Color Of The Year 2010

December 8, 2009 1:14 PM

The Color Of The Year 2010: Turquoise Pantone has announced their selection for Color of the Year for 2010, and the winner is Turquoise. Turqouise, according to the color mavens, "evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.” Real turquoise (the mineral) was treasured in antiquity for "natural protection against the powers of darkness" and derives its name from the custom of the Turks to wear one in their turbans to ward off the "evil eye". In case you weren't paying attention this time last year, the Color of the Year for 2009 has been "Mimosa".
posted by briank (52 comments total)

Additionally, Turquoise is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. Perfect for a powder room or bedroom, Turquoise is an evocative, spa-like hue that adds an undertone of warmth and excitement to any cool space. In the kitchen, Turquoise adds a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.

I too, enjoy a refreshing drink of Pepsi Turquoise.
posted by demiurge at 1:18 PM on December 8, 2009 [7 favorites]

Puce for 2011!
posted by misteraitch at 1:19 PM on December 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

If you mixed MetaFilter Blue with AskMeFi Green, that's pretty much what you get. Good omen for the Metaverse in the coming year... but then, what good was that watered-down Zeldman Orange Mimosa to anybody this year?
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:21 PM on December 8, 2009

This is excellent news as I had already decided I am going to single handedly back the Sonny Crockett look in '10.
posted by greasy_skillet at 1:26 PM on December 8, 2009

*bring back
posted by greasy_skillet at 1:26 PM on December 8, 2009

"I am obsessed with the color turquoise. I started this blog to collect inspirational photos I find of fabulous rooms that feature all of the lovely shades of my favorite color." — House of Turquoise
posted by netbros at 1:29 PM on December 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

Turquoise, huh?
So...The 80's will be making a comeback next year? Better get those old unconstructed jackets out of mothballs...
posted by Thorzdad at 1:30 PM on December 8, 2009

In the kitchen, Turquoise adds a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.

So, it's flammable? Hardly a selling point, I would've thought...
posted by Crane Shot at 1:32 PM on December 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

I have a degree and professional background in graphic design, love visiting galleries and museums and can even manage reading art crit without getting ranty. However.

> Pantone has announced their selection for Color of the Year for 2010, and the winner is Turquoise.

That's just being silly.
posted by ardgedee at 1:43 PM on December 8, 2009

Pantone's turquoise looks more to me like teal.
posted by blucevalo at 1:45 PM on December 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think the Pantone definition of "winner" is similar to the lottery definition of "winner" and not the Olympic definition of "winner".
posted by GuyZero at 1:47 PM on December 8, 2009 [7 favorites]

oh my god who cares
posted by the dief at 1:56 PM on December 8, 2009 [5 favorites]

Actually, I sorta kinda take that back. It was interesting to learn about the turquoise-Turk connection. But picking a color of the year?
posted by the dief at 1:57 PM on December 8, 2009

ALL THIS TURQUOISE IS YOURS
TO DISTRACT YOU
FROM THE FACT
THAT THE CORE OF JUPITER IS A HUGE FRICKING DIAMOND
posted by WolfDaddy at 2:09 PM on December 8, 2009 [4 favorites]

This isn't new for Pantone. Back in 1999, they declared that Cerulean Blue is the color of the Millennium - Pantone Pronounces this Sky Blue as the Hue of the Future (though in 1995, X-Files gave it another meaning. Or is that the same meaning? Cerulean blue, cerulean blue, cerulean blue. Sure has a pleasant sound.)

Pantone didn't stop there. In 2007, they started this whole "color of the year" thing, though in 2005, Violet Tulip was the Colorstrology Color of the Year (Pantone teamed up with Michele Bernhardt on her book by the same name). In 2007: Chili Pepper, and 2008: Blue Iris. So far, the world hasn't really noticed.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:09 PM on December 8, 2009

Pantone's turquoise looks more to me like teal.

Totally. It's got "mid-nineties sports team" written all over it.

the Color of the Year for 2009 has been "Mimosa" Golden Shower.

FTFY.

oh my god who cares

I know, right? But in all seriousness, a lot of designers are more or less at the mercy of Pantone's bullshit.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:11 PM on December 8, 2009

Prior to this post, my very soul reviled turquoise. As a child in the eighties I had an outfit that consisted of turquoise shorts and shirt. I'll admit that I have no memory of embarrassment at that age, but the bits of photographic evidence bring the current me no end of shame. Turquoise. What a terrible colour!

But now I have been forced to reconsider my convictions. I can accept that the colour used in moderation can not be so bad. I can envision the combinations that Pantone posits without any shuddering, save red/turquoise. Complementary my ass! More like the anthem of nausea. I do like the idea of browns + turquoise. Especially a nice dark earthy shade of brown.

Unfortunately, my new found acceptance of turquois does not erase the past; it only makes my aversion more specific: solid turquoise outfits are a terrible idea.

So, turquoise, I don't hate you anymore. I will agree that colour of the year is ridiculous. What are you trying to sell me, Pantone?
posted by Mister Cheese at 2:15 PM on December 8, 2009

After a year of mimosa, couldn't we have done with a shot of chartreuse?
posted by GameDesignerBen at 2:19 PM on December 8, 2009

I can envision the combinations that Pantone posits without any shuddering, save red/turquoise. Complementary my ass!

But, like, see, they are definitively complementary.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:20 PM on December 8, 2009

What color is representative of utter indifference?
posted by usonian at 2:23 PM on December 8, 2009

GuyZero : I think the Pantone definition of "winner" is similar to the lottery definition of "winner" and not the Olympic definition of "winner".

See, I figured something completely different; involving a 3,000 bird strong cock-fighting tournament held in some dimly lit warehouse with shadowy figures betting on the sidelines.

And after a brutal slaying of Magenta in the final round, an exhausted Turquoise was declared winner and then promptly eaten.

Because with the hardcore image they project, that's just how I figured Pantone rolled.
posted by quin at 2:31 PM on December 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

This makes me blue.
posted by Elmore at 2:32 PM on December 8, 2009

Can we have an Odor of the Year too?
posted by hexatron at 2:34 PM on December 8, 2009

Ever since I saw Edward Woodward lamenting his plate of beans in The Wicker Man, I have sworn to follow his pronunciation of the color.

"Broad beans, in their natural state, aren't usually tur-kwize, are they?"

Sadly, this has been a meaningless vow--I never get a chance to say the name of that color. Bwahahaha! 2010 is my year!
posted by Squid Voltaire at 2:52 PM on December 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

Sys Rq, you have got me on that point. I was vaguely aware that color theory did not have green complementing red as I was taught as a young lad in art class. Unfortunately, it did not prevent me from shooting off my mouth about it.

I stand by statement as to the nausea.
posted by Mister Cheese at 2:55 PM on December 8, 2009

It's always seemed to me that there's someone (or a group?) that selects colors to be used in the fashion industry, so that pants, shirts, blouses, shoes and accessories will coordinate for the year and each season thereof, but will clash terribly with the stuff you bought last year. In other words, you'll have to buy it all again or wait a decade or two to have any chance of reusing old favorites. is there anyone here in the fashion industry who can confirm or deny that?
posted by path at 2:57 PM on December 8, 2009

I stand by statement as to the nausea.

You probably shouldn't watch this.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:59 PM on December 8, 2009

pfft, they are so behind the times, I have been dying my hair turquoise for years now. And, yea, what they call turquoise is teal.

I can envision the combinations that Pantone posits without any shuddering, save red/turquoise
you would really hate my living room...
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:06 PM on December 8, 2009

Yes, path, there is such a thing: it is known as color forecasting. Read about some color organizations.
posted by jocelmeow at 3:34 PM on December 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

Was the jury for this composed of 60-something Berkeley women?
posted by brundlefly at 3:35 PM on December 8, 2009

Better get those old unconstructed jackets out of mothballs...

Mothballs? Some of us never let go of the fantasy, bud.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:53 PM on December 8, 2009

> Can we have an Odor of the Year too?

Yo.
posted by ardgedee at 3:59 PM on December 8, 2009

I have some elderly kitchen utensils that have turquoise handles; does that make me ahead of fashion, a trendsetter, or hopelessly out of date?
posted by Cranberry at 4:11 PM on December 8, 2009

Yes.
posted by brundlefly at 4:12 PM on December 8, 2009

Turqouise, according to the color mavens, "evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.”

Not for me. Navajo jewelry, that's what turquoise evokes here.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:15 PM on December 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

I have some elderly kitchen utensils that have turquoise handles; does that make me ahead of fashion, a trendsetter, or hopelessly out of date?

not sure, but it does put you on my list of "people whose kitchens I'd like to pilfer stuff from"
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:48 PM on December 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

My color of the year is whatever Lady Gaga is wearing.
posted by elder18 at 5:11 PM on December 8, 2009

I could have sworn that I hate turquoise-- it has always seemed a very cheap, plastic-looking color-- but then looking at the House of Turquoise I find many, many of their rooms lovely and peaceful. Perhaps prolonged exposure to Martha Stewart has inured me to that particular shade. But no. This is rather awful. I see now that what I don't like is a harsh, saturated tone which reminds me of fake turquoise jewelry.

What color is representative of utter indifference?
Meh-iege.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:04 PM on December 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

This isn't new for Pantone. Back in 1999, they declared that Cerulean Blue is the color of the Millennium - Pantone Pronounces this Sky Blue as the Hue of the Future

Hey, you know where else in pop culture cerulean popped up as reference point (and actually did a pretty quick & effective job of explaining the tastemaking industry)? This fluff.
posted by kittyprecious at 6:32 PM on December 8, 2009

I think those rooms you like, Secret Life of Gravy, are both close to that ever-popular Restoration Hardware color, Silver Sage.

Another widely appreciate color in the same vein is Benjamin Moore's Palladian Blue.
posted by palliser at 6:33 PM on December 8, 2009

Mister Cheese: So, turquoise, I don't hate you anymore. I will agree that colour of the year is ridiculous. What are you trying to sell me, Pantone?

Turquoise paint?
posted by Decimask at 7:54 PM on December 8, 2009

think those rooms you like, Secret Life of Gravy, are both close to that ever-popular Restoration Hardware color, Silver Sage.

Yes, you are right. I really don't like turquoise after all.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:27 AM on December 9, 2009

What color is representative of utter indifference?
Meh-iege.

Does anyone besides me remember this? It made a huge impression on me at the time and it seems utterly apropos right now.

There was even a good Zippy the Pinhead cartoon about it, although unfortunately I can't find a link to it.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:23 AM on December 9, 2009

Celeste Green 4 LYFE motherfuckers!
posted by Scoo at 8:56 AM on December 9, 2009

Aqua was really lobbying to win, but with an embarrassing past, didn't, and is apparently pissed and acting out. Coral got arrested. Tragically, Forest Green had buttplasty in a bid to win, and died of a surgical infection. It's a fierce competition.
posted by theora55 at 9:04 AM on December 9, 2009

I was hoping for Hooloovoo.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:06 AM on December 9, 2009

I for one welcome our new turquoise overlords. I love turquoise. It's peaceful and energizing at the same time, and it looks good on me. I recently painted my living room in Behr's "Sea Life", which you can see here, and I'm planning on doing my guest room in a paler turquoise and old rose. I nearly named my cat Turquoise. I would have been "Turquoise Swan" when I joined MeFi but it doesn't sound as well as "Orange Swan". Ah, turquoise, turquoise, turquoise...
posted by orange swan at 9:50 AM on December 9, 2009

I painted my front door teal a couple months back. I hope this doesn't catch on or I'll look a right chump.
posted by Lleyam at 2:07 PM on December 9, 2009

This is teal posing as turquoise just to gain favor.

Seems that it's one of those colors that not all folks like. See, the good folks at UNC-W have a love/hate relationship w/ teal and most recently, the prominence of the color in university branding is blamed on the student body. But the bookstore sure sells the teal stuff. How about an official teal decloration? Fon't forget your official university flip-flops for that laid-back feelin'.

I think it's a symbiotic relationship. Teal IS the 80's. And, the students were mostly born in the 80's and the administration came of age in the 80's. Talk about being stuck in a time warp. Feel the teal, indeed. The administration waffles and says that blue and gold are alternate colors - who ever heard of a school having alternate colors????
posted by mightshould at 2:38 PM on December 9, 2009

I painted my front door teal a couple months back. I hope this doesn't catch on or I'll look a right chump

Exactly. I'm so relieved that Terra Cotta is NOT the color of the year because I'm in love with my freshly painted living room and it would look really dated in a few years if it was TCOTY.

On the other hand, I need to paint the front bath and Silver Sage looks like the way to go.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:39 PM on December 9, 2009

Look at Palladian Blue, too -- it's not quite so gray, and I think it's got a little more life. (Although still that tranquil spa-feel.) Wedgwood Gray from Benjamin Moore (really a blue), with red accents, makes an awesome bathroom, too.

I KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT PAINT
posted by palliser at 6:17 AM on December 10, 2009 [1 favorite]

Real turquoise (the mineral) was treasured in antiquity for "natural protection against the powers of darkness" and derives its name from the custom of the Turks to wear one in their turbans to ward off the "evil eye".

Damnit! 2010 was supposed to be my year!
posted by malocchio at 12:13 PM on December 11, 2009