The Color of the Year 2019 according to the Pantone Institute is already known. It’s a decision that the world of broadly understood design, not just interiors, is waiting for. Meanwhile, the biggest players in the home decor market also have something to say about the colors that, in their opinion, reflect current trends and tendencies. It’s interesting that although the groups select their favorites completely independently of each other, the choices are mutually consistent. For this list I have chosen ten colors of the year 2019.

However, before we get to the specifics, I invite you to watch a video on this topic, from my series “Akademia Dagmary” on YouTube.

 

Colors of the Year 2019: A journey to the roots

The colors chosen for this year, including Pantone’s coral, undoubtedly share a common key. It’s a journey to the roots, into the self, a search for spirituality and community. A definite return to nature – both in the sense of nature and self-knowledge. A journey home and a taste of childhood. So maybe it is not a coincidence that pink chocolate premiered earlier this year, as we saw in my coverage of the Brussels Salon du Chocolat (LINK to the coverage – here)?

What is the philosophy behind the current color choices of the year? Trends are the result of many factors. It’s the economic situation, the political situation, the social situation, the ever-present technologization, the increasing pace of life, and so on and so forth. All these factors create certain moods and needs. And what do you need when there is a ruthless race at work, TV news shows a war, on the street – a demonstration, and the number of PINs to remember multiplies exponentially? What do you think?

Colors of the Year 2019: The need for calm

The justifications behind each of the colors of 2019 raise similar issues. They talk about deceleration, reflection, calm, and self-actualization. About fulfilling dreams and building your own safe world. Very often universality and timelessness are emphasized. Stability and classics. Unforced elegance. Deep breath.

Each color is accompanied by matching palettes, which shows the full potential of the selected color.

• TIKKURILA and Flamingo

We start with this color because it’s probably the most similar to Living Coral, which means we continue the theme. Flamingo is a color on the border of orange and pink. It encourages individual exploration, triggers emotions, and encourages reflection. As the producer justifies: today, there is often no sense of security, the atmosphere is hectic, sometimes chaotic. The return to the old, carefree years can help calm fears and worries, while the longing for joyful moments and cheerful colors becomes stronger and stronger. Here’s your answer for these needs!

 

 

• PARA and Ginger Scent

A color perfect for every season. It creates a unique atmosphere, saturated with originality, warmth and elegance. We get intoxicated by the aroma of ginger, associated with exotic expeditions, traversing the succubi in search for the treasures of the Orient. On the other hand – with a hot drink, thanks to which no cold winter can scare us. The caramel pink color of Ginger Scent means peace, stroking the senses and dreams.

 

 

• DULUX and Spiced Honey

This is a stylistically versatile color, inspired by honey and amber. It signifies the positive side of life, goal setting and transformation. It can be cozy or full of life. Spiced Honey reflects the need for respite, stability and predictability. We are ready to “let the light in”, create small communities, get closer, improve our surroundings. This color is versatile, sophisticated, timeless.

 

 

• DUNN-EDWARDS and Spice of Life

It’s the red of dark brown burnt brick with hints of orange, strong and authentic. It’s the color of nostalgia for the real thing. Dramatic and stimulating to the senses. Spice of Life is a tribute to what makes life exciting and interesting. It makes a bold statement, combining influences from different cultures – from the caves of Lascaux to the Wild West to the conquest of Mars. It’s about connecting with nature and each other.

 

EXTREME ODYSSEY

 

CITY STROLL

 

POETIC PASSAGE

 

COUNTRY CAPER

 

SOJOURN

 

• SHERWIN-WILLIAMS and Cavern Clay

Cavern Clay is a warm terra cotta with antique roots dating back to the early days. It provides a nod to mid-century, but with a touch of the US Southwest: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona. Spaces, caves, sunshine, deserts, canyons. Sherwin-Williams adds:

2019 will be a return to the 1970s, with a slight twist. It’s renewal, simplicity and free spirit, bohemian. The authenticity of craftsmanship.

 

 

 

 

• BENJAMIN MOORE and Metropolitan

This is the color of dove steel, calming, subdued, refined. It expresses beauty and balance, is neutral and appeals to contemplation, to Zen philosophy. There’s no aggression and intrusiveness in it, therefore it creates a delicate space in the spirit of elegance. Metropolitan is the color of nuance, harmony and lightness. Timeless and universal like New York.

 

 

 

 

• BEHR and Blueprint

Warmer than denim, softer than navy blue. An honest and sincere color referring to architectural tracing paper, through which the world of ideas is transferred into reality. Blueprint creates a space where the user can build his own world and transform his needs into real action. It is a striving for positive energy, stability both at home and in the world. This color will stand the test of time.

 

 

 

• KELLY-MOORE and Peacock Blue

Chosen in a vote of 15,000 (!!!) designers and experts, Peacock Blue won 35% of the vote. It’s a color increasingly used in kitchens, displacing white. It looks great on fabrics and home furnishings. It does just as well on walls, which it gives depth and drama. Color psychology says that it is a color that enhances concentration, promotes meditation and improves sleep. It is safe, neutral, but at the same time gives character to the interior. Interestingly, the competitors in the voting were: sage, chilli and delicate pastel beige.

 

 

 

 

• DUTCH BOY and Garden Patch

It is a green that is delicate and broken. Nostalgic and organic, inspired by nature. It brings warmth and solace. It gives renewal and peace at the end of a chaotic day. Optimistic and empathetic. Rich, luxurious, and classic. Accompanying three palettes, it connects people by telling stories of ancient cultures and tribes (Studio), focuses on spirituality and renewal (Sanctuary), enjoys simple living, handcrafts and crafts of other cultures (Homestead).

 

 

 

 

• PPG about Night Watch

It is the deep green of the forest at dusk, it has the power to heal and soothe through color. It brings to mind nature, its beauty and power, while calming with good energy, like a womb of nature. PPG experts recommend that Night Watch be used on smaller areas, one wall, and in rooms that do not have a view of a forest or other green exuberance. Then the power of this hue will gain strength.

 

 

 

Colors of the Year 2019: Theory vs. practice

Now let’s see how to adapt these philosophies to real life. Examples of how to apply the colors of the year 2019, as in the article about Pantone, I chose from photos I took while wandering from fair to fair, from exhibition to exhibition, from one place to the next, and so across several continents. Thanks to this, we will see that the theory of the colors of the year works quite well in practice. What’s more, we’ll see that the palette of picks has been very consistent for several seasons and still plays to the same rhythm.

The 2019 Colors of the Year are the green pulse of nature, the blue breath of peace, the soft gray of clouds, the caramel smell of a safe home, the spicy dust of an exotic trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colors of the Year 2019: What’s beyond?

Colors of the year are one thing, but beyond them are colors that independently master the market, are ubiquitous and hold strong for several years. These unquestionably include old gold and its variations (mustards, honey, etc.) and matte black, whose popularity is just reaching its apogee. Matte black is walking bravely for several seasons, what for example we saw in the report from last year’s iSaloni in Milan (link to the report – here).

You can also see there, by the way, that the colors of the 2019 color range were doing great in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015… 2019 and another series of fairs and exhibitions are ahead of us. I have a vague feeling that I will feel at home there. Smelling of caramel and forest at dusk.

See You next time (like forest and sky), Dagmara

 

 

 

 

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