Pantone Colour of the Year for 2012 Is...

...Tangerine Tango!!!!!!

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When Honeysuckle was introduced as the colour of the year for 2011, I was inspired to add a dash of pink to my living room, and I'm still loving the energy and warmth generated by Flamingo's Dream. Since I'll be moving out at the end of the year, I won't be adding another coat of paint to the walls, but Tangerine Tango is a fun, bold colour choice that we'll be seeing this year in both home decor and fashion.

And on that note, have you seen the January 2012 issue of Canadian House & Home? The home pictured on the cover was designed by Tommy Smythe, and the living room features two plump orange pillows. Right on trend, Tommy!!

Project Pantone: Colour Transformation

I believe I've set a personal best on this one - this project moved from concept to completion in just under two weeks! I first tweeted about my inspiration on the morning of January 4th:

I opened up the Benjamin Moore colour fan decks and immediately decided that I would paint my living room accent walls Springtime Bloom (2079-40). It's a beautiful shade of pink:


Things got pretty exciting when I remembered a fantastic fabric swatch I'd seen at Designer Fabrics almost one year ago. Knowing that I loved this bold print, I headed out on a slushy, snowy Saturday to purchase enough yardage for two toss cushions, plus another yard of a coordinating solid fabric. I spent Sunday afternoon sewing, and Phase One was soon complete:


Cushions sewn, I went back to the drawing board with the fan decks to search for an alternate pink. Springtime Bloom just wasn't the right shade to work with my chosen fabric. The best way to select a paint colour is by pulling colours from a great print, as opposed to the other way around:


After several days of dithering, I finally settled on two new colours. Spring Tulips for the coffee table base and Flamingo's Dream for the accent walls:

I chose to use Benjamin Moore Aura paint for the coffee table base since the strong colour would cover in two coats with the low VOC Aura, rather than three or four coats. When it comes to DIY projects, I'm all about getting the job done as quickly as possible.

I raised the table off the floor by placing the base on plastic containers. This made it easier to paint almost all the way to the bottom. I flipped it over afterward to do touch ups.

I spent a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon indoors applying paint to the walls, which isn't my favourite thing to do, but once I started, there was no turning back. This was my mid-afternoon freak out:

Now for the colour reveal. Drumroll please...


Now & Then

Now & Then

Now & Then

Now & Then

Project Cost Tally:

Fabric & Notions: $59.70
Paint & Supplies: $124.61
Labour: Me=Free
Total Spent: $184.31

What do you think of the new colour? Be honest!!

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Sneak Peek: Project Pantone

No long winded post today, I've been busy working on what I'm calling Project Pantone . As I mentioned just the other day, I have been inspired to make a colour change thanks to this year's Pantone colour of the year, Honeysuckle.

Here's a sneak peek at Phase One:

Visions of Honeysuckle Dancing in my Head

I'm dishing out a few hints about what I've got up my sleeve for my next decorating project. It may have taken root in my brain after seeing this year's Pantone Colour of the Year: Honeysuckle.


And the idea may have found its legs when I shuffled through a Benjamin Moore fan deck and discovered so many pretty shades of pink:

Of course, these are strong accent colours, and they'll need to work with my core brown and tan upholstered furniture pieces. This print should help to pull everything together:

Pink living room walls is a bold idea, and there is a possibility that I'll chicken out at the paint store. Stay tuned to see if I follow through!!!