Pantone Color of the Year

We all need a joyful boost of colour this time of year – something better than grey. But Marsala – Pantone Color of the Year 2015 doesn’t do it for me. I’ve loved some of the previous Pantone colours: honeysuckle, chili pepper, blue iris, turquoise, and tangerine tango.

The colour of Marsala wine is rich and deep and has been produced in Sicily since 1796. Served chilled it goes well with Parmesan, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort, or it can be served at room temperature as a desert wine. It is used in such iconic recipes such as chicken marsala and zabaglione.

“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,” says Leatrice Eisenman (Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute). Maybe so, but for me, the Pantone Marsala reminds me of a metal paint primer.

Choosing, describing, and using colour can be challenging. We use spot Pantone colours and/or CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) inks for printing. Monitors use RGB (red, blue, green) light. We have societal influences for what we like and don’t like. In China, red indicates luck, while in Nigeria and Germany it means the exact opposite. And we are often influenced by experiences we have had as a child.

Send me an email – I’d love to hear what your favourite colour is. But more importantly, why.