Pantone Color Institute recently announced Tangerine Tango as the 2012 colour of the year. Full of energy, high spirits and a touch of seduction, it has been hailed as a sophisticated tone that couples the adrenalin rush of red and the happiness of yellow. The colour is expected to have a strong impact on fashion and home products over the next 12 months.
Known as Pantone 17-1463 to the design world, it sets the perfect tone for the year ahead, stimulating activity, recharging and moving us forward. After last year's colour of the year, the reddish-pink Honeysuckle (18-2120), which represented the "inspiration to face life's everyday troubles with verve and vigour", Tangerine Tango is energising, with an exciting depth.
Honeysuckle was intended to "ward off the blues" and yet as 2012 unfolds, more blue tones will wash into our interior palettes. Blue complements orange on the traditional colour wheel, and, when mixed in proper proportions, orange and blue create a neutral. Vincent Van Gogh summed it up quite nicely: "There is no blue without yellow and without orange."
As with any colour, orange affects us physically. It stimulates appetite and encourages a more social attitude. It is joyous, enthusiastic and creative. Orange evokes a sense of comfort and warmth, and has been used by many brands to create a feeling of safety and familiarity with consumers. Orange also relates to self-respect, freedom and individuality. Buddhists wear a similar shade to Tangerine Tango that is considered sacred. On the flip side, orange evokes anger and hostility.
Tangerine Tango is a great colour to use in interiors, but start small and build up to whole room schemes. This is a bold and daring shade that can be played out with a palette of popped-out brights, including hot pink and a sporty blue, or used sparingly as an accent colour - it's a great way to introduce strong hues into your home.
Add life and vibrancy to a room with blocks of orange or patterned accessories. Introducing surprising bursts of colour ensures your space is exciting and uplifting, and is an inexpensive way of freshening up your home. Try new appliances and personal electronics in tangerine for unexpected pops of colour. Create a dynamic explosion in entrance halls, inject a zesty zing into smaller spaces or create a bold colour feature wall.
Orange is also a wonderful colour for spaces used for large congregations of people, particularly when the energising tone is paired with a clean, cool white.
Anthony Hughes is a trend spotter at Scarlet Opus. For more information visit www.trendsblog.co.uk and www.twitter.com/scarletopus
