The Colour Trends Data Hub: Free Charts and Figures for Journalists

There is no official UK dataset recording what colour British households paint their walls or choose for their furniture, which means almost every national colour statistic in circulation originates from a single retailer or paint brand rather than from measurement. Our 2026 hub sets out what journalists can report responsibly on interiors colour and what should be left alone. The honest evidence is housing evidence: the English Housing Survey documents the age and tenure of the stock, and those factors explain colour behaviour far better than seasonal forecasting does. We also make the case that finish matters more than hue, because gloss, matt, timber and mirrored surfaces behave so differently under overcast British daylight that two items sharing a colour name can look unrelated in the same room. The report includes a practical finish comparison table, guidance for small rooms and low light spaces, and an explanation of why rented housing pushes colour onto furniture rather than walls....