Today I have the pleasure of swapping post with JTwisdom. Our featured topic is the color of the year. This is a unique opportunity to get two different perspectives on the same topic. Check out her post on my blog, The House in the Clouds.

Honeysuckle. Sweet, fragrant, optimistic. Reminiscent of happy times and the official color of the year for 2011. By now you might have heard the news, it was officially announced in December 2010.

Ever wonder why you can’t find the perfect shade of red or blue to match an item you bought several years ago, especially when at the time it seemed like that color was everywhere? It’s likely that your color is not longer on trend. It will be next to impossible to find a perfect match to the shade you already have. You’re better off finding something like looks good with it, rather than something to match the hue perfectly.

Why is that? Why are there color trends? Color trends reflect economic and social climates along with art, fashion and entertainment worldwide. They affect everything from cosmetics to fashion to home decorating to design. One need not follow trends for the trends to follow them. Experts around the world study us and develop recommendations based on the conclusion of their studies. 2009 brought us turquoise, 2011 brings us honeysuckle. It’s not only the color of the year but the defining hue for spring 2011.

“Honeysuckle is energizing. It lifts spirits and imparts confidence to meet life’s ongoing challenges.” – Pantone

Professional organizations like Pantone and Color Marketing Group are made up of experts and researchers who follow trends and forecast color up to 18 months in advance. These findings are studied, discussed and debated until the next color is agreed upon. Pantone is the defining standard for color consistency in production and design by means of swatch books for industries such as graphic design, industrial design, fashion and home decorating. Color Marketing Group is a professional organization consisting of color experts from around the world that determine color trends.

Here are some expressions that we can expect to see.

MichelleObamaViasSnsationalcolor.com

RubyBloomRingViaLinkelDesigns