The American colour matching company, Pantone, has been determining the Colour of the Year for three decades. In 2023, the colour is the bold, vibrant Viva Magenta (Pantone 18-1750), already setting trends in home interiors, fashion, cosmetics, design, digital art and social networks.
It is a hybrid colour defined as ‘a nuanced crimson red.’ It is certainly much more intense than the purple shades of 2022’s Very Peri or Digital Lavender, which was expected to be the Colour of the Year.
‘PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.’
It is presented as a ‘symbol of vitality, vim and vigour,’ intended to distract us from the omnipresent technology imposed on our day-to-day lives, encouraging us instead to find inspiration in a renewed love of the power of nature.
As far as home décor is concerned, it is already adding a vivid splash of colour to neutral spaces in the shape of rugs, cushions and blankets. It also turns heads as a statement piece of furniture, like a sofa or a feature wall in a block of colour or wallpaper.
It goes well with contrasting grey and beige and sits beautifully alongside blues, greens, reds, plus electric tones.
