In Color of the Year Picks, Jewel Tones Reign

We’ve talked here about how jewel tones are trending big in the design world, so none of my readers will be surprised to learn what the various color experts chose as their go-to hues for 2018.

From Sherwin-Williams’ Oceanside (SW-6496) to Glidden’s Deep Onyx (00NN 07/000), the picks for Color of Year this time around are deep, rich and saturated — almost across the board.

When applied tastefully, these hues can give your home depth and evoke emotion. But now is when that small voice inside your head should be repeating, “when applied tastefully.”

As with most everything, we don’t want to go overboard on any one color or trend. If I were to urge clients to base their design decisions solely on the latest Color of the Year . . .well, let’s just say we’d barely have time for the paint to dry before we’d be heading back to the paint store for a refresh.

But what you can expect is to see these colors popping up more when we shop for furnishings or accessories. This is a good opportunity to freshen up a room by incorporating new pieces in the trending color of your choice.

Let’s take a look at Pantone’s choice, Ultra Violet (18-3838). Bright and bold, this isn’t a color for everybody. That’s why I singled it out.

You want to consider the feelings and/or associations the color evokes.

Pantone describes it as “complex and contemplative…(evoking) the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now.”

Woah. That sounds pretty intense.

Too much of this color and you may find your head spinning like the cosmos.

But when applied tastefully, you might end up with something great, as was achieved in the living room of this TriBeCa Loft.

Here, the ultra violet ottoman anchors the room and provides a more subtle shift toward the “complex and contemplative.” Sounds like the perfect atmosphere for climbing onto that cozy couch and diving into that stack of books.

Read more about Pantone’s Color of the Year here and here.