Sara Cox unveils book nook makeover with Dulux as part of book launch

Sara Cox has collaborated with Dulux Heritage to launch Dulux Heritage Editions – a limited edition range of classic books with covers reimagined in the paint range’s timeless shades.

As part of the partnership, Sara has reclaimed her living room as a gorgeous book nook, using Dulux Heritage colours to create a cosy and relaxing space.

Inspired by the concept of using colour to express our emotions, colour experts from Dulux Heritage have matched 12 classic books to a shade that captures the feelings within each story.

The carefully chosen colours have come to life in modern redesigns of the book covers, blending literature and design.

And now, from “Frankenstein” to “Little Women, “1984” to “Wuthering Heights”, the 12 books, with cover artwork hand-painted by Dulux Heritage creative director, Marianne Shillingford, fill the shelves of a newly-created book nook in Sara Cox’s home.

Sara’s transformed space takes inspiration from the books and their associated colours to create a cosy space dedicated to reading.

Sara Cox in her new book nook (Image: Dulux Heritage)Sara’s redecorated reading corner, and the Heritage Editions, come as reading for pleasure surges in popularity – with searches for personal libraries up 5,000 per cent over the past year.

According to data, 33 per cent of adults are also reading more now than they did in recent years, with factors such as the rise of BookTok, the accessibility of audiobooks and popularity of celebrity book clubs fuelling the trend.

On top of this, 27 per cent of Brits are increasingly turning to classic literature as a way to escape the challenges of modern life.

Following the creation of her new book nook, Sara Cox said: “I’m a very visual person, and when I’m reading, the story always plays out in my head.

"So, being able to turn these pictures and feelings into a reality on my walls with colour has been such a fun project.

“I’ve been an avid reader since a teenager, so it’s crazy to think that I’ve waited until now to create a space where I can enjoy reading.

"Getting lost in one of my all-time favourite books – or a book that’s about to become one – is my way of unwinding.

“Using my favourite classic books and how they make me feel to choose the paint colours made the decisions so much quicker as well, because you naturally associate colours with feelings.

“I was drawn to the deep purple tones of wild blackberry – it’s such a powerful, regal colour that transports you to fantasy lands, while being so cocooning and comforting, perfect for getting into the reading headspace.”

launch Dulux Heritage Editions – a limited edition range of classic books with covers reimagined in the paint range’s timeless shades (Image: Dulux Heritage)Creative director and colour expert at Dulux Heritage, Marianne Shillingford, explains how the colours and finishes chosen for Sara’s book nook help bring it to life.

She said: “It’s a tale as old as time that we use colours to express our feelings.

“And books help us feel an enormous range of emotions as we experience the lives of others through the medium of a story.

“Sara chose to paint her book nook in Dulux Heritage Wild Blackberry, Linnet White and Sage Green.

“These choices are ideal in that they strike the perfect balance between inspiring calm and encouraging creativity, with colours as cosy as your warmest blanket, that are also strong, rich tones that aid concentration.

“These colours work well to complement the Dulux Heritage Editions of The Hound of the Baskervilles, 12 Years a Slave and Little Women proudly on display in Sara’s book nook.

“Visually representing the colours coupled with the feelings these novels evoke, is so powerful in illustrating a complete and emotive story. Pairing classic literature with colours steeped in tradition is a match made in heaven.”

The Dulux Heritage Editions have been paired with their accompanying colours through extensive research of the novels and their themes, and how these are evocative of the tones and stories behind the colours of the paint range.

These decisions have gone on to inform the redesign of the book covers for this limited edition launch, which literature lovers can snap up by entering a giveaway competition on the @duluxheritage Instagram page.

For more information on how to win a set of Dulux Heritage Editions, visit https://www.instagram.com/duluxheritage/

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