Pantone, the world’s color authority has announced the two colors of the year for 2016, Rose Quartz and Serenity.
The New Jersey-based company says they chose the colors because modern consumers are looking for ways to remedy everyday stresses. According to Pantone’s announcement the two colors were selected because of their soothing properties. Pantone describes Rose Quartz as a “warmer embracing rose tone” and Serenity as a “cooler tranquil blue.” With awareness of mental illness on the rise, the selection of these colors is timely.
The influence of Pantone’s Color of the Year selections really does find its way into home and fashion trends. It’s a combination of the brand’s ability to pick up on what is already going on culturally and in modern design. These two factors tend to go hand in hand as social concerns impact design both overtly, and in more subtle ways. Pantone’s Color of the Year selection acts like an adrenaline shot to colors that were already subtly influencing design, as designers and manufacturers immediately start creating products in these shades.
Marsala was named the color of the year for 2015 and was embraced by both the home decor and fashion world. Many brands immediately started carrying items in the color. While at a Christmas party the other night, nearly every man in attendance had a pop of Marsala in their outfit— when asked if they were aware they were all wearing the color of the year, none of them were, but they all agreed that it was a great color to sport.
Much like Marsala, Rose Quartz and Serenity will find their way to the masses and influence the design world in 2016 onwards. If you don’t want to wait for the colors to get popular before jumping in on the trend, the quickest way to test out the color in your home is to paint an accent wall in one or both of the shades.
