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Worthing Museum & Art Gallery has been completely transformed with the help of Dulux Heritage. Nodding to the building’s Edwardian beginnings, Dulux Heritage has created a timeless backdrop for the museum’s collections and helped to improve user experience for years to come.

The seaside town of Worthing in West Sussex is undergoing a major transformation. Buildings in the community are being connected to the Worthing Heat Network, which uses waste heat from the local area to warm nearby homes and businesses. To become connected, Worthing Museum & Art Gallery was faced with a mandatory closure which posed an opportunity to make further upgrades to the space.

The team at Worthing Museum & Art Gallery wanted to improve customer flow and create a versatile aesthetic to complement current and future collections. Having worked with Dulux before, they once again turned to the iconic brand to support them with an upgrade that would make the museum re-opening one to remember.

Dulux’s Senior Colour Designer, Dawn Scott, was brought onto the project to help inspire the colour scheme. She explained: “My focus was on ensuring each colour connected to the next and provided the visual contrast visitors need to move through the space with ease.

“The Dulux Heritage range was the perfect solution. With durable shades that offer a blend of classic colours and contemporary trends, I was able to nod to the Edwardian history of the building and create a long-lasting finish to showcase the collections and inspire visitors to stop and admire all that Worthing Museum & Art Gallery has to offer.”

The final colour palette gave each space its own character and created a cohesive journey through the building. Quartz Grey, a warm, mid-tone taupe, provided a versatile neutral backdrop in the Studio Gallery and Main Gallery, pairing easily with the surrounding colours.

In the Downland and Archaeology galleries, Mallard Green was used for a rich, immersive colour-drench effect. Its connection to the natural landscape was particularly fitting for Archaeology, reflecting the local downs that inspire the collection there. The link to nature continued in the Garden Gallery, where the soft avocado tones of Veranda Green were introduced alongside Chiltern White.

Deeper teals introduced contrast and drama elsewhere. Midnight Teal added a sense of grandeur to the New Historic Dress & Worthing Area display, working beautifully with Quartz Grey – while the softer, more uplifting Maritime Teal introduced a subtle reference to open skies and calm seas in the Costume Gallery. On the staircase, DH Indigo completed the Dulux Heritage palette with a relaxed mid-blue.

Throughout these spaces, Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt was used on the walls to create a luxurious, durable finish that is also washable, so everyday knocks and scuffs can be easily removed. For the woodwork and metal, Dulux Heritage Eggshell was used to provide a consistent, hard-wearing result that will remain beautiful for years to come.

In the Fine Art Gallery and selected casings throughout the museum, Dulux Trade Diamond Matt in Black Opal was also used to create contrast and dramatic impact.

Gerry Connolly, Head of Museum and Exhibitions, said: “Designing the museum’s colour scheme was an exciting challenge. Each shade needed to complement each other and the existing collections, while remaining versatile enough to work with future exhibitions too.

“We also had to consider how the colours would respond to the building’s natural and artificial light. As part of the refurbishment, new double-glazed windows were installed, so the scheme had to be carefully adapted to suit the changing light conditions.

“Working with Dawn and the Dulux team gave us the inspiration we needed to bring our vision for the museum to life. We are so pleased with the results and the public’s reaction has been phenomenal. As well as creating a more welcoming atmosphere, the redecoration has also helped to increase visitor dwell time – we couldn’t be happier.”

Find out more about Dulux Heritage

For further information about Worthing Museum & Art Gallery, visit: https://wtm.uk/