Pantone revealed its annual Color of the Year on December 7, 2017: a joyful purple they called “Ultra Violet.” And the thing is that the media already praised the choice. “A nod to creativity, originality, and Prince,” Elizabeth Wellington writes.
Wellington’s view is optimistic as she cites Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute in Carlstadt, New Jersey, to support her debate:
Purple has a futuristic, exploratory aspect to it. Purple allows us to play with the possibilities.
She is not the only one. Because “Color of the Year 2018” is somewhat of a Google search trend, journalists from all over the world cover the issue with childlike enthusiasm. Whatever is purple goes. US Weekly’s Christina Baez dominates the top searches with an utterly irrelevant lineup of celebs wearing all kinds of purple hues, albeit none of them PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet – and it doesn’t seem to matter. Since the human eye can generally distinguish 10 million different colors. you’d think a fashion expert would notice the celebs in question are not wearing ultraviolet. Well, Baez ignores the obvious and this begs the question: if the hue doesn’t matter, is it safe to generalize purple as the color of the year 2018 and play it by the ear?
If you are a stickler for rules, Pantene promotes all kinds of products in blue-based purples on its site, so you have where to purchase the originals – whether fashion, home decor, skincare, or travel accessories. They even sell a candle set in PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet.
Some hotels, like Mamaison All Suites Spa Pokrovka already have purple-centric interiors – not necessarily the predominant color all throughout their venues, but beautiful eye candy here and there.
And there are hundreds of other hotels in the world that, to paraphrase Christina Baez, “rocked ultraviolet before it was Pantone’s color of the year 2018.” All shades of purple. So the question arises: would you use the color of the year 2018 to pimp-up your rooms in 2018? Is the investment worth it?
It’s a royal color, and the most “complex” of all, according to Eiseman cited by the New York Times. It almost makes sense to start re-thinking your hotel’s decor to celebrate the Color of the Year 2018. Almost.
Purple (not necessarily PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet) is the symbol of royalty and wealth.
You may want to use any shade of ultraviolet to pimp up your interior decor for multiple reasons, and here are just a few:
- Purple is the choice color to convey luxury and wealth – because, in Antiquity, purple dye was very expensive
- It’s a royal color, associated with nobility
- It’s associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic
- It has a calming effect, it inspires your creative genius
- Purple is the crown chakra color – our connection with the energy of heaven.
As an aside, an interesting trivia bit: did you know that the only country in the world with purple in its flag is Dominica – an island country south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique?
The flag of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic or Domenica)
But take note: purple may also reflect sorrow and suffering during the Advent and Lent seasons. Some people may find the color off-putting if used excessively in your hotel’s decor. Moderation is key to success.
Pimping up to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet: does it make sense?
It’s this PR expert’s opinion that changing the decor to meet a fleeting trend is a waste of resources. Unless you use LED technology to generate light on your hotel’s facade like, for instance, Olive Green Hotel in Greece, or inside your rooms, it makes no sense. Color trends come and go. Because purple is rare in the natural world, using it for decor may seem artificial: not exactly the effect you hoped for when you decorate your interiors. And, according to some, purple can be very unsettling:
People with purple bedrooms are the least rested of all, getting on average a measly five hours and 56 minutes sleep per night. The rich color is actually very mentally stimulating, making it difficult to switch off after a busy day and potentially causing vivid dreams or nightmares.
Now that’s something you do not want your guests to experience when staying with you. Practice moderation – careful accents here and there – and you will love the guests’ response to your new color scheme.
However, if you plan renovations and new decor, purple may just be the special something you need to please your future guest. Lavender and purple are festive, calming colors with a soothing effect when used in moderation. If purple in bedrooms makes little sense, the color is perfect for public spaces like lobbies, restaurants, and spas (soft hues).
To make a long story short: there are no rules set in stone to make you adjust your decor to meet new fashion/color trends. Design your hotel as a welcoming haven and your guest will love it. Or be the one odd out: create an experience that is totally unique to your destination like the Jukkasjäroi Ice Hotel in Sweeden, the Ariau Amazon Towers in Brazil, or the Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel in Florida. You get the idea.
