Greenery

As most of you may already know the Pantone colour of the year for 2017 is ‘Greenery’…but what does that mean?!? Pantone suggests that ‘Greenery’ represents new beginnings, with fresh undertones of yellow to evoke feelings of restoration and give renewed energy.
What do I think ‘Greenery‘ means? It means I am finally going to have reason to buy more plants to bring indoors! ‘Greenery‘, in Pantone’s words is, ‘nature’s neutral’, it is there to help relieve the stress of day to day life and the mental implications that the growing technological and infrastructural patterns have on human emotions and behaviour. 

It is ALWAYS important to take time out of your schedule to visit somewhere that has FRESH air, not the cool streams that come out of the air-conditioner, or the fumed wind that blows into your car when you’re driving down the highway. I’m talking about the fresh air that comes from plants and earth. Think to yourself, when was the last time you stopped to literally smell the roses…and the ferns, and the hypostes?! Allowing yourself to literally breath easily should not only be a personal choice but a lifestyle to be incorporated globally. (Just imagine how many problems we could solve….)

I intent to incorporate ‘Greenery’ (more so by its meaning rather then by its exact tone of colour) into my life, by allowing myself to stop in my everyday, when I water my plants, to not just water them but observe them, touch them, take the time to understand all the different shades of colour that can be found in just one leaf.

I hope this year sees the design industry appreciate the benefits that both the colour green and living plants have. Green evokes the image of nature; it can take you to a favourite memory, and help you to feel calm in a crisis. It is literally the colour of balance and harmony and can be used so easily in décor and accessories, let alone in artwork, murals and feature walls. You can take the colour green to the edges of blue and yellow and I believe it will always be a hit as greens and blues are the most common favourite colour of people worldwide. The benefits of using living plants (I italic living because the amount of plants that are used in interior spaces that are fake is disgustingly high), are amazing! Plants increase productivity by at least 12%, and they help to reduce noise, which in turn reduces distractions, which in turn aids comfort levels and increases stamina. *News Flash* plants clean the air and keep environments healthy by reducing VOC’s! Plants don’t just have to be placed in a pot either, they can be used as dividers, fencing, or get some vines and hang them to create doorway curtains!

The colour ‘Greenery’ and all that it involves, is purely positive and invites simple solution to problems big and small. I hope that this year will see the use of ‘Greenery’ in all its forms, through paint, fashion, plants and less ‘busy time’ and more ‘me time’. 2017 – The year of Balance.

Lots of love and good air quality,

Marleen xx

P.S Go buy a plant!