Coed Color : Rose Quartz & Serenity

So what’s all the fuss about Pantone Color of the Year 2016? To start with, for the first time ever it isn’t one color, but two colors of the year, Rose Quartz and Serenity. They are also two hues that seem close cousins to baby pink and baby blue, both traditional, gender defining colors. You might think as a designer of baby nurseries and kids bedrooms that I would find this thrilling and all the upcoming decor prospects that will be flooding the market would have me giddy with excitement. Ironically, I am not.

As a rule YouthfulNest tends to use less of the classic pink for girls or blue for boys as inspirational colors. Our design efforts for nurseries look to incorporate a-typically colors for youth spaces such as black, citron, grey and mint green. Which means ever since I learned of these two major players that would largely impact my world I have been biting my thumbs, nervously trying to visualizing how they would inspire an entire room.

Let me take a step back and share with you some history and significance to the Pantone Color...that is, Colors of the Year.

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What is the Pantone Color of the year?

A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.

For the first time Pantone introduces two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity as the Pantone Color of the Year 2016. Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times. "Introducing Rose Quartz & Serenity." Pantone. n.p. 2016 Web.

Not just number : PANTONE 13-1520 & PANTONE 15-3919

As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.

The prevalent combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity also challenges traditional perceptions of color association.

In many parts of the world we are experiencing a gender blur as it relates to fashion, which has in turn impacted color trends throughout all other areas of design. This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumer's increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage. "Introducing Rose Quartz & Serenity." Pantone. n.p. 2016 Web.

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Coed color, a cool room for two

As if designing a kid's bedroom with two dreamy pastels wasn't already challenging enough, I decided to make it a shared bedroom for a toddler/elementary aged brother and sister. I wanted to see if I could design a bedroom that was fresh and modern without being overtly feminine nor masculine, rather exude more of that inherent balance Pantone speaks about when referring to these two colors, Rose Quartz and Serenity.

The real trick wasn't finding the products of a certain color, but balancing the use and placement of all the pastel coloring within one room. Pulling in metallic copper finishes with both lighting and decor pieces seemed to do the trick – I was able to incorporate more color with it's hint ode d'Rose Quartz, without being overly feminine. Plus, metallic copper is sleek, cool, modern and retro all at the same time. The other saving grace for my design was the inclusion of additional colors that paired well with the Rose Quartz and Serenity equally. So of course touches of richer blue or deeper pink, but also a splash of goldie yellow, modern black and even neutral tan. Layering small amounts of these other colors is going to make for a more interesting room rather than using only monochromatic, soft pink and blue, which would make the room feel flat and frankly, boring.

The other tip is that not everything needs to be pink or blue, keep some white space to allow the eye to rest and then appreciate those special colors of the year.

SHOP THIS LOOK>>> Coed Color, a room design with a soothing sense of order and peace.

PANTONE, Rose Quartz and Serenity color pairings

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Cerulean blue, that's all

The one reason I get excited about trend colors is because a consumer will be able to find it all across home fashions, available in furniture, bedding, decor accents and paint color and at various price points. As Miranda explains to Andy in the famous "Cerulean Blue" scene from Devil Wears Prada, a fashionable color choice may not be her own. That is to say you will start seeing all kinds of finishes and objects in these two colors, Rose Quartz and Serenity. (Blenders, throw pillows, shoes, toothbrushes, scarves, lamps etc.) These trend colors initially presented by couture fashion designers in runway shows, trickle down to medium size brands and even to the discount store sales rack. This is a definite positive because it allows a consumer to make savvy, affordable purchases and still be on trend.

Just remember we are talking about a trend color, not classic colors so I strongly recommend making purchases in trend color that are not huge investments or a piece that you plan to have stand the test of time. Find the right throw pillow or sheet set, but skip the dresser finished in Serenity.

One perfect place for a trend color is in a nursery, while YouthfulNest makes every effort to curate pieces that will grow with a child, all kids grow out of their nursery mobile, changing pad cover, wall art, paint color, etc.

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Love, Love, Love

Talk about colors that provide a sense of reassurance and security, what does that more than your favorite blankie? We have been crushing hard on these chunky knit throws dreamed up by Ohhio and seen across Instagram, Facebook and their own site. It gets so cold where I live here in Nebraska that some days I wear a similar scarf in the house, sorta like wearing a small blanket around my neck and upper body.

How could one of these dramatic throws with their playful, oversized texture not be perfect for a touch of dramatic fun in a child's room.

OHHIO super chunky knit products, made of 100% Merino wool $80-650

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Another way to bring in interest and in this case a little Rose Quartz "pink", is with metallic copper finishes. The color of  copper is so hip right now and these metallic lighting options bring in that a cool factor and keeping the room from going the way of traditional or classic elegance.

The other reason for choosing a metallic copper for this room design is because it is gender neutral, so for this coed room it brings in that peachy-pinky Rose Quartz without being seen as feminine.

Anthropolgie - Slanted Copper Floor Lamp, $898

DWELL STUDIO - Silvia 1 Light Mini Pendant, $130

IKEA - $15

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How often have you spent hours searching for just the "right" piece of wall art for you kids room or any room in your house for that matter. Do you go with a photographic style, illustration, abstract painting, word art, textile wall hanging, metal foil, custom art...the choices are endless.

I was having the same issue for this style board. I wanted a piece that wasn't all pinks or all blues nor only pink and blue. Something was need with just the right balance of the two trend colors and also other color pairings such as golds, purples and even black-brown.

The answer was starring me right in the face, well I should say reflected in my face. As I washed my little boy's hands in the bathroom, I was starring in the mirror and on the wall behind me was his finger painting appropriately titled "A Beautiful Mess". It had it all, hints of the trend colors and loads of those pairing ones. Not to mention it was youthful and full of positive energy.

So break out those washable paints or dig through all those saved works
of art from years past and frame them up – it's amazing what a clean modern frame can do to upgrade a child's scribbles to a brilliant masterpiece
of self- expressionism.

DIY - Upgrade those childish scribbles into a masterpiece of self expresionism