Australian Interior Design Trends 2027: Colours to Watch

Australian interiors are becoming warmer, more layered and more personal.

After years of crisp white, cool grey and highly restrained interiors, the Dulux Colour Forecast 2027 points towards two distinct directions: calm, nature-inspired palettes and more expressive spaces shaped by colour.

For new-home buyers, this does not mean every room needs a bold colour. The strongest shift is towards warmer foundations, tactile finishes and interiors that reflect the people living in them.

The Long House demonstrates how warm timber, creamy neutrals and natural stone can create a calm but character-filled interior.

What are the Australian interior design trends for 2027?

The Dulux Colour Forecast 2027 is organised into three palettes:

• Sensory: botanical greens, earthy browns, muted blue, wheat and warm neutrals
• Play: spearmint, cornflower blue, berry, orange and warm brown
• Treasure: berry, coral-pink, teal, gold and deeper dramatic tones

Rather than nominating one dominant colour, the forecast reflects two different ways Australians may approach their interiors.

The first is calm, grounded and connected to nature. The second is more expressive, colourful and individual.

Although the directions are different, both move away from cool-grey interiors. Warm white, brown, tan and timber provide a foundation that helps the finished home feel cohesive.

1. Warm and grounded interiors

The Sensory palette is likely to be the most accessible of the three directions for Australian new-home buyers.

Warm neutrals, earthy brown, botanical green and muted blue can be used across an entire home without making it feel overly themed. These colours also work naturally with timber, stone-look finishes and tactile fabrics.

The Miami display home at Kinma Valley pairs soft neutral cabinetry with warm timber, textured finishes and natural light.

A warm and grounded interior could combine:

• warm-white walls
• timber-look cabinetry
• beige or stone-look flooring
• brown and taupe accents
• muted green or blue
• textured fabrics and natural materials

This direction can work across a wide range of AUSMAR home designs, from practical First Series layouts to larger Designer and Acreage homes.

In an acreage home, natural materials and earthy colours can strengthen the connection between the interior and its surroundings. In a suburban family home, the same palette can create a relaxed and welcoming foundation that is easy to update over time.

2. More expressive use of colour

The Play and Treasure palettes introduce more expressive shades, including berry, coral-pink, teal, cornflower blue, orange and gold.

This does not necessarily signal a move towards full-home maximalism. Instead, colour is being used more intentionally to give individual spaces their own identity.

The Lume Terrace display home at Aura shows how deeper cabinetry and colourful accents can create personality without overwhelming the space.

Stronger colour can be introduced through:

• kitchen, bathroom or laundry joinery
• feature tiles
• powder rooms
• home offices
• bedroom paint
• furniture and artwork
• smaller styling pieces

A warm neutral base can anchor these stronger colours and help different rooms feel connected.

This approach may particularly appeal to Designer and Custom home buyers who want their interior selections to feel more individual.

3. Fixed finishes become part of the colour scheme

Paint is only one part of a new-home colour scheme. Flooring, cabinetry, benchtops, tiles and tapware all contribute to the overall direction.

The key is to assess these finishes together rather than selecting each surface in isolation.

The Clearwater display home at Aura coordinates terracotta-toned cabinetry with a lighter benchtop, warm flooring and restrained wall colours.

When planning your selections:

1. Start with the flooring because it covers one of the largest areas.
2. Choose the main cabinetry and consider how its undertone works with the floor.
3. Select a benchtop that connects the cabinetry and flooring.
4. Use wet-area tiles to repeat the palette or introduce a feature colour.
5. Finalise the wall colour once the permanent finishes are established.

Repeating one or two undertones across the home can make different materials and rooms feel intentional.

4. White interiors are becoming warmer

White interiors are not disappearing. Instead, warmer whites are becoming more prominent.

Dulux has included Snowy Mountains Half within its Treasure palette, showing how an established neutral can sit comfortably alongside berry, teal and gold.

The Long Beach display home at Kinma Valley uses a light neutral foundation with timber flooring and contrasting darker finishes to create warmth and definition.

A warm-white base can still create a timeless interior. Layering it with timber, brown, beige and muted colour prevents the home from feeling flat or overly stark.

It also gives homeowners the flexibility to introduce emerging colours through paint, furniture and styling without committing every permanent finish to a trend.

See Australian interior trends in an AUSMAR display home

Samples can look very different once they are installed across a complete room. Visiting a display home allows you to see how paint, cabinetry, flooring, tiles, lighting and styling work together at full scale.

The open-plan living spaces in the Miami show how individual colours and finishes come together across a complete interior.

AUSMAR’s display homes at Aura and Kinma Valley feature different layouts and interior directions, giving new-home buyers practical inspiration before making their own selections.

The Miami and Long Beach display homes can be visited at Kinma Valley in Morayfield, while the Clearwater and Lume Terrace displays are located at Aura.

Choosing a colour direction for your new home

The Dulux Colour Forecast 2027 is an early indicator of where Australian interiors may be heading - not a rulebook for every new home.

For some homeowners, the shift will mean warm neutrals, timber and nature-inspired colour. For others, it may be deeper cabinetry, a colourful powder room or a distinctive feature tile.

The common thread is a move away from uniform interiors and towards homes that feel considered, tactile and personal.

AUSMAR clients complete their colour and finishes selections with our Atelier team as part of their building journey. The Atelier is available by appointment through your AUSMAR Sales Consultant.

Explore AUSMAR’s home designs, visit our displays at Aura and Kinma Valley or speak with our team about planning your new home.