2018 Color Predictions

Every year color experts research color trends in order to predict what colors will be popular during the upcoming year. Last year, violet-tinged hues dominated the selections by major paint companies while Pantone’s pick was a bright green.

This year, it’s still all about creating a sanctuary with color, but deep shades of blue are dominating the predictions. PPG unveiled “Black Flame”, a black infused with an undertone of indigo, as it’s 2018 Color of the Year touting it as the “new neutral” fulfilling our craving for comfort, privacy and hope. As you can see, it’s very similar to Benjamin Moore’s “Shadow” from last year.

PPG’s “Black Flame” touted as the timeless “little black dress”

Sherwin William’s pick is “Oceanside”, a jewel-toned blue-green much like my “Sacre Bleu” created last year for Hunt Slonem’s Antebellum Pop Exhibit. I can’t tell you how many powder rooms and front doors have been painted with it, so I’m not surprised to see it as one of the colors of the year.

Sherwin Williams’ “Oceanside”

“Sacre Bleu” used in Hunt Slonem’s Antebellum Pop exhibit at LSUMOA

Pratt & Lambert went for a more midnight blue with it’s “Heron” selection for 2018.

“In our search for serenity in today’s dynamic and often hectic world, we found Heron . . offers calmness, tranquility and adaptability allowing it to transform an ordinary space into a sanctuary that truly showcases the power of color.”  – Ashley Banbury, Sr. Designer, Pratt & Lambert Paints

Last but not least, Benjamin Moore selected “Caliente”, a red with hints of orange, as their top color for 2018. Although a jewel tone, it’s a total departure from the soothing blues and a whole lot like one of the first colors I created for my Magical Gems Palette back in 2001,”Carnelian”.

Ben Moore’s “Caliente”

“Carnelian” in Hunt Slonem’s Brooklyn Studio

So what do you think Pantone’s number one color for 2018 will be? According to their color trend report for 2018, look for anything metallic, pearlized or translucent as well as intense colors to match our intense lifestyles. However, Pantone also predicts that 2018 will be the year of pink as a power color. So who really knows? I have to say, I’m always surprised!

 

The 2017 “Year of Kale” Just Got Brighter

Pantone just announced its pick for the 2017 Color of the Year and it’s not Kale. It’s a much more hopeful color they’ve named “Greenery”. The yellow undertones remind us of the regeneration and revitalization of Spring, “something life affirming to look forward to” according to Pantone’s color guru Leatrice Eiseman.

If you’ve been reading my newsletters (& especially my most recent Living Well), you know how important I think nature is to our very well being and that I use green in some way in most all of my interiors because it is THE most healing neutral that coordinates with all other colors. As much as I love green painted walls and woodwork, of the many greens I have in my color palettes, I don’t have this exact hue. I find it could be rather jarring on all four walls, however you can easily get the same effect with my Spring Green, Tulip Leaves, Chartreuse, Jaunty Jen or Peridot. Spring Green was used as an accent wall with Beige by color consultant Barbara Jacobs in the office below:

One of the most popular rooms featured on both Apartment Therapy and Pinterest is Natasha Nyberg’s “Plant-Filled Sunroom” below painted in “Peridot”:

Now, if you’re really brave with color, like our client artist Hunt Slonem, you might like “Juliet’s Potion”, but keep in mind it’s not the most resful color, so it’s used as one of many colors in his new Brooklyn studio:

“Chartreuse” was featured in House Beautiful by our client designer Barry Johnson who named it as his favorite healing color in the article “Life-Changing Colors”. I created Chartreuse back in 2007 as my version of Akzo Nobel’s pick for color of the year because it is the perfect balance between yellow and green. Spicelines.com blogger Courtenay Dunk makes it sing with her red chaise and my “Tiffany Turquoise”:

If any of these colors strike your fancy, you can order free hand-painted samples. 

If you’ve been following me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, you know we will have our drawing for the winner of our Holiday Giveaway tomorrow, December 15th! So if you haven’t LIKED & SHARED Ellen Kennon Design & Full Spectrum Paints, do it before tomorrow. This is the first of many paint giveaways to come and the being a Facebook friend, you’ll always be the first to know!

The Last Word on the 2013 Color of the Year (& other news)

In my Autumn Living Well Newsletter on the 2013 Color of the Year & Color Trends, I reported on predictions of next year’s color of the year by pretty much everyone but Pantone. Although it was looking like “Monaco Blue” would be Pantone’s pick, they just announced that “Emerald” was their pick for 2013.

(“Emerald” in the center is Pantone’s pick for 2013’s Color of the Year)

Interesting that it is very close to Pratt & Lambert’s “Tidal Pool” which was their pick for the 2013 color to watch, a dead ringer for our Full Spectrum “Albania Teal”, that appeared in the October issue of House Beautiful. Here’s a photo of Albania Teal in artist Hunt Slonem‘s NYC studio featured in Russia’s Architectural Digest Magazine (I didn’t even know they had an Architectural Digest!). “Albania Teal” was named after one of his plantation’s in Louisiana. The great thing about this color is that it is both soothing and rejuvenating at the same time.

I have to say, I’m still selling a lot more whites and complex neutrals, than the saturated colors predicted. We mostly use the more neutral, easy to live with colors, in main areas and save the jewel tones for jewel box spaces like powder rooms, closets, inside of cabinets and bookcases.

Speaking of whites, one of my biggest “JV Cloud White” (JV for Designer Jon Vaccari & created for his New Orleans showroom) fans, Karina Gentinetta, has been making quite a name for herself on the national scene and will appear on More Magazine‘s television special about women who reinvent themselves (Karina was an attorney for 13 years before becoming an antiques dealer, artist and interior decorator). After seeing this video of her segment, I’m thinking she needs to have her own TV show! (Karina used “JV Cloud White” in her 1st Dibbs Showroom and Annunciation Restaurant in New Orleans which you’ll see in the video.)

(Click here to watch Karina’s More Magazine segment) 

I’m currently working on my Winter Living Well Newsletter featuring one of Interior Designer Marc Charbonnet‘s latest projects, where he had another designer friend of mine (Ken Tibbils of St. Francisville) make this table:

(I have featured Marc’s projects often over the years. and this latest project showcases his amazing design versatility. Wait until you see the rest of the photos!)

Chartreuse, Spice and All Things Nice!

I’m thrilled to report that Interior Designer Barry Johnson (of “Barry’s Babylon” color fame) was quoted in the June House Beautiful Magazine, naming our “Chartreuse” as his favorite healing color in the article where designers shared their favorite “life-changing colors” (color #5). Here’s Barry’s quote in HB:

“This color is about birth, growth and nature. It’s the color of new leaves. Chartreuse can be very acid but this is more of a soft yellow-green, Easy to work with. I see it in a Master Bedroom with creamy linens and a touch of coral. It would bring in some life.”

I created my full spectrum version of Akzo Nobel’s “Color of the Year” for 2007 and named it “Chartreuse” because it is the perfect balance between yellow and green. It is actually more traditional than the name suggests and I’ve used it recently on a couple of projects down here to brighten up spaces that had lots of dark wood (floors, beams, etc.).

I recently recommended it to Courtenay Dunk, author of the wildly popular SpiceLines.com Blog, when she sent me this photo of her office, saying that she was having trouble selecting a new wall color because all the samples she tried tended to have a greenish cast. In addition to her divine red & white chaise longue and rug, the only other major color in the space was her turquoise desk chair.

Courtney’s “before” photo of her office.

As soon as she said “turquoise”, Chartreuse immediately came to mind. I also figured if the light in the room tended towards green, why not enhance it and go with a green.

All photos are courtesy of Courtenay Dunk, SpiceLines.com.

The turquoise in the recesses of her bookshelves needed some special attention since the shadows affected how the colors we tried (Turquoise, Tiffany Turquoise and Eco Hues’ Peacock Blue) looked. We ended up going with 75% of the Peacock Blue formula, which turned out to be a gorgeous color and perfect with the Chartreuse.

When I first heard from Courtenay, I was immediately intrigued by her website, SpiceLines.com, in her email signature, so I visited it to discover a treasure trove of information about spices, cooking, exotic places and more! Courtenay describes herself as “obsessive cook, style fanatic, avid traveler, reluctant writer, food photographer when the light is right”, and as you can see by her photos, she’s quite the talented photographer!

When we finally talked over the phone, I asked her more about her office. She explained that this is where she writes her spice blog and her grandmother’s chaise longue is where she has tea most afternoons (and sometimes a nap). Books on the shelves are about spices, herbs and cooking. Objects have been collected on her travels.

All photos courtesy of Courtenay Dunk of SpiceLines.com

On top of the Tibetan chests there are jars of rare Indian peppercorns Courtenay picked up in Paris. “This is ‘le sniffing bar,’ where I try to keep my sense of smell honed by inhaling the scent of different spices everyday. Right now I’m trying to distinguish between varieties of peppercorns grown in different regions without looking at the labels.” 

The Buddhist Lohan is a beneficent figure whose presence bestows good fortune. 

Courtenay’s blog is far more than an interesting read. She also helped a coffee grower she met in Veracruz who was about to go out of business, turn his business around! You can read about it in her post, “The Butterfly Effect“.

Here’s what she says about her new Chartreuse office:

“I love your Chartreuse so much that I haven’t hung a single picture on the walls. It’s soft and lively at the same time.  When I’m working in my office, I feel as if I’m bathed in a gorgeous light that relaxes and recharges the spirit.  The modified Tiffany blue is like a little glimpse of the Caribbean.  It’s a more electric hue which really makes the inside of the bookcases pop.  The two colors are fantastic together, especially with the red in the upholstery and the Moroccan rug.”

If you’d like a hand-painted sample of Chartreuse, email me at ellen@ellenkennon.com with your address and we’ll get one right out to you!

Final word on 2011 Color of the Year

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, today’s the day Pantone announced their pick for 2011 Color of the Year and what a surprise! The color name is Honeysuckle (no, not my golden yellow “Honeysuckle” that comes from the way our white honeysuckle blossoms turn with age), a deep pink-red. Here’s what Pantone had to say about the reason for their color choice:

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

This year, speculation sure seems to run the gamut! While I LOVE this color, I can see how it will be more popular in fashion and packaging than interiors.  Pantone is suggesting it for walls in foyers and dining rooms because it’s such a happy color and also stimulates appetites. In kitchens, they suggested using it for accessories like placemats, glassware and other accents and even suggested painting your kitchen cabinets this color! I don’t know about that! I just can’t see my clients going for it, but never say never!

So to recap, Akzo Nobel was the first to come out with their color “Lime Twist” with a theme of “appreciation” (see my August 18th 2011 Color of the Year post), followed by Benjamin Moore’s “Vintage Wine” with their theme of “balance” (Update: 2011 of the Year & Color Trends post)  and now Pantone’s very colorful “Honeysuckle” to “embolden us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor”! It’s all good, no?

 

The pink-red is in the same family as Akzo Nobel's pick for their red for 2011

 

As you can see, Akzo's 2011 Red is also a vibrant pink-red!

So tell me, what color do you want to see more of next year?

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