At the end of 2022, the Pantone Color of the Year was announced for 2023, and it was Viva Magenta. It’s a color with hints of crimson red and a deep raspberry. The Pantone Color Institute’s executive director likened it to a “hand in a velvet glove,” citing the beauty of color to add playfulness and boldness into a space.

There’s a balance in Viva Magenta between cool and warm, according to the Institute’s Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman. She said there’s a nuance to the color and describes it as a hybrid.

The pink-red color was already being seen on the runway before the Pantone Color Institute’s announcement, making it a natural fit for both commercial and residential interiors.

While traditional red isn’t necessarily a new concept in home design, including kitchens, the Viva Magenta gives it a sense of newness that breaks away from how we typically think of the color.

Viva Magenta works well with the maximalism trend we’re seeing so much in design right now, too, where more is always more. It’s decadent and dramatic, giving homeowners a unique chance to embrace all that a bold color can bring to their space.

There’s energy within the color, and it could bring a sense of optimism and creativity to a space that is welcome right now for many people.

It also ends up being more versatile than you might first assume.

If you’re unsure about this theatrical color but interested in exploring it, start small. For example, you can opt for window coverings in the shade of pinky-red. You can also use it as an accent color and something to make a statement. Maybe you go with a neutral space, with bits of color like magenta pillows or throw blankets.

By contrast, maybe you’re not afraid to step outside the box, so designers encourage using equally decadent colors like dark blue and green along with Viva Magneta. The jewel-toned look is Art Deco-inspired but is still able to remain elegant and sophisticated.

If you love all the design maximalism, you could use Viva Magenta as a wall color, whether paint or wallpaper.

What’s great about trying something new in home design is that you can see what it will look like before you actually take any other steps with the use of design tools, including AI-based tools.

A few other tips that will help you style a space with the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year can include:

• Give your kitchen a boost with Viva Magenta. Since it balances warm and cool tones, the kitchen is a good place for it. If you have a small kitchen, Viva Magenta can help it to feel cozy rather than cramped. If you have a big, open kitchen, then it can give you a sense of inviting warmth.
• You don’t have to paint your kitchen cabinets magenta, although you certainly can. Instead, update your all-white or monochromatic kitchen with touches of magenta.
• Use it in a powder room. Powder rooms are the ideal spaces to experiment with bold concepts you might not want to use in other spaces.
• Get creative by transforming built-in bookshelves with a bit of color. That makes your shelves something that wouldn’t otherwise be noticed in a space, to a focal point.

Finally, you can also use Viva Magenta in your art pieces; the contrast against a neutral wall can be gorgeous.