In celebration of Women’s Month, we’re paying tribute to women who are shaping industries in bold and unexpected ways. Plascon’s colour consultant Patty Mulauzi shares her journey, her lilac era and the emotional power of colour to create legacy.
Source: Supplied. Patty Mulauzi: Plascon's colour consultant.
Officially, she’s Plascon’s colour consultant. Unofficially? She’s a self-declared colour sorcerer: part digital strategist, part interior empath, part mood-maker. "Think of me as your personal joy spreader, armed with paint swatches and zero fear of rainbows," says Mulauzi. "I take bland, boring spaces like that sad beige hallway or meh kitchen, and zap them with bold, joyful hues until they’re singing."
And behind the cheer and charm is a powerful understanding of how colour shapes emotion, experience and legacy. It’s this mix of creative confidence, warm intuition and bold visual storytelling that’s made Mulauzi a cornerstone of the Plascon brand for nearly 12 years, and a driving force behind how the company communicates colour beyond the product, as an experience.
Telling tales through colour
"A colour story isn’t about pretty shades; it’s a visual narrative," Mulauzi explains. "Every hue carries a feeling, a memory, a personality. It’s like composing a song, with tones instead of notes."
Her earliest memory of colour’s emotional impact came after a thunderstorm, when she saw her first rainbow as a child. "All those colours stretched across the sky felt like magic and comfort rolled into one. After that, I always looked for the rainbow after every rainfall."
That same instinct for emotional resonance still shapes her work today, blending creative flair with sharp strategic insight. "I filter global colour trends through a local lens," she says.
And in an industry that often reduces colour to codes, charts and tint wheels, she’s part of the movement rehumanising it, making it about mood, memory and meaning. "If it doesn’t resonate with the person’s life, mood and space, it’s a hard pass."
Lilac feels and legacy thinking
Right now, Mulauzi is in her lilac era. "Lilac, with its gentle, nostalgic charm, perfectly captures where I’m at," she reflects. "As I barrel towards the big four-oh, I feel I’m finally finding my groove. I’m getting more grounded, more peaceful and, honestly, just way more appreciative of the good stuff.
"The tough moments still happen, but they don’t haunt me like they used to. Lilac is like a soft sigh of contentment — a quiet celebration of all the beautiful things life’s thrown my way."
That same emotional shift has shaped how Mulauzi thinks about the long game, and about legacy, both personal and professional. "Legacy isn’t only what you leave behind; it’s about the feeling you impart," she says. "Plascon’s motto of turning valued assets into legacies really resonates with me, because it’s exactly what I try to do with colour. Beyond painting walls, it’s about infusing spaces with soul and story."
Mulauzi's personal legacy includes ‘turning the drab into fab’. "It’s about showing people how thoughtfully chosen colour can transform a house into a home, a lasting feeling that lives on long after the last brushstroke. That emotional imprint, that “wow” moment? That’s the magic."
A brand that evolves with purpose
Having been with Plascon for over a decade, Mulauzi has witnessed the brand’s bold transformation firsthand. "One of the biggest evolutions has been the commitment to sustainability and innovation," she says. "When I started, eco-friendly paints and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) weren’t top of mind. Now, Plascon leads the way with air-purifying paints, upcycled packaging and future-forward formulations designed specifically for South African conditions."
But through all the change, the essence of the brand remains steady. "What’s stayed beautifully the same is our unwavering commitment to quality and durability. Iconic products like Double Velvet and Micatex continue to deliver on that promise. That reliability, paired with bold innovation, is what makes Plascon timeless."
Where tech meets touch
Beyond the brushstrokes, Mulauzi’s canvas is digital. She’s helped to bring colour to life through scroll-stopping content, interactive mood boards and campaigns that make it easier for people to visualise their dream spaces. "People are bolder with colour these days," she says. "Thanks to digital platforms, design has become more democratic and playful."
And as AI and algorithmic tools reshape the creative space, Mulauzi remains firm in her philosophy: "Creativity is human. It’s emotional, instinctive, sensory. No dataset can replace the magic of a mood, or the impact of a well-timed pop of red."
The colour of Women’s Month
In a month that honours the voices, creativity and contributions of South African women, Mulauzi ’s story is a reminder that women wield power in many ways. Hers happens to be through colour. Whether it’s bringing joy to a space or helping someone feel more at home in their own story, her work is a quiet but powerful act of transformation.
And what colour would she brush across the globe this Women’s Month? Soft safe green, she says. "It’s a colour that says, 'It’s time to slow down, reconnect and nurture ourselves and the world around us.' It’s not loud or performative; it’s grounded, intentional and quietly powerful – just like the women who inspire me; just like what I hope my work brings to the world."
