You may not be aware of it, but the colors the world of fashion and design use are monitored by an organization known as the Pantone Color Institute. Every year, this organization takes a look at the trends they see around the world. They look at clothing, popular retail items, interior and exterior design trends, and more. These trained experts study color and color matching for a living. Once a year, they put their heads together to pick a Color of the Year. This does not mean, of course, that the world can only use this one particular color. But these expert guess more than likely you’ll see a lot of this shade throughout the year. This is known as the 2019 Pantone Color of the Year.

In 2018, Pantone determined that the color most likely to be seen around the world was Ultra Violet. Their 2017 pick for the top color was “Greenery,” incorporating a trend in bringing the vibrant colors of nature indoors. For 2019, the Pantone Color of the Year is “Living Coral.”

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What is Pantone?

Pantone LLC is a U.S. corporation headquartered out of Carlstadt, New Jersey. It was first founded in the 1950s and started its life as the commercial printing division of an advertising agency called M&J Levine. One of the first things the advertising agents did when creating Pantone was hire a man named Lawrence Herbert who set about trying to standardize colors. The original intent was for the agency to have a standard color catalog to use for print and other mediums.

By the time 1962 came around, Herbert had the ink and printing portion of the company running at a profit. The rest of the company was suffering, so it soon became evident the successful part of the company was Pantone. They then began producing the Pantone Guides for others to use in identifying color for all sorts of uses throughout business and, eventually, home universes.

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What is the Pantone Color Matching System?

The most successful product and invention Pantone came up with is the Pantone Color Matching System. It’s a standardized color reproduction system. Companies who need to use color for any reason can refer to the Pantone system to make sure their colors have consistent shades and hues. What sets the Pantone system apart is that it’s wide and diverse. It allows for quite a bit of mixing and matching to create new colors and shades. Pantone differs widely from the CYMK color matching system which involves mixing Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black to create shades.

What is the Pantone Color of the Year?

Pantone’s Color of the Year is a relatively new concept for the company, dating back only to the year 2000. What goes into determining this color? The process sounds like something out of a spy movie. Twice a year, global representatives from color standards groups meet secretly in a European capital city of their choosing.

What are the criteria for determining the Color of the Year? Well, this is a bit of a secret. The representatives take a couple of days during which they present about events happening around the world, fashion and design trends, and other factors. They then make a presentation advocating for a particular color they feel best represents the times and the upcoming year.

Every year, right around January 1, Pantone releases their choice for the color they collectively feel represents the upcoming year. When the company makes the announcement, they put some of the information about why they chose that color into a press release.

What’s the Pantone color for 2019?

The top secret meetings held in 2018 yielded “Living Coral” as the company’s Color of the Year for 2019. In the Pantone numbering system they use to categorize the colors, this is 16-1546 Living Coral. Now, why was this color chosen? According to the press release the company released on the website, the reason this color was chosen is as follows:

“Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

“In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.

“Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.”

What does this mean for you?

Well, if you are not into fashion or interior design, this may not mean much to you. However, if you are a designer or follow the world of fashion, you may soon see clothing, furniture and other consumer goods suddenly appearing in a coral color. Back in 2016, when Pantone announced their color of the year as Rose Quartz, it suddenly became a fashion trend to wear a shade that became known to the general public as “millennial pink.”

There may already be clothing and accessory designers churning out new 2019 editions in a coral color.

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Ambius adds color to your work space

Coral is a naturally occurring color, which is key to the concept of bringing nature indoors. This is a concept known as biophilia and Ambius is the expert in biophilic design for companies of all sizes. Whether you need a few plants around your office to brighten things up, or want a complete Green Wall to dazzle those who enter your building, Ambius interior landscaping specialists can help.

Contact your local Ambius office and talk to one of our representatives today about how we can help you bring the outdoors indoors with our interior landscaping solutions.

For further reading about Pantone’s Color of 2019 visit:

https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/