Something those of us who paint a lot and/or obsess about home decor look forward to: Pantone’s announcement of their Color of the Year.
The new tone for 2018 was just announced, and it’s a bold one: PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, which the color experts say “symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.”
The past few years’ choices have been a bit more toned down, with last year’s fresh Greenery and the previous year’s soft and gentle double-shot, with pale pink Rose Quartz and calm blue Serenity.
Ultra Violet is assuredly not soft and gentle, but definitely feels like it fits a bold, energy-forward moment in time.
Feel like bringing some of this glamor and intensity into your Nashville home? Below, a few possibilities:
Velvet couch
Jewel tones and velvet are both still big, and although a lot of homeowners tend to stay a little more neutral in their couch color choices, it can be a great place to go bold. This Jack Tuxedo sofa has really glamorous and soft lines, and the tone is pretty Ultra Violet. ($1,158.05, via Houzz)
Accent seating
Not ready to go all the way to a couch? Wade in a little more slowly with extra living-room accent seating, like this Chloe chair and ottoman set. We really love the design here — a little bit of mid-century simplicity, a little bit of Hollywood Regency glam, too. ($284.99, via Joss & Main)
Wallpaper
Removable wallpaper can be a perfect way to create a bold accent wall that you can pretty quickly/easily change if the winds of your taste shift. Walls Need Love — a wallpaper company that happens to be based right here in Nashville — has a lot of cool options in the purple world, from floral to pop art-y.https://wallsneedlove.com/collections/purple-wp-collection We like this distinguished Grace pattern — it’s built on a deeper purple than Ultra Violet, but has pops of other softer and bolder purples mixed in. An accent wall in a powder room or master bedroom could be really luxurious, with this added in. ($48 per panel, via WallsNeedLove.com)
Wall art
We’ve kind of fallen in love with the look of framed agate slices for wall art — it’s a trick we used in finishing up our historic Nashville home renovation project, and we were absolutely thrilled with the way it dressed up the long hallway. (Take a look here and let us know if you agree.) Wall art is always a go-to when it comes to opportunities for splashes of bold color, and since you can find agate slices in a wide array of tones — like this gorgeous, Ultra Violet-y purple — we think this’d be an excellent way to bring Pantone’s Color of the Year into your hallway, too. ($34, via Etsy)
Flowers
Little too on the nose? Hey, fresh flowers are always going to be one of the best ways to make a home feel homey, and they’re also an easy way to test out pops of color to see if you want to go a little more permanent with an accent. And bold purple flowers are plentiful, from roses to ranunculus. A great florist (like FLWR Shop, right by our East Nashville office) can help with the real thing. And there’s nothing like the real thing, obviously. But if you want to go silk, so they’ll stick around, something like this might give the violet pop you want. ($98.99, via Houzz)
Paint
The most obvious, but also the most effective way to bring a big burst of Ultra Violet to your Nashville home. Solid option: African Violet, from Sherwin-Williams is a close match to Pantone’s Color of the Year. Doing a whole room in this tone can be risky — it’s a big color, and it’ll certainly command the room. If you’re thinking about selling your Nashville home sometime soon, we’d lean you toward an accent wall. But we’re also fans of doing what moves you in home decor. After all, it’s just paint.
How do you feel about the 2018 Color of the Year choice: love it, leave it, or somewhere in the middle?
If you’re about to start looking for a new home in the Nashville area to flex your decorating muscle in, we’d love to help you find it. Reach ACRE here, or for an easy way to get your Nashville househunting process started, fill out this quick form.