Page 20 - JanuaryBuilderBrief

2018 Color
of the Year
Since 2000 the Pantone Color Institute has
been selecting and introducing the Color of the
Year. Pantone’s experts comb the world looking
for color influences which best define the global
intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of the era.
The 2018 Color of the Year is Ultra Violet. A bold
purple that could be considered a shock-to-the-
system hue or it could be exactly what we need
right now.
Ultra Violet is “...the most complex of all colors,”
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the
Pantone Color Institute told The New York Times.
“It’s also the most complex of all colors,” she said,
“because it takes two shades that are seemingly
diametrically opposed — blue and red — and
brings them together to create something new.”
The combining of blue and red is a not so subtle
nod to the current political climate. The red and
blue are combined to provide us with hope and
wishful thinking that someday we’ll all be working
together towards the same goal.
Within one week of being announced you can
easily find a vast array of products available in
Ultra Violet. The Color of the Year can be found
on tennis shoes, bag packs, suitcases, make-up,
nail polish, and home accessories. How does this
happen so fast? Pantone had already presented
their fashion color palettes for Spring 2018 a few
months ago. One of the colors included in the
palette was, of course, Ultra Violet.
Pantone has a limited edition formula guide
available that show the color in varying shades.
If the intensity of Ultra Violet is too much for
your taste you can choose a softer version. The
early consensus from interior designers seems
to be use in moderation. The pop of color can
be used in pillows, lamps, art, furniture pieces,
accessories, and curtains. There will be a fine
balance between using just the right amount of
the color and overwhelming the space.
20 JANUARY 2018 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
SW 6496
Oceanside AF - 290
Caliente
Pantone was once a name only designers and
printers knew. The Pantone Matching System
(PMS) is a proprietary color space used in a variety
of industries. Although primarily used in printing
it has also been used in the manufacturing of
colored paint, fabric, and plastics.
Over the past few years many other companies
have started introducing their own color of the
year. This year Sherwin Williams has brought us
Oceanside. A lively combination of rich blue and
green that have a marine-inspired feel. Sherwin
Williams states that “It’s green-meets-blue tone
can also boost creative thinking and clarity of
thought in a home office, or invite meditation and
introspection into a bedroom or reading nook.”
On the other end of the spectrum is Benjamin
Moore’s color of the year, Caliente. It’s a spicy
red full of warmth. “Strong, radiant, and full of
energy, Caliente AF-290 is total confidence. It
is pleasing, passionate and makes people feel
special, like ‘red carpet treatment’,” said Ellen
O’Neill, Benjamin Moore Director of Strategic
Design Intelligence. “Whether used as one note or
on four walls, the spirited personality of red turns
heads signaling surprise and adventure. The eye
can’t help but follow its bold strokes.”
One clear statement being made by all three
companies is that 2018 will be a bold year in
design.