think pink, um, I mean honeysuckle!

©2011, Monika Roe

One of my favorite parts in the movie Funny Face is when Maggie, the editor of Quality magazine, sings "Think Pink!" It's such a decadent thought and visual, especially when she is dancing around waving a bolt of delicious pink satin. Of course the only thing that isn't pink by the end of the song is her. She is in her chic grey suit with elbow length white gloves throughout the entire number! I think that is typical of a lot of creatives, myself included. We indulge our senses in color on a daily basis, rolling our brains around in luscious hues, but dress ourselves in a neutral palette. And when I say "neutral" I mean black!

More about my closet later, what I really wanted to talk about was Pantone's 2011 Color of the Year. Last year it was a rich tropical Turquoise. This year it's Honeysuckle. When I heard the name "Honeysuckle" I assumed the color was some sort of yellow or a sunny variation on cream. Nope, it's pink!

And why shouldn't it be?! According to the New York Times, pink is the hot color for bathrooms. They devoted an entire article to the phenomenon of the pink bathroom (Bathrooms: Pretty in Pink, Again). I'm all for a pink bathroom. Especially if it's an original '50s job with pink porcelain tub, sink, toilet and tile. 

I lived in a beautiful '50s ranch-style house for a few years that had a baby blue guest bathroom. It was cheerful and original in a time when everyone was obsessed with latte beige, white trim and brushed nickel finishes. There's something about color in a bathroom that's uplifting. My current master bath needs to be repainted and my first thought was a soft pink because it's so flattering to skintones. Add some candles to a pink bathroom and there might not be a reason to leave it!

Last year I painted my dressing area pink. Not just plain pink but a bright, shocking, fuschia pink. And you know what? I still love it! So if it's time to "Think Honeysuckle" in 2011, you can count me and my master bath in.