What's new with color trends

by Miriam Schulman February 06, 2015

Pantone is a worldwide color authority that predicts color trends in art, fashion, decor, and other industries. Each year they choose one color meant to reflect the current cultural mood. Get acquainted with the 2015 color of the year, Marsala, an earthy, wine red hue, and discover the cultural phenomena that inspired it. {artwork above by Miriam Schulman, collect a fine art print to instantly refresh your home with modern color ->collect this }

Charles James at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's retrospective on couturier Charles James influenced fashion color trends. The exhibit featured vintage ballgowns in rich palette of wine reds and earthy browns. This duo of dresses graced my instagram predicting that these hues would trend in 2015. The color experts called it a "subtly seductive shade," so it's no wonder Charles James used it for his striking gowns.

Want to know what colors will be popular next year? A trip to a museum is always a sure fire way to predict trends.

Color Technology

Pantone also looks to technology when determining the color of the year. Maybe you've seen red-brown colored cars on the roads, like the Acura RDX, or been inspired by interior brick walls that are becoming popular again for their nostalgic feel. Utilitarian industries like cars, construction, and even electronics can embrace this color trend. Look out for Marsala headphones and iPhone cases this year.

This hearty, yet stylish tone is universally appealing and translates easily into fashion, beauty, industrial design, home furnishings and interiors.~Leatrice Eisemen, Pantone

Food

Beets, pomegranate seeds, red delicious apples, port wine... the list of Marsala-colored foods goes on! Pantone used many adjectives for the color of the year that could easily be applied to food. Satisfying, rich, and earthy like a home-cooked meal. You can incorporate the shade into your kitchen with deep brown plates and warm red napkins spread over a mahogany dinner table.

Nurturing and fulfilling, Marsala is a natural fit for the kitchen and dining room – making it ideal for tabletop, small appliances and linens throughout the home.~Leatrice Eisemen

Walls painted Benjamin Moore's Middlebury Brown, featuring original art

In your home

Of course, the best way to add a touch of Marsala to your home is through art. A spectrum of warm tones, like in my painting featured below, will enhance red or brown walls in every space, lending a cozy feel to your environment. Marsala might be the year's biggest trend, but it will remain timeless in an interior setting. According to Pantone, you can "add elegance to any room by incorporating this rich and welcoming hue in accent pieces, accessories and paint." I recommend complementing the shade with natural or earthy paintings that feature landscapes and animals.