Pantone 2012 Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango

Pantone just announced their 2012 color of the year and kids, it's a doozy!  Tangerine Tango is "a spirited reddish orange"... kinda like the sofa in our guest room, perhaps??  Oh snap!  It is!  Nothing like a little color validation from Pantone.  Anyway, here's what they have to say about this fiery new hue:

"Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy."

Oh, they also say that "Tangerine Tango is a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way", in case you were worried.  So.  What do you guys think?  Are you ready to dance the Tangerine Tango*?

*I couldn't help myself.

2011 Designer Paint Palettes :: BHG

I always find color trends to be an interesting thing and recently there's been a return to what I can only describe as neo-80s palettes.  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, but it is what it is (don't expect me to be painting my walls honeysuckle anytime soon, though).

Better Homes & Gardens recently asked a group of designers to come up with some fresh color palettes for 2011, which is what you see above.  I'm having a hard time liking any of them, although, shockingly, I'm inexplicably drawn to #7...  And I've never been a fan of the melon/green combo.  It must be the end of the world.

What are your thoughts (on the above palettes or the recent 80s-inspired color trends)?

For a breakdown of all the paints used, check out BHG.

Images: Adam Albright for BHG