Dulux Trade, brand of AkzoNobel

London’s new countryside escape, Birch, dating back to the 15th century, has undergone extensive redecoration thanks to support from the Dulux Trade team and its Heritage Range. The grade II listed country escape hotel was built in 1763 and became the 140 bedroom Theobalds Estate hotel in the 1990s. The country estate was once a royal favourite for King James I, a Georgian family home and Sir Christopher Wren’s retreat, a WWII military riding school and is now one of Hertfordshire’s most socially engaged and creative hotels. To maintain the heritage of the estate with its new contemporary purpose, the designers chose the Dulux Trade Heritage Range to redecorate Theobalds Park’s hotel rooms, foyer and corridors in a variety of colours - as the hotel underwent a transformation and rebrand into Birch, a new city escape. The rich colour range was the ideal match for the hotel’s contemporary theme allowing the country mansion, surrounded by acres of fields, to maintain its classic elegance whilst incorporating modern escapism into its new interior design concept. A combination of Green Oxide, Buff and Potters Pink were used for the geometric design on the hotel suite and corridor walls, complemented by Green Oxide and Roman White throughout the project. The former De Vere Theobalds Estate hotel is set to officially open as Birch on 3rd August 2020. Birch, which is billed as a city escape that “looks like a hotel, feels like a festival”, is the brainchild of former Ace Hotel London MD Chris Penn and his business partner Chris King, will feature a growing farm, an interactive bakery, two restaurants in partnership with Robin Gill, three bars and co-working and wellness space, as well as a 25-metre Lido (opening later this year) and pottery, music, screening, and art rooms. Dulux Trade Technical Support Manager, Steve Plowman, worked closely with the hotel’s architects, Red Deer, to adapt the colour scheme and specifications to meet with the colour contrast requirements of the Equality Act Part M. This included particular consideration of Light Reflectance Values (LRV), to ensure that critical surfaces could be clearly distinguished, aiding navigation for those with a visual impairment. The team worked to match the design to colours in the Heritage Range, to ensure that the project was completed to achieve a high aesthetic and functional standard. To bring this vision to life, Dean Jones and his team of highly skilled painters at Broadway Painting Ltd worked tirelessly to achieve outstanding results. Dulux Trade Diamond Matt was used for the corridors, walls and staircases due to its high durability and effectiveness in masking wall imperfections. The paint is wipeable and scuff resistant to ensure these high traffic areas remain perfect for years to come. It also offers new anti-fade technology and superior stain resistance through its unique Stain Repellent Technology, which can be wiped clean repeatedly without polishing up, helping to extend maintenance for up to five years. Dulux Trade Diamond Matt was also used on the ceilings, while Dulux Trade Eggshell provided the finishing touch on the doors and trim. The local Dulux Decorator Centre in Enfield worked closely with the Dulux Trade team to ensure colour accuracy and stock supply throughout the project. This collaborative work, along with regular site visits from Steve Plowman, kept the project on track and meant that any issues that arose, could be resolved very quickly. Ciarán O’Brein, founder of Red Deer, said: “Our ethos in creating Birch was to sensitively restore and listen to the existing buildings as best we could. True sustainability meant to us removing and adding things to spaces only where necessary. To this end we relied heavily on working with furniture, sculpture and of course paint to install new moods and agendas across the Grade II Listed building, bedrooms and even the bathrooms. We worked with Dulux on this exciting project; a deep Dulux Yves Klein blue transforms a traditional stairwell, pastel kaleidoscopic colours adorn listed ceilings in the Screening Room and a dark green creates warmth in a Drawing Room overlooking the lawns.” Steven Plowman said: “The work completed goes far beyond a normal redecoration program. The design is matched throughout all rooms and hallways exactly - with no variation in Heritage colour. The attention to detail is outstanding and clearly shows how a stunning design alongside an effectively executed colour scheme transforms any area. “The bespoke contemporary paint finish has transformed the hotel interior into a work of art that will stand the test of time and many visitors.”

The extensive capabilities and technologically-advanced formulations of Dulux Trade products proved essential in the successful £60million transformation of one of London’s most iconic landmarks. The Old Admiralty Building forms the backdrop to the annual Trooping Of The Colour ceremony. Home to Winston Churchill when he was First Lord Of The Admiralty, it is instantly recognisable the world over. But after being occupied by the Foreign And Commonwealth Office for a number of years, it required an extensive refurbishment to bring it up to today’s standards - and make it fit for purpose for its new occupants - The Department For Education and its 1,600 staff. Extensive engagement with Historic England and Westminster Council took place throughout the project to ensure the transformation of the Grade II-listed building was undertaken sensitively and with the use of products that would preserve and enhance its historic fabric. Dulux Trade Specification Team Andrew Cleaver, Steve Darnell and Anthony Bell worked with contractor Primetone Builders to advise both on the selecting and application of products that were used to transform the interior and exterior of the 23,000 sqm landmark across a range of surfaces including timber, intricate cornicing and masonry. Primetone Builders Founder Kevin Rabbitte commented: “Helping to transform such an iconic building was a real privilege and honour. “I’m immensely grateful for all the support and expertise that Dulux Trade provided on this complex and challenging project. “From initial site visits onwards, their specifiers were critical in helping my team of expert decorators get the very best out of all the products used.” The project also proved a showcase for the strengths of Dulux Trade water-based products, which have a positive environmental impact due to their low level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and contributed positively to maintaining air quality on site throughout the process. Among those used were Dulux Trade Diamond Glaze. Up to ten times tougher than conventional varnishes, it was applied to the building’s historic natural timber staircases. Intricate cornices and trim were carefully cut in using Dulux Trade Diamond Satinwood. Quick-drying, it comes into its own in high-traffic zones, such as corridors, stairways and access areas. The interior wall and ceiling surfaces benefited from one of the most technologically-advanced products Dulux Trade has produced - Dulux Trade Evolve Matt. The high opacity emulsion is made with 35% recycled paint content - offering a lower carbon footprint than traditional alternatives. Meanwhile, Dulux Trade Weathershield Exterior High Gloss System and Dulux Trade All Seasons Smooth Masonry Paint combined to give a high-quality finish to the external elements of the building, while the fungicide they contain also inhibits mould-growth. Kevin added: “We were tremendously impressed with the performance of the water-based products that we used on the project. They flowed exceptionally well and there were no problems with coverage. The environmental impact of these large projects can be significant, so it was also really welcome that we could keep ours down by using recycled products like Dulux Trade Evolve Matt. “I look forward to collaborating with Dulux Trade using more new product innovations on many more projects in the future.” Steve Darnell, Specification Development Manager South London, Dulux Decorator Centre 360 commented: “We’re delighted to have used our expertise to support Kevin and his team of expert decorators on this historic project. “From limiting environmental impact, to maintaining the historic fabric of this iconic building and ensuring an all-round high-quality finish that lasts - there were a host of considerations that went into specifying the products for this project. “Happily, the extensive range of products Dulux Trade offers, combined with its commitment to technological innovation, means we could fulfil this brief and provide the materials to breathe new life into this London landmark.”

Dulux Trade has undertaken a historic project, breathing life into Alexandra Palace’s old BBC Transmitter Hall. The leading paint brand teamed up with the Alexandra Park Palace Charitable Trust and a range of industry partners to offer their expertise, skills and labour in the transformation of the space. As part of a £28 million renovation project to restore the Eastern part of the historic building used by the BBC as a TV transmitter facility, Dulux Trade took on the brief to design a space for vulnerable users. Each week the space is used for specialised programmes for hundreds of people including young adults with learning difficulties, musical workshops, mindfulness workshops in partnership with the NHS mental health support and a wellbeing cafe to support loneliness. Carefully selecting colour to enable those living with dementia to navigate their way around the old transmitter hall, the space has been created to make the now hundreds of users per week feel comfortable and at home, whilst offering an uplifting space for young adults with learning difficulties. The team applied the principles around healthcare colour scheme research to create a space that has a connection to the outside world - that was calming and inspiring. Earthy ‘Distant Haze’ greens and spiritual ‘Niagara Blues’ and lilacs were selected to produce a rich and verdant collection of shades - with the end user carefully considered. Points of difference were carefully managed between surfaces and space to make the rooms easier to navigate for people with visual impairment and dementia meeting the requirements of the Equality Act. The space was made to feel more intimate by artificially lowering the ceiling height through clever use of colour and design and the light and airy ‘Adobe Pink’ colour chosen, allowed for the perfect environment for the number of groups now using the Transmitter Hall. Colour blocks have been used behind the bar area, adding interest and eliminating the mirrors which can cause stress to people with dementia. Alexandra Palace is part of the Haringey Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) which aims to unite local organisations and improve the lives of people affected by dementia. There are over 1,600 people living with dementia in Haringey and programmes like these support people with dementia and their families to live and connect through the power of music. The new Transmitter Hall was a result of months of hard work by Dulux Trade and parent company AkzoNobel - taking 290 man hours - in conjunction with various other partners including Tarkett Flooring, Willmott Dixon, Speedy Hire, Southgrove Painting Contractors, Lucas Specialist Finishers, Horizontal Ltd and Winchmore. As well as working alongside partner firms, Dulux Trade enlisted the help of the AkzoNobel Research & Development teams to provide labour on the project and Dulux Decorator Centre in nearby Islington to provide workwear and materials to the AkzoNobel ‘Let’s Colour’ team. Dulux Trade has long since recognised the growing global health trend which will see over one million people in the UK diagnosed with dementia by 2025. Working on research led projects with healthcare specialists and the British Research Establishment, the brand has been able to gather evidence on how colour and design can transform spaces and therefore the lives of the people who use them. Using their research, the Dulux Trade Commercial Colour Services team designed an inclusive space within Alexandra Palace which uses the application of colour to enable occupants to more readily identify different areas of the entire space - for example the use of a colour contrast doorway or corridor, and colour, design and textures that discourage access to private areas within the space. In total over £3,000 worth of paint and decorating materials were donated to the project - which saw parts of Alexandra Palace renovated after many years bring the space back to life. Products used for the project included Dulux Trade Supermatt on the ceiling, Dulux Trade Diamond Matt on the walls and Dulux Trade Durable Flat Matt on the columns. Sarah Norton, project lead at AkzoNobel said: “This project has been a labour of love for Dulux Trade. To be involved in the restoration of a building with such historic value has been fantastic. We were able to put our knowledge and research regarding using colour to positively impact occupant wellbeing to good use, including aspects of design that are more considerate of vulnerable guests visiting the space. In this way, we’re pleased to have contributed to making the Transmitter Hall an inclusive, multi-functional space for many people in the local area.”

Transforming a run-down pub into a sleek, modern restaurant and bar was made all the easier with the latest Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt. With its unique formulation and ultimate scuff resistant technology, it’s perfect for maintaining that crisp, just painted look for longer. Paul Schofield Managing director of PA Schofield Ltd explained: “New Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt is a great product that really works. It has really good application and absolutely no flashing at all. The clients are over the moon with the finish and durability of the product, and so are we. We will use it again without question.” As director of PA Schofield Ltd, based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Paul was given complete responsibility for conceiving and implementing all design decisions. For his starting point, Paul paired statement wallpapers with contemporary floor finishes. He complimented the wallpaper through a colour scheme that combined colours such as Coyote Grey, Perfectly Taupe and Winter Avenue. Ceilings were painted in Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt, while Dulux Trade Satinwood was used on the trim and Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt on the walls, along with Dulux Trade Diamond Matt in some areas. Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt is an ultra-tough formulation, designed to cope with the scuffs and everyday wear and tear of busy commercial spaces. And he identified a number of benefits from using it on the project, explaining: “It flowed really well on rollers and brushes and left an excellent finish overall. “And there was no flashing or colour difference from roller to cutting in. “It’s really brilliant for touching in, too. We’d often have to redo entire walls as spots we’d touched in stood out like a sore thumb, but there was none of that with the new Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt.” Paul was supported on the project by Lee Crossland, Leeds and Yorkshire Technical Support Manager for Dulux Decorator Centre 360. Lee said: “I’d heard PA Schofields was about to start work on the high-end restaurant conversion so got in contact with Paul to let him know about our new product that would be perfect for him. “I talked Paul through the benefits of Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt and that the appearance of the finish would be an ideal fit for the design he was looking to achieve, while explaining how the improved durability would allow the restaurant to look better for longer. From start to finish the process took 18 months. And Paul has been checking in to see how the Dulux Trade ScuffShield Matt has been performing. He added: “The clients are very happy that the paint cleaned easily without removing the paint from the plaster substrate. For more information visit: https://www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/content/scuffshield

One of London's most high-profile exhibition and conference spaces, Olympia, has been given a makeover thanks to the Dulux Trade team. Olympia is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington. The venue is host to a variety of international trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and events. Dan Burford of LPC Contractors, who carried out the refurbishment, says: “We had 14 days and two teams of 15 appliers doing 12 hours shifts. One team would do a shift 8am-8pm, and the other from 8pm-8am. The labour cost around £130K. “We painted the walls and columns in the Grand Hall, the upper gallery area and the west and upper west wings. These spaces are regularly used for events and the organisers were commenting that it looked a little run-down, so it was important to keep it looking fresh. “The classic shade, Spindrift, a very pale blue, was used for the grand hall and stairways, a simple refresh of the existing wall colour. The product used was Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell. The previous Dulux Trade coating had lasted 10 years, so the team were confident that the paint’s durability would make it the right choice once again, especially with latest stain resistant formulation of Dulux Trade Diamond Eggshell. Lenny Jones, F/M Operation Manager at London Olympia, adds: “Because of Dulux Trade Diamond’s superior durability and long-wearing power, it’s the only paint formulation I would feel confident in specifying for London Olympia. Since the refurb we’ve held three events and, every organiser has commented on how bright and clean the space looks now.”

A decorating contractor has praised Dulux Trade SmartShield+ after they were able to transform the exterior of a block of flats with the new product. The residential building in Loughton, Essex, had been suffering with the effects of water ingress and pollution over the years which has damaged both the exterior of the building as well as leaking inside. Cracks had appeared to the render of the building causing the water to leak into the fabric of the building. Contractor Armour Hart Group Ltd were tasked by The Square’s management firm Moat Homes with maintaining the cyclical decorations and associated repairs to the building and on identification of the issues consulted with partners Dulux Trade. Following an inspection from Dulux Trade the contractors agreed to use a specification containing Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ Exterior Clearcoat on the stonework to deliver the job. The first task was the cleaning and repair of the render and decorative edging after they had become infested with moss and lichen and this was adding to water ingress throughout the building. Both areas were cleaned and repaired before the waterproofing coating of SmartShield+ was applied to the decorative stone work throughout the property. Due to the specially formulated Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ the substrate was able to breathe and dry out after the repairs and coating had been completed. The pediment detail to the front of the building had also picked up grime over the years - and had been saturated during bad-weather and so repairs and cleaning of this area was also performed. Dulux Trade carried out inspections throughout the process and all of the cracks were repaired, sealed, coated and then painted to bring the whole building back to life. Armour Hart Group Ltd made the final checks to make sure the coating was waterproof - and were happy to report Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ passed the test. Phil Long at Armour Hart Group said; “Dulux Trade has supported us throughout this project so we were able to provide the best maintenance job possible to our clients. “Years of water damage was really starting to affect the building both aesthetically and physically - so it was important we targeted it properly. Cleaning the areas first really revealed the extent of the damage. It was so valuable to us to be able to use SmartShield+ as a coating - and then carry on working on other areas while it dried and sealed the exterior of the building.” Steve Plowman, Technical Support Manager at Dulux Trade said: “We’re glad we have been able to see this project through with Armour Hart and had such great feedback from them on how the product is working. SmartShield+ is a great product that really stands the test of time.” For more information, visit: www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/content/dulux-trade-plus-smartshield

When Purbrook Park School needed an upgrade, Hampshire County Council enlisted the help of Dulux Trade. The brief was to take this old, but cherished Grade II listed building and bring it into the modern era with the clever use of colour - whilst still satisfying the heritage and conservation needs. Together they selected a tasteful colour scheme that embraced the building’s rich heritage. The resulting scheme blended cream and earthy hues: Chalk Coast, Oxford Blue, Warm Ash and Grey Tweed in Weathershield Masonry Paint, Weathershield Exterior Gloss and Undercoat, to give a more modern, fresh feel.