Recap of 2012 Color(s) of the Year

In my September 20, 2011 post “2012 Color of the Year and Color Trend Report” I was one of the first to report on the Color Marketing Group and Akzo Nobel’s international Colour Futures Team picks for the 2012 color of the year. CMG chose a deep purple (Boysenberry) and the Colour Futures Team selected a red with orange undertones (Tea Dance) which we made a full spectrum version of back in 2008 and renamed “Mykonos Red”.

Finally, Pantone has come out with their 2012 Color of the Year and it’s making quite the splash! “Tangerine Tango” is popping up everywear on the internet in accessories and clothing. It’s not surprising since orange is such a happy, social color that balances both the mental and physical. It’s a “take each day as it comes” kind of color. Our “Barry’s Babylon”, created for Bay area designer/architect Barry Johnson is the perfect example. As you can see in the photos below, because it’s “full spectrum”, it looks different in every setting:

Barry Johnson's office in his Redwood City showroom, The Brick Monkey

After living with a neutral palette for many years, Yoga Instructor Owen Kemp  liked it so much, she painted her living room with it:

Barry's Babylon in Owen's pre-Civil War cottage in St. Francisville

Artist Hunt Slonem, who is known for his love of colorful walls, used it in one of his parlors at Lakeside Plantation:

Barry's Babylon in the parlor at Lakeside Plantation

Hunt’s new book, The Worlds of Hunt Slonem, is getting rave reviews and was recently voted by Vogue Magazine as one of their top ten books for Christmas. It’s already been featured in numerous publications including Elle Decor  and The Wall Street Journal. This is one of those coffee table books you’ll never tire of. Although it retails for $90, Amazon has it for $56.70. If you happen to be in New York, the Marlborough Gallery at 40 West 57th Street is exhibiting his newest paintings, Louisiana landscapes “Acadian Dreams”, from December 14th through January 7th. The reception on the 14th is from 6-8 pm. For more information: Press Release from the Marlborough Gallery

"Bayou Teche", Albania Plantation, 2011, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 in.

If you would like samples of our Barry’s Babylon, email me at ellen@ellenkennon.com and I’ll be happy to send you a hand-painted sample!

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