Hue About That?

Prepare for red to reign supreme in 2023 – or, at least, variations of the powerful color. The color experts at New Jersey-based Pantone, which is considered the international authority on color trends, recently selected a hue called Viva Magenta to serve as its 2023 Color of the Year. Meanwhile, at least a few of the nation’s biggest paint manufacturers have followed suit and chosen red-tinged shades as their top colors for the next 12 months. 

Pantone describes the vibrant Viva Magenta as being “brave and fearless, a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes optimism and joy. Powerful and empowering, it is an animated red that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint; an electrifying, boundaryless shade that is manifestly `out there’ and is a stand-out statement. Audacious, witty and inclusive of all … Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same rebellious spirit.” 

 Nicole Arnold is a fan of the color. The Frisco resident founded Carrollton-based Nicole Arnold Interiors (nainteriors.com) 15 years ago. The successful firm has designed the interior spaces of luxury homes and commercial buildings throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and the nation. 

She calls Viva Magenta “a great color” for use in accent pieces such pillows, draperies and rugs because “it’s going to make a statement.” Although she likely would not paint the walls of an entire room with this color, Arnold says, “You could (use) this in a butler’s pantry or in a bar (on) the cabinetry. … It really can bring some personality. Just use it in smaller scale — don’t go crazy with it.” 

 Raspberry Blush, paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore’s top pick for 2023, is described by the company as “a saturated red-orange that … is unapologetic in its boldness as it encourages a confident color statement.” 

“This is actually really nice,” says Arnold, calling the hue a “muddy color that I think will pair nicely with high contrast — white (or) black.” An accent wall or even a ceiling painted this color “would be fun.” She suggests using it to transform small cabinetry in a bathroom or a butler’s pantry or possibly a petite piece of standalone furniture, such as an end table. 

 Meanwhile, paint company Sherwin Williams went with a more subdued red-inspired hue, called Redend Point, which it describes as “a calming blush-beige that inspires expanded horizons and eye-opening discoveries.” 

Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, says the color was inspired “by the idea of finding beauty beyond ourselves. It is a heartening hue that invites compassion and connection into any space.” 

 Arnold isn’t so sure. She says Redend Point is her least favorite of the 2023 color of the year choices that she analyzed at the request of Frisco STYLE. 

“If you’re not careful with this color, it can get very pinky or fleshy looking, so you have to use this sparingly,” possibly as an accent piece or in tandem with brighter colors, she says. “It reminds me a little bit of terra cotta, but it’s not even that brown. It’s just a tough one.” 

Her sentiments are similar about Valspar’s Southern Road, which is described as “a muted clay” that embraces “the life of contentment we seek in living with what we have.” 

“I would save it maybe for an isolated piece of furniture,” Arnold says. “It seems very dated.”

 As it has in years past, Valspar choose a dozen “trend-worthy” hues and crowned those its colors of the year. Of the lot, Arnold praised a shade called Everglade Deck, which the company describes as “a deep midnight blue, used as an elegant calming shade to restore our mind, body and home.”

“It’s very dramatic and it can be used on feature walls (and) cabinetry,” she says. “You could paint a wall or the entire room in this, but it would have to be done carefully and selectively with the right furnishings to make it not look like a black hole.” 

Everglade Deck is quite similar to Vining Ivy, this year’s selection from Glidden and its parent company PPG. Citing consumers’ search for simplicity “in this post-COVID era … Vining Ivy embodies this vibe perfectly. It is energizing yet grounding,” according to Glidden Color Expert Ashley McCollum. 

 Arnold calls Vining Ivy “a really neat bluey-green” that boasts “a muddier tone. … It is a nice bright” color that won’t overpower a room. “It’s so easy on the eyes. … It can bring a lot of moodiness to a room, which is a growing trend these days.” 

Another moody paint color of the year that Arnold favors is HGTV Home’s Darkroom. 

“This I love,” she says of the “warm charcoal” (read: black) shade. “I think there’s tons of mileage with this color. There are people out there who love a black room and … it can be a very dramatic room. As long as there are plenty of windows in the room, you’re OK. … Blacks can be really dark, so this is a nice way for someone to dip their toe in the water (by using) an almost-black” paint color.  

 At the opposite end of the spectrum is Blank Canvas by Behr Paint Company, which it describes as “a hopeful and welcoming warm white.” Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative, says the shade “offers a clean and inviting blank slate that allows individuality and creativity to flow freely.” 

Compared to the other, more vibrant color of the year selections, Arnold says she uncertain why Behr chose this one.

 “What I can tell you is there is a huge trend with white walls because it allows … earth tones and more vivid colors to stand on their own and really be seen in their true hue.” With Blank Canvas, she says, “I see a little warmth in it, but not so much that it would preclude cool tones from being displayed well on it.” 

While Arnold says consumers shouldn’t feel compelled to use the colors of the year within the interior design of their home, the hues are “something to pay attention to and know that when you’re out and about” since these colors “are going to influence a lot of what they see. They’re going to walk through Target and see accessories in these colors. They’re going to walk through Pottery Barn and see pillows in these colors. … They’re going to see clothing in these colors. 

“Just know that these richer tones are here to stay for a while, and don’t be afraid to use them,” she says. “Have fun with the ones that appeal to you.”