COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2017: Greenery and the Neverending Beauty of Nature

The Nothing, was the faceless, nameless demon in a much loved cult classic movie The Neverending Story (1984). It represented human apathy, cynicism and the denial of childish dreams and was the inconceivable, formless, featureless negation of existence that engulfed everything around it. It was depicted as a force of absolute oblivion that erased everything and everyone it touched from existence and left no trace whatsoever. In the movie this turmoil was visualised in the form of a chaotic, all-consuming grey storm cloud that manifested into a smoky fog that covered the sky and land without prejudice. However, once ‘The Nothing’ was conquered and peace restored in the mystical land of Fantasia the first colour to appear from the ruins was the distinct hue of green.

It is no surprise that the colour green can conquer such an unstoppable villain. Greenery is the uniform worn by our greatest war veteran and selfless hero: Mother Nature. The colour signifies hope, new beginnings, peace, balance and the unwavering and relentless power of the natural world over us. The international authority on colour, The Pantone Colour Institute, has announced the colour of the year for 2017 as 'Greenery', or more specifically, Pantone 15-0343 for it’s “refreshing and revitalising shade” and for being “symbolic of new beginnings.”

“There’s a growing desire to reconnect with Nature and what is real and find ways to disconnect from technology. We need a break. We need to stop and breathe,” Laurie Pressman, the Pantone Color Institute’s vice president, told FORBES. “(Greenery) is about unity and community—connecting to oneself and others and a higher purpose, Nature.”

But beyond just the natural environment, the colour reflects the divided social and political landscape. Contrary to what many have reported, the selection of Greenery wasn’t directly influenced by the green of money or the recent election. “Nature is free, and the colour isn’t meant to be partisan,” Pressman said. Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate.

Some of our favourite things:

Alexa Wingback Green Chair

Kip & Co Kombu Green Velvet Bedding

Orbit Canape Indoor/Outdoor Armchair