A captivating, magical, purple with rosy undertones.
The Pantone Color Institute has just announced their 2014 Color of the Year winner. The decision for Radiant Orchid was based on global research and a system that investigates and translates trends into color. With fabric design, Radiant Orchid can be pulled in either direction along the color spectrum. The pink undertones work beautifully with yellows, golds, beiges and whites. Patio Lane presents a pretty Spring orchid with Pastiglia Orchid, Boulevard Orchid, and Alameda Orchid. For drama, the blue elements within Radiant Orchid work well with grey, silver, black/white, or purple. Laura Kirar for Highland Court brings this concept to light with Mirage Slate, Poinsettia Azalea, and Dusk Stripe Petal. For Kirar and many Highland Court fabrics, orchid tones are honored as a base, and woven throughout patterns and stripes. A nod to the concept of Split Clarity*, Radiant Orchid and similar concept purples, hit the mark within many designer collections - Calvin Klein Quartzite, Abbey Shea’s Vogue, and Thomas Paul for Duralee.
Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute says:
Radiant Orchid represents a coming together of blue and red, which is diametrically opposed psychologically. One's very exciting, the other is tranquilizing; yet, together they form a new color. So now you've got something complex and an established as the color of originality and creativity.”
There are companies and organizations that dedicate time and money into the research and development of color trends. Global Color Research organizes panels to establish color nuances and offers market research to Europe, North America, China as well as other regions. For Eiseman however, her choice of Radiant Orchid is the result of a more organic process. “My color antenna is always kind of quivering when I see a color that seems to be ascending in a lot of different cultures. We look at Art and how Radiant Orchid is playing into the world of art, as well as Sports and Fashion.”
Here are some of Patio Lane's design options for the Color of the Year. Twist a little Radiant Orchid throughout your walls, (Cole & Son Collection) and pull out some pops of purple leading out to your garden. Who knows, maybe your antenna will begin to twitch a little bit too.
Orchid Facts
- Orchid flowers always grow upside down when mature.
- Orchid flower colors range from brown to magenta.
- In ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility.
- During the Victorian era, orchids were symbolic of luxury.
- Globally, men have been seen wearing Radiant Orchid sneakers and suede loafers.
- Carrots were once purple, red, white or yellow.
- The first recorded use of orchid as a color name in English was in 1915.
- Lavender is a traditional herbal treatment for epilepsy.
* Photo courtesy Duralee
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