Happy Fall! Or at least for us Southern Californians, a hint of Fall is finally in the air. Time to pull out the pumpkins and switch gears in the wardrobe department. For those of us in the interior design field, Fall is also synonymous with color trends as many of the major companies such as Pantone, Dunn Edwards, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and others announce their Color of the Year selection.

Selecting the Color of the Year is not just about looking at what a few people think might be popular. Color trends consider current events, politics, fashion, sentiments, and so much more. The Color of the Year becomes reflective of so much of what is going on around us – where we are and where we are going. Sometimes when there is a major political shift as we saw in 2008, colors where light and bright. Some might say representing the hopeful and optimistic atmosphere of the time. As we transitioned into the recession and things became more and more unknown and uneasy, there was gravitation toward what was comforting, nostalgic, and familiar.

Color of the Year: The Dunn Edwards Take

So, you ask, where are we now???

This year as Dunn Edwards prepared to launch their Color of the Year, they asked Samantha Williams Interior Design to design a few rooms to capture the spirit of this rich color. How exciting is that?! So I designed a guest bedroom, dining room, and a few vignette’s to showcase this gorgeous color. And my favorite part: Purcy Lou got to be in on the action as a model in a few lifestyle shots. Cats help sell paint, right?

Here is a little more background, explained by Sara McLean, color expert for Dunn Edwards:

“Spice of Life, is inspired by a celebration of what makes life interesting and exciting. It’s warm, inviting, adventurous and life-affirming. This strong, enticing, spice-market blend adds a complex, flavorful seasoning to design palettes… In 2019, as the information age reaches its peak, our lives are inundated with technology, constant communication and more self-inflicted stress. In these always-connected times, we start to crave real, genuine connections with the Earth and with each other… Spice of Life, a global, rich spicy hue that is represented in our “Sojourn” 2019 color trends story, highlights a palette that celebrates layers of cultures and eras that blend harmoniously, combining modesty and the grandiose.”

I hope you find inspiration in this earthy, complex color like I did. Enjoy the images and let me know what you think!

Photography by Bethany Nauert Photography