Dulux Colour Forecast 2009

Fun and playfulness were the key characteristics of this palette. Dark at times, too, sometimes this childish exploration took on a more organic tone with animalistic influences such German designer, Ding300's "Muli", a sideboard that though it was a mule.

With beauty foods and drinks that promised to make you look younger, "smart foods" that vowed to stimulate brain function, "fill you up" foods that suppressed the appetite, and immunity-enhancing foods and drinks, it's better living through chemistry", indeed! Colour combinations such as Cape Lee and Cocoa Milk, were like a breath of fresh air.

Watch out, here she comes...awash in purples, pinks and browns! Powerful women in senior positions were influencing design in everything from computer hard drives to automobiles. Fashion mixed colours, shapes and materials to provide effortless grace, while form had to meet function when it came to technology and furniture. The result was a daring display of moods – from the hardness of H&Ms folded aluminium façade to the incredibly soft, emotive and curvaceous Zaha Hadid "Nekton" stool. It was not the traditional female palette of florals and patterns.

Bye-bye bling! Luxury was re-imagined with stark blacks, whites and greys intensified by gloss and metallic finishes. The refrain in furniture? Stylish and sleek – clean lines and simple upholstery fabrics, such as commercial felt. While chandeliers boasted less crystal, the traditional essence is still dominant. However, it was not all buttoned up. Although embellishments in ornamental designs were tapered back, the strategic use of metallics and growing penchant for textures, such as crocodile skin, feathers and furs, balanced glitz and glamour.

This palette captured the power and culture of Tokyo as a key driver in fashion trends. Long-time leaders in the electronic design market, there was an increasing dominance of Japanese designers. In particular, Japanese furniture designers, such as Muji, were gaining exposure in European and Western markets. Powder-coated metals added low-key detail to refined and simply constructed shapes. Reserved mushrooms, olives and near blacks captured the philosophy of living modestly and learning to be satisfied without unnecessary items.

Sometimes secrets are good. Like the beautiful "hidden" personal colours that abound in fashion and interior design. From Louboutin shoes with that sexy lick of colour on the heel to the newly dubbed "Louboutin manicure", which deftly accentuates the underside of the fingernail, to secret internal lapels and cuffs – nothing was as it seemed. Conservative handbag? Have you seen the vibrant fabrics concealed within? Seemingly neutral vases and lamps, likewise, cloaked a secret wild side. The Intrigue palette was based on those secret colours behind the first impression we see when looking at an object. Looking at the power of the "hidden" personal colour in fashion and bringing that to life in the home.