• colour crush
• Interiors

The colour trend for 2018 ultraviolet

So each year Pantone the colour guru’s declare a colour for the following year, and just a week ago the new hot colour for 2018 is Ultraviolet, which is a really intense and bright PURPLE! I know! I bet reading this you are already having quite a strong reaction to the news. I know the design fraternity are either in delight but mainly denial. Any shade of purple is such a marmite colour. People are either rather fanatical about it or hate it as much as I hate anchovies. And that dear reader is A LOT.

So let’s put all thoughts of Cadburys cream eggs, Tinky Winky and Laurence Llewellyn Bowen far from our minds for a sec. I think it’s interesting to step aside from any social conditioning and wait to feel how this colour really resonates with you. You see in terms of colour psychology this hue is a real little Buddha. It enhances spirituality, deeper thinking and enlightenment. Hence worn by the high priest of design himself Mr LLB *stifle snigger*, and it is with this thinking in mind that Pantone feel it’s high time we all embrace something a little bit higher than ourselves. When Pantone declares a colour trend its not just focused on interiors but design across the board and globally too. So you’ll see this colour being used in fashion, beauty and product design. And one thing that’s startled me the most is that there is not much of it about. Purple has been seriously uncool for quite a while, less cosmic more tragic. So the little colour rebel in me is thrilled to see it championed and potentially back in vogue. And as ever I love a challenge so I’m keen to see how we can reinvent this colour in a new and interesting way.

Curtains in Sorana Violet, cushions in Grapeflower Berry by Hillarys. Geometric cushions from Amara, Pop cushion from Quirk and Rescue. All other furniture items stylists own.

So when my chums at Hillarys picked up the phone to ask me how I’d interpret this colour scheme in terms of interiors I leapt at the chance. The announcement was made on the Thursday and I had just over a day to pull together the look as we were going to shoot it, on location the following Monday. I channeled my inner Anneka Rice as I ran around the prop houses grabbing purple objects the day preceeding the shoot. So I’m thrilled to share here the pics hot hot hot off the press along with my ways on introducing this new colour in your own interior scheme.

Look out for vases and accessories in ultra violet, like this LSA pleat vase at Amara. Mahil tassel drop earrings from Anthropologie.

While I’d seriously love to daub it in all four walls I fully appreciate that that’s too in the deep end for a lot of people. But the great thing is, as with any intense colour, it makes a great accent. Its also the perfect pick me up for any existing grey scheme. You can pick it out on cushions, statement armchairs, lamps, accessories and artwork. For me the big impact was dressing the bay in a bold print from Hillarys, and I went for four curtains at the bay window for maximum impact.

For any successful scheme it’s important to use plenty of different tones, from dark to light to give interest and depth. So indulge in every shade from the palest lilac all the way through to the deepest plum.

There i go, laughing at my own jokes again.

Personally I think you have to be careful not to over do this strong ultra violet. A signature armchair, feature rug or headboard would be just the perfect balance. Fabrics are always my inspiration, and I love this strong painterly design by Charlotte Beevor at Hillarys. The shades of Ultra Violet blend beautifully with navy- which helps pull this scheme together.

My mantra is always to avoid the matchy-matchy so its fun thinking of other colours you could team with ultraviolet. Green is the obvious partner, but, inspired by this painting by artists Sophie Abbott, I’m also loving teaming it with shades of peach, copper and orange. Look to nature for inspiration. As there is a limited amount of purple in the shops at the moment- although that will all be set to change is 2018, grab yourselves armfuls of flowers and arrange in abundance in a collection of vases. That’s one way to stay ahead of the trends.

The classic Arne Jacobsen Egg chair. for one similar try Pash Classics

The key for me to getting this trend to feel fresh and modern is to make sure the colour really pops. Seek out the most intense hue you can find and then let it take pride of place. Any colour with the pre-fix ‘ultra’ is going to find a home in my house. Just don’t over do it (did I just say that?!).

Grape flower cushion by Hillarys.  Pop cushion from designers Quirk and Rescue.