Color drives everything in our world, including the A-listers of consumer products: apparel, accessories, architecture and automotive. So when the world’s foremost expert on color announces which transcending tint will be next year’s trendsetter, we sit up and take notice.
For 2019, New Jersey-based Pantone has chosen Living Coral (Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral) as its color of the year, which means we can all expect to see the naturally vivid and effervescent color appear everywhere – the fashion runway, industrial design, product packaging and yes, even home furnishings.
The importance of this choice, as well as Pantone’s authority on the subject, cannot be overstated. As the creator of the Pantone Color System, the most reliable color matching system in the world, Pantone developed a common global language for more than 10 million designers and producers to define, communicate and control color. This has ensured consistency across a wide variety of materials and finishes used in graphic design, fashion and consumer product design.
In 2000, Pantone began forecasting its color of the year and in every year since, hundreds of brands design their products using that exact color. So yes, this is a pretty big deal.
Living Coral has been described as an “animating and life-affirming” shade of pinky-orange with a golden undertone.
“Living Coral emits the desired, familiar and energizing aspects of color found in nature,” Pantone announced at the unveiling. “Just as coral reefs are a source of sustenance and shelter to sea life, vibrant yet mellow, Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually-shifting environment.”
While Living Coral is gloriously warm, that balmy quality may read too bright and bold for an entire room. Instead of using it on a large scale, test the waters in smaller but equally impressive ways: as an unexpectedly glam shade for a powder room, as a sunny entryway or as a sunset-inspired accent to give added warmth to natural wood finishes. Soft goods, like area rugs, and other accessories are also great ways to incorporate vibrancy into the existing décor without having to change your main color scheme.
According to Pantone, Living Coral’s engaging nature welcomes and encourages lighthearted activities and connection, so consider using it as a spot of color in spaces where the family entertains, piles in to watch movies or gears up for some playful competition on game night.
Next spring, we’ll be ready to see Living Coral presented in a number of exciting accents and furnishings ideal for home or cottage.
We can already picture a pair of Living Coral-colored Adirondack chairs at the end of a lakeside dock; a sumptuous accent chair comfortably nestled into neutral surroundings, punctuated by pops of Living Coral in plush pillows and a cashmere throw blanket; even an irresistibly splashy kitchen punched up by Living Coral on open shelves, matching lower cabinetry and even place settings (did someone mention margaritas and fish tacos?).
For Benjamin Moore's closest colors to Pantone's color of the year, your best alternatives are Coral Reef 012, Pink Polka Dot 004 and All-a-Blaze 1304 found in our Classic Color Collection.
(Images displayed from left to right are Coral Reef, Pink Polka Dot, All-a-Blaze.)
Every year, paint enthusiasts and interior designers eagerly await the announcement of Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year, a paint trend forecast that sparks excitement and debate. Whether people are quick to embrace the color or need time to warm up to it, the influence on paint and design trends is undeniable. For 2025, Benjamin Moore introduces Cinnamon Slate (2113-40), a color that’s set to redefine how we approach interior paint choices.
