Pantone, a company known for the color-matching system used in printing and manufacturing industries, recently announced its 2015 Color of the Year: marsala, as in the Italian red wine that’s often used to cook chicken.
According to Pantone, the “charismatic hue incorporates red-brown roots and a sophisticated, natural earthiness,” much like the wine.
“With this color on everyone’s mind,” the company continued, “it’s natural to want to deck out your wardrobe, home, and office with this robust and rich shade.”
Whether people want to commit to redecorating with marsala - or any so-called color of the year - remains to be seen, but it should make a bigger impact on interior decorating than radiant orchid, Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year.
For some of us over age 35, that hue caused flashbacks to the ’80s, when carpeting, upholstery and walls covered in cloying shades of mauve were all the rage. Coincidentally or not, I don’t recall seeing too much of radiant orchid in shelter magazines during the past year.
Marsala, on the other hand, has been showing up on runways and red carpets recently and seems much more appealing as a decorating color. Marsala silk drapes, velvet marsala throw pillows and a marsala chenille sofa not only sound more palatable, but actually gorgeous.
Meanwhile, Sherwin-Williams announced recently that its color of the year for 2015 is the somewhat muted Coral Reef, while Benjamin Moore proclaimed Guilford Green, a soft hue that’s part of its Historic Color Collection, its 2015 color of the year. And for the second year in a row, the Paint Quality Institute predicted that gray will be the most popular hue for home interiors.
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