I'm a bit late to the party but I wanted to explore Pantone's latest choice for their color of the year: Ultra Violet.
The reasoning behind any of these colors of the year is a bit murky to me. There never seems to be any kind of research or indication of trend for Pantone's choices, they just kinda pick something, and the choices are never very practical for interior design at all. This year seems to be no different, and Ultra Violet is the result.
Don't get me wrong, I love purple! This one is just kinda drab. It's also a very corporate shade, bringing to mind McDonald's Grimace, or Barney the dinosaur.
But purple can be used in a very effective way, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorite interior applications of one of the most difficult colors!
Silk Cushions from Versace. (Photo: Versace Home)
The room below has one of my favorite purple ensembles, with a wall that is almost the exact color as Ultra Violet, and a few more vibrant shades throughout the room to play off of it. This is a daring choice, and it works both because of the neutralizing addition of blue, and the dedication to a more modern palette in the otherwise traditional furnishings. I would never think to suggest this color on a wall, but it really sings here.
As an aside, I LOVE the sofa! A lush, multilayered sofa is one of my favorite things to put together for a client. It's not only the focal point, but it can serve the client's personality in ways that other pieces of furniture just can't.
This is quite a regal room. (Photo: Elle Decor)
One of the simplest uses for purple is in upholstery, and the room below demonstrates a totally fun choice: a velvet sofa! Velvet is a fantastic choice for tough colors anyway because it's such a lush fabric, and it gives an extra dimension to color because of its weave.
The design is extremely eclectic and not necessarily to my taste, but color was obviously the real point here and the purple really anchors it all in place.
All the crayons in the box. (Photo: House Beautiful)
Another great place to use purple is on occasional furniture, where it can be a fantastic little side story without overwhelming the overall plot. Take a thing you love and make it purple! This strategy serves as a great solution for clients with ideas that just don't fit well in a physical space. You can give them what they want and still make it fit the overall scheme.
Purple! (Photo: Homedit)
As some are aware, I am absolutely enthralled with much of what Versace does with furniture. A couple of fun purple pieces from Versace Home are below:
So what does everyone think?! It's tough to pull off, and can be a very emotionally exhausting color, but with a little thought, it can be the regal color it has always been. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
And I will leave you with a few purple pillows of my own. Enjoy!