Pantone Colour of the Year

Over the weekend I was out with my friend's and topic of Colour of the Year popped up. (I promise we are fun people). It came as a surprise to many that Ultra Violet is Pantone's Colour of the Year. A friend that is very closely involved in the fashion industry was pretty apprehensive about it, but agreed that once a few beauty bloggers show off their cute, little violet handbags the trend would catch on quickly. A graphic designer friend felt that he could test it out for illustrations etc and thinks it is going to work nicely. Personally, to be honest, I am not a fan of violet/purple/lavender any of those shades, but I am excited about it for the interiors industry and here is why:

I think the interiors game has been playing it quite safe lately, especially in South Africa. Over the past 2 years the colour of the year has been fairly easy to incorporate into your home without looking like you are trying to live you best (narrator: "worst") years of your life back in the early 2000's when Brittney and purple eye shadow was life! But in 2018 we are hit with this colour that is going to take a bit of bravery to introduce into our living spaces. And that is exactly what the industry needs.

So in 2016 you went out and bought all things rose quartz. In 2017 you weren't only adding kale to your smoothies but may have also painted a wall or 2 in the phenomenal, leafy colour. (Let's also not forget how easy the banana leaf trend made it for us to stay on top of the fad.) But don't stress Ultra Violet is going to be easier to add to your existing scheme than you think. So before you throw all things green and rose gold out take a look at a few of these inspiration images to see how easy it will be to update your home.

(image via Pinterest)

(Image via Pinterest)

If all else fails and you are still unsure of how much of this outlandish hue you should use so that everything stays balanced and coordinated look to Mother Nature (or Design Seeds) for the answer. You never look at a plant and think "Whoa! Calm down with all the colour you got going on there buddy" So look at the proportions of each colour: which is the main colour, which is the accent etc.