BRITAIN SLEEPWALKING INTO A COLOURLESS FUTURE‏

A new study dubbed the 'Colourless Future Census' commissioned by Dulux, the country's best loved paint brand, warns that the country is sleepwalking into a colourless future. The study shows how colour is gradually draining out of all elements of life from fashion and beauty, to technology, architecture and homes and interiors.

 Applied Colour Psychologist, Karen Haller, states: "If we were to live in a world without colour, we would switch off all natural human feelings and emotion and, in essence, would lose touch with who we really are".

The findings also reveal the colours that Brits associate with certain decades.
 People lived for sunshine yellow for the 1960s, purple for the 1970s and electric blue for the 1980s. But we see the 1990s as sand coloured, the 2000s as a more muted gunmetal grey and the current decade as black.
 Looking ahead, when asked which colours are likely to be most prevalent in the future, 65% plumped for silver, 41% white and 28% grey.

 To bring the problem to life and demonstrate that a future without colour would be lacking in emotion and expression, Dulux staged a disruptive stunt in the streets of London. The photography displays a typical commuter scene, only stripped of all colour with the people dressed head-to-toe in white with their faces obscured to hide any hint of expression or personality.

Both the photography and 'Colourless Future Census' have been created to inspire people to embrace colour in all aspects of their lives and appreciate the transformative and emotional power of colour.

The findings revealed that confidence plays an important part in people's choice of colour. More than half (56 %) of Britons said they would like to use more colour in all aspect of life, but were worried about what friends and family might think. A fifth of people (21%) also revealed that they aren't confident enough to use bright colour in any aspect of their lives and the same number revealed they are reluctant to stand out.

 From the clothes we wear to the paint in our homes, the survey has revealed that we have lost our vibrancy and confidence in the shades we choose. Over two-thirds (67%) suggest that Brits were more expressive with colour in the past than they are nowadays and therefore they were happier times (66%) and people were more expressive with their emotions (63%).