H is for Honeysuckle

H is for honeysuckle, the hot new Color of the Year for 2011. Each year in the world of design, the Pantone Color Institute reveals their choice for the color of the year. This years' selection packs a punch....it's an energetic reddish-pink, quite different from the turquoise of 2010. Honeysuckle emboldens us to face life with verve and vigor. It's a stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going. How stimulating? Well, you may not want to paint an entire room in it, but splashes of it here and there will do the trick. We had our eyes open for anything and everything in this color while shopping the Atlanta Market, so watch for honeysuckle to be making its appearance in the shop soon.

Other color news of note: gray is here to stay. We saw it everywhere; entire showrooms were done in gray, from the ever-popular French linen, to feed-sack upholstery, ticking, and all things burlap. Grayed-down wood tones, driftwood lamps and accessories, and industrial inspired tables and bookshelves continue the trend. A pop of color such as honeysuckle is the perfect addition to bring new life to this neutral palette.

Cottage colors were prevalent through-out the show. In fact, the entire concept of cottage life, evoking a simpler lifestyle, was seen in everything from upholstery to rugs and lamps. We're not talking your Grandma's cottage, but rather a clean, kick-your-feet-up, nothing-too-fussy about it look. Shades of coral, turquoise, robins' egg blue, butter yellow and apple green come together in plaids and stripes and dots and florals to make this look come to life. Watch for our variation of this theme as a focal point for our Spring Fling Event on February 12!

(This article, as well as C for Cozy, artfully written for our blog by Gwen Oldfield.)