Through the years, Pantone’s color of the year has inspired global color trends and provided direction for fashion, decorating, and design. The color of the year for 2018 is Ultra Violet (PANTONE 18-3838). Pantone describes the color as a “dramatically provocative and thoughtful shade of purple which is meant to communicate originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking, which points us towards the future.” The Pantone Color Institute’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, said that the color is poignant for this year because “we are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to Ultra Violet… Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.” We love that!

You may be wondering what exactly this shade of purple looks like? Basically, imagine the most beautiful, rich shade of purple you’ve ever seen (insert heart eyes emoji here). Purple is often associated with mindfulness, calmness and – historically – royalty, because of how expensive it was to dye fabrics purple. It can also add a bit of whimsy to a space, as the color hints at fantasy – something almost unreal. After all, real ultraviolet rays are naked to the human eye!

Depending on how you do it, adding purple to your interior can make your space feel traditional and elegant, or it can be an unexpected, bold move. It looks beautiful surrounded by neutrals or with other jewel tones and gold accents. It can be used to call attention to a statement piece of furniture, or in smaller doses like in a rug or piece of art, as an accent wall, or on throw pillows (like we did in our Vibrant Country Chic House)! Balance is the key – if you’re going to go bold and incorporate this color, make sure you have some light and bright accents in the space as well!

Vibrant Country Chic

If you want to add some Ultra Violet in your life, here are some inspiration images to get you started!

Sources: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9
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Xoxo,
RWD