Pantone Colour of the Year 2010
This wonderful blog was found at
http://www.oprah.com/home/Touched-by-Turquoise-Pantones-2010-Color-of-the-Year_1
and written By Lisa CaprettoLeatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, talks about why turquoise is so appealing, what the hottest turquoise color combinations are and how to make turquoise work in your own home.
Each year, Leatrice and her team at Pantone forecast the following year's big breakout color. "We don't just think about which color is gaining momentum and pick what we think will be the hottest color in every product category," Leatrice says. "We conduct color-word association studies and gather the zeitgeist in the entire world." From very extensive research and in-depth analysis, Pantone chooses one color that is symbolic of the world that year.
In our world this year, job loss and a still-sluggish economy linger as a symbol of the times. As a universal symbol of healing, turquoise represents an air of optimism and protection against this modern-day struggle, Leatrice says.
Through word-association studies, Pantone also confirmed that turquoise reminds people of tropical oceans and represents escape. This one color alone evokes images of sandy beaches, green palm fronds and crisp waters—the ultimate island getaway.
"Essentially, it symbolizes a place people can go to and forget about their cares, if not actually, then aspirationally," Leatrice says.
Turquoise and Neutrals
"Turquoise brings excitement to a neutral," Leatrice says. "It's a jolt of energy." Two of her favorite color combinations are turquoise and gray, and turquoise and chocolate, the latter of which is a top fashion color combination.
"The turquoise-chocolate combination is classic, almost retro. It comes in and out of fashion, and right now, it's in," she says.
Other cool tones that work well with turquoise include violet, which creates a stunning combination of two complex colors (green-blue and red-blue), and yellow-green, which results in a look that is both clear and striking.
Turquoise and Warm Tones
Leatrice especially likes the turquoise-red combination, noting that they are true complements on the color wheel and therefore fit better together than you might assume.
If turquoise makes you timid, start with a color combination that is not a big stretch, such as any of the neutrals or blues.
Find a pattern or print that already incorporates turquoise so you don't have to worry about finding many different accents and pieces that create the same visual effect.
When using a pattern or print, add one or two other touches of turquoise in the room so the eye can travel around.
When adding touches of turquoise, do use items/spaces of equal size. Instead, use turquoise in one large way, one smaller way and one even tinier way. This will help create visual interest and make your home look expertly coordinated.
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