For years, the Pantone color institute has been forecasting color trends globally and giving advice to businesses on how to create a brand or product that has a visual identity. Pantone helps global brands take advantage of the power of color to help them develop a design strategy that grows their business.
For the year 2019, Pantone has selected “Living Coral” as the color of the year. Quite a change from Pantone’s 2018 color of the year “Ultra Violet”—a thoughtful and provocative shade. “Living Coral,” according to Pantone, “welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity,” and “embodies our desire for playful expression.”
Each year, when Pantone announces the color of the year, individuals scramble to incorporate the color into their daily lives. We see the color pop up more and more in several aspects such as fashion, makeup, interior design, marketing, social media, packaging, and all kinds of product design.
Because Pantone’s color of the year is seen as trendy and fashion forward, individuals can’t wait to bring the color into their home. However, as we’ve seen with many of Pantone’s colors, they are often bright and must be incorporated carefully. Individuals typically like to use the color as an accent color in their home— something that “pops.” In other words, it may not be typical to find “living coral” painted all over the walls of a home. We also probably wouldn’t see a giant couch in this shade, nor would we see coral window blinds, shutters, or shades covering glass windows. However, we might see kitchen accessories in living coral, or perhaps pictures frames, vases, couch pillows, or other small decorations. In order to incorporate this brilliant color, it's essential that the rest of the house is a shade that compliments living coral as opposed to clashes with it.
One of the most important things in any home is the dressing on the windows. Window coverings are important not only for aesthetic appeal but also for the functionality of your home. The coverings on your windows really set the tone and determine the feel of the space. You first have to consider the color of your window coverings. Deciding on the color of the window blinds, shutters, or shades is a huge first step because you want to make sure it matches the rest of the room.
Because living coral is such a youthful and expressive color, we recommend pairing it with light and neutral colors. Ideally, your window coverings will contain cooler tones as opposed to warmer ones. You won’t want to choose something that has orange, red, or pink undertones. Shades with warm colors will clash with your living coral accents. Choosing a covering that is pure white will give your space a very crisp and clean feeling. Many of our customers choose a pure white covering when the furniture/decor/accessories in their home are prominent and brightly colored. You may also find window coverings in the grey family to work very well with a color such as Living Coral. It may not be quite as bright as the pure white, but it still gives your space that clean, modern, and perhaps “beachy” feel. We strongly recommend staying away from beige and brown tones, as well as anything that contains much pigment. When guests visit your home, they should feel the contrast between the living coral accents as well as the pure white or grey window coverings.
With a bright color such as living coral, you’ll want to let in as much natural light as you can. Stay away from choosing coverings that block too much light out of the room. However, you’ll still want something that allows you to shut out light perhaps at night or during movie time. Choosing between Hunter Douglas shades, shutters, and blinds is not always an easy task. We love all three, so we will give you our personal recommendation from each category.
When it comes to shutters, we absolutely love the Palm Beach™ Polysatin™ Shutters. Even if your windows are constantly being exposed to harsh sunlight, these shutters won’t fade, warp, crack, chip, or peel. The bright white color of these shutters is perfect for a home filled with accents of Living Coral. Allow the natural light to come in so that you can show off your stylish home decor.
If you’re looking for shades to cover your windows, we recommend Hunter Douglas Pirouette® Window Shadings. The soft, horizontal fabric vanes close to filter natural light, or open to give you a perfect view of outside. So, during the day, open them up to allow your living coral accents to really pop, and during the evening, close them to give your home that cozy, warm feeling. These shades feature a revolutionary Invisi-Lift™ system that makes the vanes appear as if they are floating gracefully. You’ll love the way these shades compliment a bright, energetic color.
If you’re interested in sticking with a classic blind, we recommend the Hunter Douglas Parkland® Wood Blinds in a bright white. If you prefer something in a slightly different shade, that option is certainly available as well. The Parkland® Wood blinds are great because you can choose from three different slat sizes and you have the option of adding Hunter Douglas Powerview® motorization.
Finding the right window coverings for your space can really change the mood of your room and help to make your accent colors such as Living Coral really pop. There are several decisions that must be made during the process of choosing the right coverings. Type of covering, color, texture, amount of light, and whether or not you want motorization all must be taken into consideration. While the process may seem overwhelming, Horizon Window Fashions is here to make it easier. Let us know what we can help you with, and we will be more than happy to do so! We always offer a completely free consultation, so send us a message and let the fun begin!