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Radiant Inspiration: Pantone Selects 2014 Color of the Year

Wondering what colors you’ll be mixing this year? The Pantone Color Institute® can help you stay ahead of the curve by keeping you informed of what colors will be popular in 2014.

Each year, Pantone looks at colors all over the world and in a variety of industries—from entertainment to art to sports and more—to determine its Color of the Year.

It recently named Radiant Orchid as its pick for 2014.

Radiant Orchid, a fuchsia shade, follows another bright color—Emerald, which was Pantone’s choice for 2013.

“Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director. “An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

The bright—but not too bright—color is perfect for accent pieces or accessories in home decor. It has both warm and cool undertones and works well with neutrals, such as gray or beige, as well as other colors, such as yellow, teal or turquoise.

Want to show off this color in your store? Make sure your customers are aware of the Color of the Year, allowing them to stay up on current design trends.

If you have the space, set up a small display that incorporates the color, whether it be a small piece of furniture painted that color or even accent pillows or other decor pieces from your housewares department, to get the color conversation going.

Look through your paint swatches to find the color in each of the brands you carry that most closely matches Radiant Orchid. Have a display with these colors and brand names on hand so customers can quickly select that color, rather than having to match them up themselves.

Do the same with complementary colors. Pull swatches of some of your most popular neutrals, yellows and teals and put them on display with the samples that coordinate well with Radiant Orchid. Customers who want to decorate with Radiant Orchid may be hesitant to do so because they aren’t sure what colors will work well with it, but having this display together will make it easier to find colors that work.

About Liz Lichtenberger

Liz is the special projects editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. She reports on news and trends, visits retailers, and attends industry events. She graduated from Xavier University, where she earned a degree in English and Spanish and was a member of the swim team. Liz is a Louisville, Kentucky, native who lives in Indianapolis with her husband and two children. She enjoys swimming, reading, doing home improvement projects around her house and cheering on her two favorite basketball teams, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers.

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