The color pendulum swings toward a warm vibrant color choice for the upcoming New Year. Radiant Orchid possesses friendly warm overtones that allow it to “pop” on it's own or to be used as an accent to complement other hues.Exotic and nuanced, Pantone's newest pick suggests a direction towards creativity and ingenuity. Radiant Orchid's pink undertones contain the visual punch to attract the female demographic, but will it have the same effect to spark interest in the masculine set? The real success of any color trend is its acceptance beyond the world of fashion. Will manufactures embrace the "magical" connotation and offer products in this close cousin to purple?
Keurig, the Burlington, Vt-based coffee-machine maker, has dipped their toe into committing this unique color to its two single-serving models coming out in early February. Seeing a pink coffee machine in an office environment could certainly liven up a dull kitchen area. Outfitting an entire home kitchen with Radient Orchid colored appliances could however be too over-the-top.
For years I had always felt a negative bias toward orchids. Never being one to decline a gardening challenge, I received one from a friend as a gift for my newly installed garden window. Since then I've come to admire their staying power (if cared for properly blooms can last up to 3 months) and ability to enliven any space they occupy. Radiant Orchid could prove to be a cultural game-changer if it can be seen beyond a feminine lens. Maybe the time is right to give this color it's due beyond the ranks of fashionistas and to place it in area(s) of our lives to inspire innovative thinking.