The 60s home was dynamic, graphic and colourful (although the colour trend clearly hadn't reached commercial photography) Photograph: PR
There was a DIY boom as people were encouraged to style and decorate their own homes. Dulux provided a guide to what paint to choose, how to apply it, and how to choose colours and patterns: 'Make ceilings disappear by using pastel tints of blue or grey – colours that give an impression of distance', 'Plain colour and plain colour go well together; pattern and plain can be used to very good effect; but to put pattern alongside pattern calls for considerable discrimination.' Wise words Photograph: PR
By the late 60s, bold colours and patterns were the height of fashion. Dulux provided real room inspiration with a book called ‘At home with colour: the Woman [the magazine] guide to decorating with paint and wallcovering’ Photograph: PR
The most fashionable way to colour in the 1970s was tonally - several shades of the same colour applied to walls, ceiling and woodwork. Creating a light, spacious interior was not a consideration - people wanted an interior that encompassed as much pattern and colour as possible Photograph: PR
Texture was integral to design – this was the heyday of woodchip and anaglypta. Gloss finish was king and colours were vivid. Dulux offered shades such as Poppy, Sultan, Limejuice and Sunshine Photograph: PR
In the late 70s, trends shifted to natural materials, warm, earthy colours and wood panelling Photograph: PR
The 80s were all about warm, pale shades of cream, yellow, pink and peach. This was the ‘designer decade’, with interior style inspired by the glamorous settings of Brideshead Revisited, Dallas and Dynasty Photograph: PR
Other 80s trends included the ‘yuppie’ look – cool, hi-tech and aggressive styles with grey as the central colour, offset by chrome and black accessories - and contrasting, where trim and ceilings were painted in paler shades of white and cream to create a frame for bolder walls Photograph: PR
In the early 90s, ‘blend’ and ‘tone’ were words that featured heavily in the colour guides, with décor continuing the soft 80s feel. Pastel shades of cream, lilac and pale green were all popular choices Photograph: PR
Everyone was trying their hand at paint effects in the mid-90s – sponging, ragging, rubbing, dragging and stencilling. In the late 90s, people were inspired to colour and ‘theme’ rooms, thanks to TV's Changing Rooms Photograph: PR
In the early 00s, with the property market soaring, neutrals were the dominating colour palette. It wasn’t about individual character but light, airy and tasteful décor intended to appeal to everyone Photograph: PR
In the late 00s and early 10s, personalisation and individuality have made a comeback. Crafting, customising and renovating are all enjoying a huge surge in popularity. The ‘Don't move, improve’ mantra has encouraged people to return to colour Photograph: PR
