There’s no need to be a shrinking violet
With ‘ultra violet’ set to be the most fashionable colour of 2018, Jessica Doyle reveals how to let purple reign around the home
When Pantone reveals its annual “colour of the year” prediction, the design world sits up and takes note. Every December for the past 18 years, the Pantone Color Institute has forecast the shade it believes will be favoured across fashion, interiors and design over the next 12 months. Each year, however unlikely it might seem, that prediction tends to come true.
Earlier this month, Pantone announced that its colour for 2018 was Ultra Violet, otherwise known as Pantone 18-3838 – a rich, blue-toned purple that it describes as “a spiritual, cosmic hue” and “a dramatically provocative and thoughtful shade”.
So far, it has divided opinion – and it can certainly be a tricky tone to get right in terms of interior design. But, whatever you think of it, you are likely to see a lot more of it in the coming months. Previous predictions have included 2016’s Rose Quartz, which quickly morphed into ‘millennial pink’ and continues to dominate homeware collections, and this year’s Greenery, which has similarly taken root.
So how did Pantone’s colour experts come to the conclusion that Ultra Violet sums up the cultural mood of 2018, and what makes it right for now?
Leatrice Eiseman, the institute’s executive director, claims that its colour of the year is usually already “out there” – even if people aren’t quite aware of it yet.
“We look at a lot of leading indicators, such as art, fashion, entertainment and technology,” she explains. “We go through the fashion collections to see how many times a particular colour is on the agenda, consider the artists and exhibitions that are gaining attention, even look at food and drink trends.
“But the largest indicator is ‘the mood of the people’. There is a magical element that colour represents to people, whether or not they realise it,” says Eiseman. “Because we’re colourists, we see the clues. Then we get the conversation going, and start to open people’s consciousness to the colour.”
In the case of Ultra Violet, current “it” foods, such as purple-tinged asparagus, cabbages and berries have, apparently, been influential. Eiseman also links it to our growing appreciation of mindfulness, which is now crossing over into interiors with its connection to meditation practices that offer a refuge from an over-stimulated world.
“This blue-based tone takes awareness to a higher level,” she says, “from exploring new technologies to artistic expression and spiritual reflection.”
Purple also has a counter-cultural symbolism that, she believes, chimes with the current global frame of mind.
“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination,” she says. “There’s a creativity attached to this colour; people who love it are generally more creative themselves. It is thoughtful, but at the same time it’s provocative, because it’s made up of two diametrically opposed colours – blue and red. Blue, which is the more dominant colour in Ultra Violet, is the more meditative; yet there is also an undertone of red, which brings excitement and drama. That’s an interesting dichotomy.”
Kassia St Clair, whose book The Secret Lives of Colour looks at the stories behind various different hues, points out that true Ultra Violet “is not a colour, but a kind of electromagnetic radiation beyond the visible spectrum”.
But she notes purple’s long-time association with artistic visionaries. “Prince springs to mind,” she says, “and the Impressionists, who loved the colour so much that they were accused by early critics of suffering from ‘violettamania’.”
Modern violettamaniacs keen to bring the colour into their homes can take inspiration from Shalini Misra, an interior designer who has designed a purple-toned room. She advises embracing the drama, and mixing in different textures and finishes to keep the look fresh.
“The key with a vibrant shade like this is not to be afraid to experiment,” she says. “Try a highly saturated purple with royal connotations. The colour is also about nonconformity and is therefore an ideal choice for making a statement.
“A particularly effective way to introduce it into your home is to opt for upholstery in sumptuous velvets for an occasional chair, love seat, chaise or ottoman.
“Pair it with highlights throughout the room – think patterned textiles, flowers and artwork featuring subtle accents of the shade – and finish the look with warm metallics for a bold yet harmonious space.”
For velvet sofas and chairs, try Sofa.com, Sofa Workshop and Arlo & Jacob for classically inspired shapes in vibrant shades. Wool upholstery will soften the colour, but not necessarily diminish the impact, particularly in the case of modern designs such as Roche Bobois’s Bubble sofa or Tom Dixon’s copperlegged Wingback armchair.
Teaming purple with forest green or grey elsewhere in the room will moderate its bold effect, while metallic finishes on lamps, tables and accessories will ramp it up.
For those who just want to dip a toe into this trend, Made.com and H&M have inexpensive velvet cushion covers, and Pantone has partnered with Saatchi Art to produce a collection of limitededition purple-toned wall prints. The ideal way for violettamaniacs to let purple reign in 2018.