Avoid the trend trap!

Each year every company that has anything to do with color comes out with their color or colors of the next year.  Some choose a single color and others come up with collections of palettes like Porter Paints.  Honestly, my favorites and the only ones I really pay attention to are Porter, Sherwin Williams and of course Pantone.

Because.  Well.  Pantone.

And while you may be bored out of your mind with this by now, let me say that as an Interior Designer, there is some value in it if you know where and how to look.  Read on to learn where you can find value in it and how you can use projected annual colors to improve your spaces without falling for the trends.  PLUS - I'll give you a little insight that I discovered as to how they go about selecting these sacred colors.

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WHO COMES UP WITH THIS STUFF?!

So first let's tackle a little bit of the "HOW" as far as deciding on that perfect color of the year.  Pantone is hands down the be-all-end-all when it comes to color.  At least as far as the design world is concerned.  And there are SO many colors in a Pantone fan deck.  I have two of them and they're intense; not to mention expensive.  Needless to say, they take their job very seriously.   While researching the colors for 2023, I found a quick article on how they break it down.  Here's what I've learned:

According to this particular site, Pantone didn't begin selecting and announcing a color of the year until the year 2000.  Apparently the process is that two times a year Pantone puts together a secretive meeting in a given European location where color standards representatives from different countries come together to discuss color.  There are endless discussions and presentations until they all land on THE color (on rare occasions they even choose two).  

The criteria for these selections are things like art, travel, and fashion.  Also, "lifestyles, playstyles and socioeconomic conditions".  And while it sounds pretty tedious to me and we're undoubtedly making light of it to some extent by breaking it down to this raw explanation, I dare say, it's that simple.  There is a rhyme to their reason and they don't just pin color chips to a dart board and toss darts while blindfolded.

You can learn more about this HERE.  Pantone color selection, not dart throwing.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE TRENDS

Here's the deal.  These are the color TRENDS.  And that word can carry a bit of a stigma to it.  By definition, a trend won't last.  So while these colors are predicted for the near future, this doesn't mean you have to (nor should you) jump right on over to your nearest paint store and buy ten gallons of that bold color and paint your entire building.  At least not unless you can afford the money and time it takes to change out your paint each year. 

If that's the case and you're that person, then by all means go for it!

But for the rest of you, know that instead of embracing this new color head on, why not use it as a jumping off point for your overall designs, small changes in furniture, or even program concepts.  Find ways to use them in small doses if you like what you see.  And if you don't, just ignore them.

HERE'S HOW I USE THEM

While I like to browse the latest predictions from multiple sites, I only take what I like and use those colors in places where they make the most sense.  Which is how I approach all color and all my designs anyway.  But I do love to explore the sites that use multiple color palette options and then just select what I like best and then work those out to more reasonable shades and saturations.

Take Porter Paints for example.  You can check out their new palettes HERE to learn more but I peruse this site and take a look at collections that catch my eye.  First they list their single color of the year.  This year it happens to be a lovely saturated shade of green called Vining Ivy.  I like it.  I can use this.  It makes for a soothing but also bold  accent color for feature walls or furniture.  

But then I scroll on down to the color palette groupings to see what works and what doesn't.  Keep in mind that these aren't just recommended for paint colors.  These are JUST colors.  These colors can be found in the smallest details of artwork to a scrap of fabric or in something as bold as a front door or lengthy wall.  Don't get caught up in seeing these colors as nothing more than paint.

As you scroll, you'll notice three "trending themes".  This year these are Serenity, Origin and Duality.  If I choose one of these palettes, I'll simply view the colors for what they are.  Color.  And then I dismiss the ones I hate and further explore the ones I love.  If I find one I like but feel like it can be altered, then I alter it.  I'll pull the chip from my paint chip box and then work with it by comparing it to other colors in the fan deck until it feels right for whatever project I'm working on.  

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN APPLY THIS

It takes a little time but it's a great way to really dive into old fashioned color theory and learn what you like and don't like.  Use your more saturated colors as a launch point.  Pull out the ones you are drawn to but perhaps feel a bit overwhelmed by and then find the more muted version of it.  The best way to do this is by locating the recommended color on your fan deck (it will most likely be at the bottom of the page if it's super saturated or dark) and then sliding up the page to the lighter colors (these are typically at the top).  This will keep you in the exact same color family which includes the right tones and hues for that color while supplying you with the fool-proof lighter color value.

It's pretty simple.

And as I said before, you can use these anywhere.  It doesn't even have to be in your building design.  If you've got a program promotion coming up and you're at a loss for some exciting color schemes for your advertising and decor, do a quick search for the colors of the year and see if any of those might work for you.  

FINAL THOUGHTS

These color trend tools are simply that.  Tools.  They're suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.  These are supposed to motivate you and inspire you.  I realize the people that come together to make the ultimate color call are being inundated with studies and, well, trends.  But in the end, they aren't THE major gurus on all things color.  These color trends are made for you to explore and use.  How you choose to use them is what makes up all those studies when you really think about it.  So who truly drives the color trends?  You do!  And don't you forget it.