Designers agree that Pantone’s Color of the Year 2023 was a good choice, however, they have differing opinions on whether its trendiness will be long-lived.
Viva Magenta — “a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength,” according to Pantone — earned the top honor from the color-centric design company at the beginning of the month.
Julien Legeard, founder and principal designer at Legeard Studio, said Pantone’s choice of a bold color didn’t come as a surprise after its selections over the past few years.
“It’s fun and playful, and we’ve certainly seen hints of it over the last few years on Instagram and installations,” he said in an email interview. “It feels very modern and dynamic as a warm, rich hue that brings vibrancy to any design.”
Even though Legeard is a fan of the color, he said he doesn’t believe it will have staying power when it comes to hotel design.
“I see this as more of a short-term trend,” he said. “Color trends are cyclical, and it’s something designers and hoteliers will have a lot of fun with for the moment, but I anticipate most people will choose more classic colors in the long run.”
Dan Mazzarini, creative director and principal of BHDM Design, said his company has been using the color in its designs for years, and he thinks hotel guests could be seeing a splash of magenta during their stays for the foreseeable future.
“As designers, we are always trying to make spaces comfortable and happy for guests,” he said via email. “I see this color having longevity in hotel design because Viva Magenta is a hue that not only has that wow-factor travelers are often looking for, but also just makes you smile and feel good.”
Megan Lamontagne, associate interior designer at JCJ Architecture, said color trends typically last about three to five years and are dependent on each individual market for its longevity. She said Viva Magenta was “a wonderful selection for color of the year,” but it won’t affect her usage of the color.
“I relate Pantone’s color of the year to a Buzzfeed Personality test — fun and entertaining but not something that weighs heavily in my design process,” she said via email.
Incorporating Magenta in Hotel Design
Due to its boldness, magenta is typically used more for accent pieces rather than a centerpiece item. Mazzarini said designers should start with an accent piece when trying out a new, bold color and then expand its presence to larger items if that works out and they want more.
Legeard said he follows that same approach, adding that it’s not a huge investment to incorporate the color through accent pieces to make a statement without overwhelming the overall design.
“For a bolder choice, it would make for a beautiful feature wall in a public area to bring brightness into a space that doesn’t have a lot of light,” he said. “However, I’d use it as an accent for a quick and easy way to refresh your space.”
Accent pieces such as chairs, floor tile or carpet, accessories and artwork are a good target to use a bold color like magenta on, Lamontagne said.
“Accessories are the best way to refresh hoteliers’ public spaces,” she said. “They can spruce up the artwork with a splash of magenta, add monochromatic books to the book shelves, or switch out the throw pillows.
Mazzarini said his company used a color like Viva Magenta as the color for Shoreline Hotel Waikiki’s lobby floor and some additional accent pieces within the guestrooms. He added this helps set the tone for guests at the property and is designed to appeal to the “millennial-minded traveler.”
“Using the bold color for the lobby floor, the hotel boasts both playful and laid-back influence,” he said.
Magenta could be used as more than an accent piece — but maybe not in the real world. Lamontagne said she expects artists to incorporate the color heavily in the metaverse.
“With the power of VR, colors like Viva Magenta will exist as the primary color rather than the accent that might regularly be in our physical reality,” she said. “Something about lacking permanence or reality allows designers to be bold without fear.”