Meet Pantone's Color of the Year for 2013: #17-5641 Emerald Green!

Emerald Green Peacock Feathers

I know I'm a bit late with this announcement, but normally, when the color authorities at Pantone announce their Color of the Year, I don't get too excited.  Color forecasting is useful for designers, but only up to a point.  After all, redecorating an entire home in the hottest color of the year is a sure-fire way to date the interiors -- literally -- such that people say, "Ugh; her whole house is painted that hunter green and burgundy that everyone loved back in 1987!"  I generally advise my interior design clients to choose colors that speak to them personally rather than chasing the latest trend, with a few exceptions.  Since manufacturers around the globe worship faithfully at the feet of these Pantone folks, rushing to churn out products and stock inventories with the colors Pantone predicts will be popular, it's somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy.  At any rate, I know that the Pantone Color of the Year and the Pantone seasonal color palettes will be widely available for home goods and accessories across a wide range of price points, in just about every retailer.  Obviously clients who are willing to pay premiums for custom orders can get any color they want in just about anything, but for those on a budget, it really helps to work with colors that are easy to find everywhere from the most expensive showrooms right down to more affordable places like Restoration Hardware or even Target.

Emerald Green Bath, from Architectural Digest France

But for 2013, Pantone's color of the year is Emerald Green #17-5641, and I'm in LOVE!  Brighter and more vibrant than Hunter Green, but more sophisticated and subdued than Chartreuse, Emerald Green feels both fresh and timeless.

Emerald green looks modern and edgy mixed with black, white, and contemporary furniture shapes.

If the bold, dramatic impact of an all-green space is too much for you, experiment with Emerald Green as an accent color:

Emerald Green Draperies and Lampshades, photo from Brittany Stiles

Emerald Green Planters with Tangerine Front Door, from The French Tangerine

(Interestingly, Pantone's Color of the Year for 2012 was named Tangerine, but it was really more of a reddish orange than a true Tangerine).

One reason that Emerald Green appeals to me as more than just a passing trend is that the color is found in nature and will always be associated with the gemstones by the same name.  Consider this 1928 Cartier Indian Emerald necklace, once owned by Marjorie Merriweather Post and now in the Smithsonian's collection.  This statement piece is just as breathtaking today as it was nearly a century ago.  Emeralds will never go out of style.

Post Emerald Necklace, Cartier c. 1928, Smithsonian Collection



Floor Tiles by Claesson Koivisto Rune


Have I gotten you excited about Emerald Green for 2013 yet?  I'm already looking around my own home for opportunities to introduce some deep, rich Emerald Green, and I think I'll challenge myself to incorporate some of this color into at least one of my quilts this year as well.