Marsala Has Won 2015’s Colour of the Year
And the award for “Colour of the Year” goes to… Marsala! I’m sorry, pardon?
I don’t want to rain on this colour’s parade, but The Pantone Colour Institute was WAY off on the “Colour of the Year” for 2015. Other years I’ve gone with it. I’ve seen where they were coming from and I’ve almost always agreed. This year I don’t know what happened, perhaps someone simply drank way too much of the Marsala.
It’s a reddish, brown. Sounds like an angry colour.
Ok, it’s really not so bad. When I started writing this blog it was all about why I hate Marsala. Now it has changed into a blog simply about the dangers of following trends. Upon researching this colour, I started realizing, it’s actually a very nice colour. It’s dark, rich and pairs very well with other colours such as blues and greens. Even though they’ve laid this colour out so nicely on the pantone.com website, I see problems with this colour. Here they are.
This colour came out of the blue (and speaking of blue I am so surprised that Navy Blue, but with a more glam name, was not the winner this year). Other years the recipient of the colour award has gradually made it’s way into our lives. We saw it coming, which means when it became all the rage, it is easily accessible. Marsala is not! I haven’t seen any fabrics, ready made pillows, accessories, dishes, art or anything in this colour, anywhere! So, even though it’s popular… you can’t get it until maybe next year. I predict by next year, Marsala will be forgotten, just like the night you drank too much of it.
Retailers are trying to pawn off cranberry, burgundy and even merlot as Marsala. It is not the same thing. Buying into this will only leave you with 50 shades of red, not the uniform look of Marsala you were hoping for.
Marsala is not for everyone or for every space. It is such a dark colour that if you do decide to paint your space (because all you can find in this colour is paint) you may find yourself painted into a corner. It is not an ideal colour for small rooms or dark rooms. If you convert to Marsala, you may find yourself needing to buy a lot of new things to pair with it. Sounds like a huge investment to me.
Marsala is not a colour amateurs can easily play around with. Trust me on this. If you are considering using this colour YOU NEED AN EXPERT! This is one of those colours that “seem like a good idea at the time”. Next thing you know you are surrounded by a shade of reddish brown that doesn’t work with anything you have. You need to work with someone that understands colour and it’s relationship with other colours, light and space. This colour can go perfectly right or terribly wrong if you don’t know what you are doing.
I’m not trying to be a colour critic (ok, maybe I am a little), just trying to shed light on trends. Just because something is announced the latest, doesn’t mean we have to follow. I’m all for different, and that is the one thing I do enjoy about Marsala. It is unexpected and different. If you like it and can pull it off, then cheers to you! I do want to point out the dangers of following trends and assuming they will work in any space.
Whatever you decide your very own “Colour of the Year” to be, C&M Textiles is your place to go. We can help you sort through the thousands of Fabric options we have and pull it all together. Our experts know the samples inside and out, so you dream up a colour and we find it. We can show you what works nicely with it and help you create a look that is uniquely you. Even if you pick Marsala, we will make it happen. If we don’t have it, nobody does.
Written by: Alicia Hewitt