Viva Magenta! Pantone Colour of the Year 2023

The Pantone Colour of the Year 2023 has officially been revealed! The global colour authority has chosen Viva Magenta 18-1750 to set the tone for next year's paint trends.

It follows 2022's Very Peri (a lilac) and 2021's duo of yellow and grey. We definitely saw an increase in yellow and grey in interiors online and in real life, with lots of people embracing yellow and grey living room ideas, for example. 

However, we weren't quite so convinced by Very Peri. So we were excited to find out this year's colour, which is sure to influence the living room trends and colour schemes from this very moment.

Pantone Colour of the Year 2023

'In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known,' says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute.

The colour experts explain that Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter, as it's rooted in the primordial. 'Invoking the forces of nature, Viva Magenta galvanises our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength,' explains Leatrice.

Ideal Home reacts

It's reminding us a lot of the rusty terracotta tones we've seen this year, such as the paprika paint trend taking over the kitchens of our Instagrams and Benjamin Moore's colour of the year, Raspberry Blush. The choice of a colour that's rooted in nature feels very much of the zeitgeist and the fact it's a colour that's hard to put your finger on (is it more pink or purple?) means it'll set the tone for this year's trends.

'This hue might seem too dramatic for some but don’t be fooled,' says Ideal Home Assistant Editor, Thea Babington-Stitt. 'This pink is the perfect midway between cool and warm, shocking and soothing, so even if you’re a tad colour shy there’s bound to be a place for this. Pair with greys for a stylish contemporary scheme.'

Pantone Colour of the Year for the last 10 years

• 2022 Very Peri - periwinkle blue
• 2021 Ultimate Grey and Illuminating - neutral grey and bright yellow
• 2020 Classic Blue - rich blue
• 2019 Living Coral - bright coral
• 2018 Ultra Violet - deep purple
• 2017 Greenery - bright green
• 2016 Rose Quartz and Serenity - pink and blue
• 2015 Marsala - an earthy red wine
• 2014 Radiant Orchid - vibrant pink
• 2013 Emerald - green

What colour is magenta?

Magenta is a vibrant and varm tone, and sits midway between red and blue. It's often described as a pinkish, purplish red, and in the words of Pantone, it's 'audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all.'

How is the Pantone Colour of the Year decided?

Every year, colour experts at Pantone meet and analyse new colour influences. They predict which colour is going to be big in the world of interior design for the year ahead.