How to use the 2015 Color of the Year
It's fun to begin the new year with the projected colors of the year. More interesting to me is to learn the philosophy behind why the powers that be think the public will accept the palette.
Colors for myriad industries are basically "set" by the powerful Color Marketing Group, the premier international association for color design professionals. Their mission is to create color forecast information for professionals who design and market color. They use various methods to analyze where we are as a culture. Included are economics, emotional temperature and pop trends.
Pantone's 2015 color of the year is called Marsala, a rich full-bodied burgundy/brown.
I love the romantic and whimsical names that are selected to describe colors because they immediately create an emotion and a picture in our minds. The one true thing about the study of color that I've learned over the years is that when you say a word, each human conjures up their own version of that color.
Say periwinkle. Then ask three people to point out what they interpret that specific color to be. You will be amazed.
But I think this Marsala will makes us all feel cozy and nurtured. God knows we can all use that at this time of year, exhausted by the holidays and needing to set the sails for a new year.
The wall cover illustrated in the photo here uses Marsala in a charming paper called Eclectic Patchwork in Gold and Burgundy, from the American Classics collection by York Wallcoverings, with coordinating colors in a patchwork of nostalgic design.
Looking at this, I imagined numerous ways to dress up the fireplace wall in a living room with little investment. Add paper to the walls on each side of your fireplace and you will have suddenly created a new focus! You could accomplish the same effect with an accent paint or by installing traditional bead board floor-to-ceiling. Without attempting to fuss with a new mantel or firebox surround, a completely different look for the fireplace is possible.
In a small room, a fireplace can add an amazing amount of charm. It is important to keep the entire arrangement size appropriate to the room. In most old houses where individual rooms were originally heated by a fireplace, the design was petite. We didn't begin to see massive fireplaces in tract homes until McMansions began to proliferate.
It's fine to copy the carved stone fireplaces of Tuscany if you have a large room to match. Above all, honor the relationship of the firebox and surroundings to the overall size of the room it heats.
Another idea for the fireplace could be to paint the wood surround and the wall it attaches to in a rich accent color like Marsala. Then the walls on either side of the fireplace might become a soft neutral. In addition to introducing a new and rather bold color on the walls, consider repeating it in accent pillows or on a table runner. Perhaps plant containers or an umbrella stand could mirror the accents. It doesn't take much to pull your eye around the room and note the color repeated.
Other ways to reiterate the accent color could be to paint the frame of a mirror. Check Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint, which is sold only through limited retail distributors. It's unique in that you do not have to prep the surface to be painted and the product adheres to wood, plastic, metal and nearly anything! You can apply a rich wax top coat or one suitable for outdoor use. By using this product, which is admittedly more expensive than a typical quart of paint, you might easily add color to a sofa, end or hall table.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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