2011 Color of the Year

According to Pantone, an American company renowned for it’s expertise on color and color systems, the 2011 color of the year is “Honeysuckle”. As shown above, it’s from the pink family and is a bright, clear pink with very little undertones. Actually, the honeysuckle flower comes in a variety of colors: white, soft yellow, vivid orange, purple and pink, all in a variety of shades, so unless you see their photo of the chosen color, one has no idea they mean pink. So, I was a little confused here.

Many enjoy incorporating the color of the year to their interiors to give it new life, a spark or just an update. But remember trendy means that it has a short life span, so for interiors it’s best to use this sparingly. How can you incorporate this year’s color into your home?

Generally speaking, pink has a very strong feminine image and this rings true in most cultures. Therefore, it’s a rather difficult color to work with when creating interiors. When the rooms are painted or decorated with many pink colors, we tend to think we are in a female’s space. This is neither good nor bad, it just is. But, since most of our rooms in our home are used by many, using the “honeysuckle” color of the year as just an accent color, may be the best suggestion.

Below, I have  put together a few color sample pallets on how to use and match “honeysuckle” with other colors. By keeping the base color neutral, a splash of pink can feel cheerful and yes, youthful!  For me, painting a whole room or wall with this color can be too overwhelming, but to use it in small amounts may be a fun way to spruce up a room this year.