HOW does a paint chip become an “it” color? The team at Sherwin-Williams researches color influences from around the world. The result each year is a color forecast of 40 colors grouped into four palettes. The company has just introduced its Color of the Year for 2015, and the winner is Coral Reef. It blends pink, orange and red for an uplifting, vivacious hue with floral notes. It’s part of a collection called the Buoyant palette.
Coral Reef is showing up on fashion runways, in jewelry and on the home accessory front. It is strong enough to stand on its own as an accent wall or occasional chair but is happy to add excitement as an accessory to a neutral color scheme.
Unlike some past years’ color selections, Coral Reef is a color most homeowners can feel comfortable embracing for home décor. If you have been hesitant to fully embrace the shades of blazing orange, this might be your perfect color option.
Coral Reef plays happily with white, black, lush greens and lilacs.
For a more subdued palette, mix it with warm neutrals such as gray or buttery yellows and soft browns.
For the mid-century modern enthusiast, Coral Reef is a softer, more approachable orange than the pumpkin of the 1950s. Its undertones work well with warm wood finishes such as walnut.
For transitional décor, this color works well with trendy copper finishes and aged matte brass finishes.
Don’t limit the color to the interior. Consider brightening your home’s exterior by applying it to your front door, shutters, flower boxes or garden structures. But don’t go overboard; pick just one element to accent. It is clear that 2015 is shaping up to be a very colorful year for home décor.
• Designer and home improvement expert Vicki Payne is host and producer of For Your Home, available on PBS, Create TV and in national and international syndication. Reach her at ForYourHome.com.
Vicki Payne / The Charlotte Observer