Pantone’s 2018 colour of the year is……drum roll please…..ULTRA VIOLET! Who, or rather what, is ultra violet 18-3838? Let’s take a look… 

Let’s strip this colour back. Behind the tonal variations and fancy names, the 2018 colour of the year is a shade of purple, most commonly associated with nobility, power and luxury, however, purple, is so much more than that! It is wisdom, independence and mystery! The colour purple is created by mixing blue (stability and creativity) and red (passion and energy) together, add in the word ultra and there you have it…a colour to support passion, creativity and give energy x10!

Pantone describes this purple shade in particular as “…originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.” This colour is about the intrigue of what is to come, and after all the changes and debates of 2017, I think this is a great colour to help inspire our world in 2018.

Ultra violet from an interior perspective is a bold one!! However, it can be used as a great tool to harness a person’s creativity, spirituality and aid in emotional health. As this colour is associated with mediation and mindfulness, it can be used very well in a bedroom to help de-clutter one’s mind after spending a day in our over-stimulating world. Purple tones help to inspire, and therefore, an office or studio space could also benefit from a splash of ultra violet. There are more ways, other than painting a wall, in which to use this colour. The use of a purple light can help to set a mood, think bulbs, lava lamp, twinkle lights…decor items can help bring energy and motivation into a space. Think place-mats and artwork, rugs and fresh flowers! (Amethyst stone perhaps?!)

I will admit that I was not the biggest fan of Pantone’s colour selection this year, however as I have thought about it more and looked at it as a symbol for the year, I think it is perfect. The world, and everyone in it, needs more energy. I am c o n s t a n t l y tired because there is c o n s t a n t l y something that needs doing or worrying about, and I don’t even have kids yet!! Ultra violet should be seen as a symbol, not just as the new colour to paint your living room walls. (But of course, by all means!) Look at the colour from the perspective that in 2018 as a whole, we all need to move forward and move on. We need to act from a thoughtful place and realise that emotional well-being is just as important as physical. 

The colour ‘Ultra Violet’ and all that it involves, is energetic, healing and oozes creativity! I hope this year will see the “healing” of our world, and the “creation” of more positivity…and of course, I hope you all feel like you had an extra 3 hours sleep every night, even if in fact, it was the exact opposite! 2018 – The year of ‘me’.

Lots of love and magical feelings,

Marleen xx