Spring has sprung and so has the Pantone Color of the Year. Living Coral is going to be everywhere from fashion to home design to marketing. It’s a vibrant and joyful color that reminds us all to take time to enjoy life and live as brightly as we all can shine. Pantone has been curating a Color of the Year for over five decades now. Whether or not you place a lot of stock into things like colors and their energies or meanings, using this color of the year to influence your design is the perfect way to spruce up your rooms with gentle touches of this influence here and there.
In The Kitchen
Oh boy! Where to start? Where to end?! There will be no shortage of gadgets and gizmos to adorn your kitchen with in the shade of our lovely Living Coral. From tea towels and salt and pepper shakers to casserole dishes, water canteens and coffee mugs there are items gallor to bring life to your kitchen. Granted, some of these items will remain stored in your cabinets. A living coral spoon holder or vase for fresh flowers, on the other hand, can be featured on the stove or a window sill.
In The Bathroom
Large, single pieces of artwork are very en vogue in bathrooms this year. Take this trend and find a portrait or painting you love featuring the color of the year and throw it up on the wall. Still using plastic soap bottles for hand soaps? Ditch the temporary fix for a permanent, decorative dispenser. If you’re undergoing a full-on bathroom remodel pick a neutral color palette that will compliment any color of the year the future brings. Finish the job with a new set of living coral towels.
In The Bedroom
The bedroom is one room where you can go crazy with bold, rich jewel tones and darker colors. As the most intimate and private space in your home, taking the hues down a notch creates a cozy effect ready to cocoon you into comfort as you rest for the next day’s adventure. So where does the exact opposite shade living coral fit in here? Blankets, pillows or picture frames are perfect for smaller touches to enhance the luxurious darker tones in your room. For a complete bedroom makeover, switch to a velvet headboard in a deep amethyst, sapphire, or emerald shade. Keep your sheets and comforter on the same color spectrum and accent with pillows and throws that feature the color of the year in their print, pattern, or texture. The hue of living coral doesn’t have to be as bright and vibrant as what you might find in your kitchen; it could be more muted to fit the darker scheme of the room. The contrast in the color itself with whatever jewel tone you’ve chosen will be enough to set it apart while complimenting everything around it creating a cohesive, inviting room that will melt away the stresses of your day the moment you see it.
In The Living Room
Much like the kitchen, there never seems to be a want for knick-knacks to fit into every space of your living room. Area rugs that are richly textured or patterned with living coral can add a splash of joviality to your room. If you have a smaller room and can’t quite knock out that pesky dividing wall just yet, buy a series of smaller area rugs with complimenting shades and patterns of living coral and place them beneath tv stands, couch or and chairs to create separation in the different areas that lend to the illusion of your space feeling bigger than it actually is.
In The Laundry Room
If there were any room to paint in this fantastically fun color, it’s the laundry room. A place that’s just plain boring and tedious because of the boring and tedious job that’s done there. But that doesn’t mean the aesthetic has to be boring or tedious. Liven up that space with a new coat of living coral paint. Bring some calm to the chaos and cover those cabinets with a bold floral patterned curtain to add that extra bit of pizzazz to your room. You can easily both hide and access the less than decorative detergents and sewing kits you use consistently. For you overhead shelves, find canvas bins with a neutral or white color or design, or plain wooden crates to store all your odds and ends, maintaining the clutter without sacrificing decorative flair or over complicating the design.
For the simplest way to inject the color of the year into your home for years to come, stock up on plain glass vases of different shapes and sizes. Have at least one for each room. Then, as the years roll along, keep fresh flowers in them in whatever color it happens to be that year. Fresh flowers are the perfect way to bring actual life and constant, inexpensive change to your home without completely redesigning your rooms every year. If you do choose a route such as blankets, frames, and other such trinkets that you don’t need multiples of, when purchasing new items, please donate your old, gently used items to shelters and Goodwill. Shelters and those who need them can greatly benefit from sheets, blankets, towels, bags, and clothing. Donating these items to a shelter is a great way to extend the bang for your buck as they’ve not only brought you joy, but they can bring joy and comfort to those less fortunate. Happy Spring!