Color Palettes to Make “Shadow” (Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year) Work in Your Home

In case you missed it, Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year for 2017. Shadow 2117-30, a deep purple that can lean more toward a smokey charcoal or a lighter violet depending on the light, came out on top for the paint brand. In honor of the celebrated hue, we’ve put together four different palettes that work with a deep, rich purple so that, no matter your taste, you’ll be tempted to incorporate the in-style shade somewhere in your home.

Ideal color candidate: Someone fun-loving and carefree, who would live by the mantra “I’m creative and unique and I color outside of the lines.”

We’ll start with a palette for the daring decorator: an artistic marriage of deep purple, fire-engine red, and turquoise with dashes of pink. This combination is cheerful and energetic and the rich jewel tones call to mind the vibrancy of colorful destinations like Havana, Buenos Aires, Mexico and Curaçao. Throw in some lacquers and glazes to keep everything shiny and mouthwatering.

Ideal color candidate: This color combo is for the optimist. The one who basks in the sun and looks for the silver lining of any situation. It says, “Today is going to be a good day—the sun is shining, there’s a warm breeze blowing, and nothing can get me down.” Who wouldn’t want that?

As we saw in the first palette, dark purple doesn’t have to mean dark and moody. For a happy colorway, pair it with crisp white, pale pink and vibrant greens. White offers a contrast that allows the purple to really pop; green enlivens the mix; and pale pink keeps it all soft and serene.

Ideal color candidate: This palette is destined for the risk taker. It’s bold, daring and makes a statement that says “I’m here and you can’t take your eyes off of me, because I’m just so strikingly gorgeous.”

Similar to the previous pairings but not so hushed, this palette is rich and saturated. The dark purple is made even more intense with jewel-toned aubergines…and whatever color blackberries are. Are they purple? Are they black? For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll go with purplish-black. Everything is made more vibrant with punches of grape-y purples, juicy shots of fuchsia, and leafy greens in contrasting dark and light tones.

Ideal color candidate: For the sophisticate, the scholar, the classicist. It declares, “I’ve been places, I’ve seen things, and I have more left to do.”

Lastly, let’s look at dark purple with black, taupe and brown. This palette gives you an opportunity to tone down the vibrancy of purple but keep all of its richness. Incorporating natural woods, especially with a dark stain and a bit of distress, lends character. It tells a story. Black adds a grounding element, and paired with the dark, dusty purple, it creates an androgynous colorway that harkens to another time and place—the English countryside, perhaps, or a castle in Antwerp. In this combo, deep purple feels grown-up and worldly.