I 'm really not sure how I feel about the color purple . It 's elegant and regal , but part of me also wants it to die in a ditch . No offense to our mountain majesties or eggplants . But , really , purple is kind of a confused , soulless color that , deep down , wishes it was blue , yet ca n't shake the fact that somewhere down on the family tree one of its relatives had hot , unprotected color sex with red . `` I shall not deny my feelings for you . '' `` That 's great , Blue . But what 's with the leather chaps ? '' Love it or hate it , get used to it . Purple is going to be big in 2014 , at least according to our color overlords at the Pantone corporation who recently announced the upcoming color of the year : Radiant Orchid . With its `` enchanting harmony of fuchsia , purple and pink undertones , '' Radiant Orchid actually seems rather zen and peaceful . But it also sounds exotic and , dare I say , mildly hallucinagenic . Trust me , someone at CU-Boulder will find a way to smoke this color . Now , if it all seems a little weird to you -- the fact that there even exists a color of the year -- understand that Pantone , headquartered in Carlstadt , New Jersey , heralds itself as `` the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industry . '' Basically , the company name has become synonymous worldwide with color language and communication . That means a designer in Denmark can say to a manufacturer in Pittsburgh , `` We want all of our widgets to be Pantone Winter Booger '' and they 'll both know exactly what that looks like . That 's assuming Winter Booger is actually a shade of green in Pantone 's official palette . If it 's not , it should be . I have several samples under my desk . Regardless , Pantone 18-3224 , Radiant Orchid , is apparently the big color for next year . And why ? Because they said so . Granted , there 's a lot of research that goes into this big decision , for choosing a color of the year is slightly more involved than just asking your buddy , Dave , to decide . `` Orange . '' `` Can you be more specific , Dave ? '' `` You know , like an orange . '' It has to be bigger than that . After all , this is the one color that will supposedly express `` what is taking place in the global zeitgeist '' Thus , to finally crown Radiant Orchid , Pantone searched the world over for design and color influences , pulling ideas from entertainment to technology . And , in the end , viewing the planet as one big global community , they decided , `` Welp , this is sorta where we 're at . '' Purple . Of course , Radiant Orchid marks is a drastic departure from 2013 's wild and daring color of the year , Pantone 17-5641 Emerald . Which , I submit , looks astonishingly close to Winter Booger . Perhaps as a return to civility , Radiant Orchid appears somewhat closer to 2012 's color of the year , Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango . `` Can you be more specific , Dave ? '' `` You know , like a tangerine tango . '' Really , I have no idea what the hell any of this means . But , especially to those in the design community , it matters . And , somehow , as a brand , Pantone has actually become culturally iconic . At least in certain circles . In fact , now you can literally buy accessories like mugs and iPhone cases that are intentionally designed to look like a Pantone color swatch . It 's sort of like getting your favorite element from the periodic table printed on something because , damn it , you love Boron . But , Pantone merchandise , in a way , actually makes sense . I mean , why not express and represent yourself with a color . Perhaps asking one 's Pantone will even become a part of our lexicon . `` Hey man , what 's your Pantone ? '' `` Oh , I 'm not wearing pants today . '' So , in 2014 keep an eye out for purple . From fashion runways to websites to living rooms , Radiant Orchid is going to be everywhere . That , and Winter Booger . Well , maybe not everywhere . But definitely under my desk . Follow @ JarrettBellini on Twitter .
The Pantone company announced its 2014 color of the year : Radiant Orchid . This is a beautiful deep purple that has been used in many different ways over the years. Pantone swatches have become rather hip as an accessory .