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Everyone’s heard the name, “Ultra Violet” as Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2018, but what makes this hue special - and what does it really represent?
Ultra Violet is a complicated color, most likely chosen by Pantone to represent todays very complex social and political climates. It is a color that looks back to great social changes in the past, in the social upheavals of the 60’s where there was a lot of this color visibly celebrated by the flower children and protestors of the 60’s and it is also linked to colors used by the National Women’s Party in the suffrage movement in the early 1910’s.
The entire purple color family also has very strong spiritual ties from being the well-known favorite of Royalty including Imperial Rome and modern day crowned heads (most people forget that the notion of “Royal” is founded upon the notion that power of the royals is given directly from above).
In modern day spiritualty, this family of colors is constantly referenced. The actual composite of Ultra Violet a strange mixture, it is an undefinable moment on the color field-very much like twilight and daybreak - when the two opposing celestial bodies of the sun and moon are exchanging places - it is during these times of day when we humans are frequently at our most reflective. This color also appears in nature, quite unexpectedly. The vivid colors that make up Ultra Violet blossoming out of a green and brown landscape is spectacular to see in person and in a manmade environment, these same combinations can look truly beautiful and show that nature can be the perfect guide to color pairing. above photo:
Andy Warhol with one of his favorite muses - Ultra Violet photo: kronstantinople.blogspot.com
Ultra Violet is often associated with pinks and lilacs, but it is electrifying when paired with green, yellows, oranges and, of course, what seems to be hands down the most popular color of this decade, gray.
If you think about the appearance this hue in art, design, fashion and in nature, you may start noticing that Ultra Violet is everywhere as a silent agent, supporting many other more commonly used hues. We have seen this color over time take a bow in the limelight, but like some past highlighted colors, particularly some extra vivid reds and pinks, this exuberant color will return to its most fitting job of supporting other colors.
above photo: “Flower Show” by Peter Max artbroker.com
But what about practical uses in interior design?
Don’t think you can’t go big with this year’s award winner, Ultra Violet can be a very exciting backdrop as a feature wall or in a great fabric to upholster a knockout chair or ottoman. For our own interior design projects, we prefer to lean towards less trendy colors for the big moments in our styling, but we think this Ultra Violet is perfect for splashes in art, rugs and accessories, things that are less of a commitment and fun to change some day when another color pops up and entrances us.
above: little girls room who loves butterflies and violet. romero + obeji project.
We think it also looks pretty smashing as a hair color.
Photo: hair by Aleese Moore https://www.instagram.com/olivehair22/