how Dulux Colour of the Year 2025, True Joy™ can uplift a room…

Incorporate these colours in areas with limited natural light. They are also perfect for energising spaces like home offices or study areas. Start small by framing windows, and get creative with pops of coloured furnishings to capture the eye as it wanders.

Soft, gentle warm neutrals help create a cosy and inviting space, perfect for unwinding and relaxing. To enhance this cocoon-like feeling, incorporate accessories in complementary materials
such as wood, clay and cashmere.

Utilise rich, saturated tones to craft distinctive spaces. Be bold and adventurous with your choices, envisioning the entire area as a cohesive canvas. Extend the colour across all walls and experiment with various textures and patterns to enhance visual interest.

Trade vs Retail Paint

By Paul Surridge
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What is trade paint?

Trade paint is a higher-quality paint made for professional painters and decorators. Trade paints have many benefits over DIY paints as professionals require a better quality, durable and require a better standard of paint for their customers.

Trade paint is available to all. Our store and customer service teams love helping DIY customers as much as they enjoy helping professionals.

What is retail paint?

Retail paint is commercial paint designed with DIY customers in mind and is sold at high street, commercial outlets and DIY stores. Retail paint is of a lower quality than trade paint and on the surface, often appears to be the cheaper option.

Why should I buy trade paint?

Trade paint has many benefits over retail paint, including:

Coverage

Trade paint always provides better coverage than retail paint and even after thinning, trade paint will still cover more surface area than retail paint will. For example, where a Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt covers upto 17m per litre, the retail equivalent Dulux Vinyl Matt only covers 10-12m per litre.

Higher Opacity

Trade paint offers higher opacity with richer colour pigmentation than retail paint. This means a superior ability to hide the surface that you are painting, be that the colour you are painting over or the surface you are painting itself which means fewer coats are needed.

Durability

Trade paint is more durable than retail paint thanks to its higher quality formula designed not to yellow or fade over time and to withstand higher levels of wear and tear. This means it lasts longer and it can be wiped clean without compromising the finish. If you wipe a retail paint clean, you will remove the paint very easily whereas with a trade paint, you can gently wipe stains or marks off without damaging the finish or colour. Some trade paints even offer a specific durable range that can be scrubbed repeatedly without damage.

Easier to Apply

Trade paint is easier to apply than retail paint thanks to its advanced formula that ensures optimum performance and finish. Professional decorators need their paint to perform to a consistently high standard which is why they use trade paint. Retail paints will often drag when applying which results in a poor finish. They also can’t be thinned as much as trade paint can, meaning they don’t go as far.

Better Value

Trade paint is high quality, uses less coats, and has a more durable, longer-lasting finish – meaning it’s better value in the long term.

Colour Mixing

If you buy trade paint you can have almost any colour you like mixed to order. You can match a colour from fabric, wallpaper, pretty much anything and have your chosen colour mixed to order. Check out our colour mixing service