The colour of the year for 2018 has been announced by Pantone and it is Ultra Violet, 18-3838 and it is a beautiful colour. It is an intensely rich purple; majestic and opulent but also invoking a sense of mystery and all things magical. Pantone describes it as “Inventive and imaginative”. (Pantone, 2018)
This is all well and good but what does that actually mean to you and how, if at all should this influence your life in anyway? To me I look forward with curious intrigue as to what the colour of the year will be, I note it and think that means everywhere you turn from décor to fashion, all manner of items will be in the colour of the year; jewellery, candles, crockery, walls coverings,
window treatments etc. This is fantastic if you like the colour because if a product is made then you can bet your last pound it will be in that colour and finding items is so much easier but does that mean each year you should redecorate your home to reflect the colour? Some may argue yes, and these people are fully entitled to their opinion but to me, it is extreme to so slavishly follow someone else’s opinion about what is in and what is out, especially when it comes to something as personal as your home.
As an Interior Designer, I think you should stand back and look at what YOU like and don’t like, what you wear and what excites you. These factors alone should help shape your design choices and how you reflect your personality at home. There is one other factor which I think is important and that is the property itself. If you live in a period property with well-preserved design elements, then it is a crime to not use the properties heritage as an influencing design factor. That does not mean living in a time warp and keeping it as a museum, but it may be that you bring out certain features and make these integral to your design whilst intertwining your personality and style. Many a property can be both period and modern, monochromatic with a blast of colour
. A home should have a cohesive feel as you move between the rooms but that does not mean each room can’t have a sense of individuality about it. Accessories and wall colours and window treatments are wonderful ways of bringing in personality which can be updated as regularly as your budget allows but investment in statement items such as a sofa, log burner, floor treatment should be something that you carefully consider, love and know will work for many years before handing over your hard earned money.
So to the slaves of the colour of the year, I say, think about what it means to you before you follow it and redesign your home around it and to those looking for inspiration, consider it and see if this is the nudge you’ve been needing to be a shade braver.