Color Predictions for 2023

from Designer Soup Studio’s consideration and perspective

When the nights get darker faster and the mornings shine brighter, it always is a perfect time to reflect. For me, I always get these hunches. Some are fleeting but some continue to ring in my head constantly and consistently. Now, I realize that these feelings and hunches are my design intuition and I should share them, brilliant, haha! Over the past handful of years my hunches are scary accurate. “Scary, or cool?” Someone said to me recently and that changed my mind. From sheepishly sharing my thoughts nervously, to giving a full-ass color range of variations with genuine descriptions I believe the collective will come to love (hopefully).

From the Beige Reign— still clutching onto our hearts + never knowing when it will let go— to the Dusty ‘Clay’ Purple that emerged when we were all tucked away indoors for a length of time— I had a conscious hunch about those damn colors! So, without further or due, let me introduce you to my predictions! There are 18 different color picks. They are diverse in their nature, the juxtaposed will harmonize just take a look.

Here they are with a little explaining on what each color is, as I have named them, as well with the feeling I had when making the election. Enjoy!

Tannin Berry. This I believe will be the STRONGEST color prediction for me. My feeling/intuition keeps getting pulled over, and over and over again towards this color. Specifically the feeling of drinking a dry red wine outside next to a fire, or something of the likes. Feeling pulled inward, introspective dreaming, having a deep thought or conversation with someone or even self reflecting. It’s thinking of deepening topics with ambition to really act on them; fuzzy and warm. Confident because of what you’ve gone through. That’s Tannin Berry.

Sweater Hug. I was debating whether to name this particular color ‘Favorite Sweater’ or Sweater Hug. I went with Sweater Hug because this is the color that I see radiating in my mind when someone gives you a hug; and you, or they, or both are in a sweater. It’s just cozy and it feels like this color. Calm, safe, happy. Just feeling openly content in the moment. Everyone pretty much deserves this feeling in 2023. That’s why I chose this color.

Soft Aura. True empathy with others. It’s just that simple. That is Soft Aura. This color pairs so incredibly well with earthy tones. However, when you pair it with a bright and bold you get a euphoric reaction. Like ‘Woah. Wtf did I just experience.”

Band On The Run. “…and the county judge who held a grudge. Will search forever more.” Freedom and escape, baby. This color choice highlights the unexpected force that is known as a generation. A band of sagittarian centaurs galloping towards the truth. Bold, unwavering, unforgettable. Blink and you will miss it, because they will not wait for you. Living in the exact moment and finding the answer on your own. Reckless abandon, that is Band On The Run.

Vanilla Porridge. It’s a classic but heavy on the bougie. Beige, but better. We are talking the vibes of beautiful flecks of vanilla bean present that elevate the experience. You know exactly what I’m talking about. It was intentional. It was purposely designed to impress you with more than just what it is. Always humble, yet graciously humbling others, that is Vanilla Porridge.

Lights Out. A confident decision. Zero regret. Stunning results. It’s resume even boasts: ‘Works well with others’.

Quantum Blue. The spiritual cousin to Lights Out. This color is like a guru, this color creates CEOs. Or could, but is busy conversing with extraterrestrials on the astral plane. This is a powerful color, and can come off as austere if you don’t know how to handle it well. But, for those who are open to the vastness of it’s presence— you either see grey or you see infinity. Like I said, this color wants you to succeed. You just have to be willing to let success in, that is Quantum Blue.

Latex Boots. A decision that you never though you could pull off turned best decision of all time. Turns phone on morning after and is going viral on something called ‘Diet Prada’. That is Latex Boots.

Velvet Grey. The feeling of this particular pick for me was a settee. Positioned by a large window for quite some time as; someone’s favorite place to be. Because of that this particular velvet grey fabric has a tinge of citron yellow undertone from the sunshine. There are too many memories locked into it’s appeal. Even replacing it with the exact replica, it will never be the same. Old, used pieces of anything that itself is vintaged with memories. That is Velvet Grey.

Not A Problem. It’s the color I imagine in my mind when I say ‘Not a problem’— and full heartedly mean it. You bring me so much joy and happiness that it really is, not a problem.

Candied Snaps. It’s more of a sensory experience, this color choice. I picture it accentuating a living space in accented ways. Bright gestured snaps of candied accents within the room. Looking at it somehow invokes a sweet tooth that is seemingly impossible, but true. The sensation of breaking a smooth thin piece of hard candy as a kid. That is what I see in this color, everyone’s inner child somehow. Small but significant, that is Candied Snaps.

Cocky AF. It’s healed years of trauma, and it shows. It looks good-as-hell and glows from the inside out. If I am being super open and honest. This is legitimately is the color of the leaves that surround the on screen environment in the movie, Pocahontas. Those leaves go hard AF. Wearing this color or utilizing this color? That’s cocky AF.

Pro Tip: Pair this with Band On The Run to get full experience .

Dumbledores Office. The level of celestial sorcery in this blue has me, personally, in a chokehold. And Taylor Swift has her Midnights album? The work is already being done in regards to the influential power of this particular color. Some might say, it is the greatest color of all time. Definitely not a crack-pot old fool. RIP Hagrid.

Dumbledores Robe. The influence of the Wizarding World and MinaLima Design is one for the record books. My intuition had steered me to the icon, the legend of style, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. I am quite impressed with all of Dumbledores dress robes— however! His robes in the Prisoner of Azkaban. Yup, that’s the one. At that point in the series I said to myself, he is just showing off at this point. That costume was career height level shit and definitely makes this list.

1990 Avon. The pure relatability of this name, this shade, the grandmother and aunties whom we were given little white tube samplers from. It’s remembering an era in a fond way, a style craze, a beauty craze. There were other lipsticks in the sample box the reps had too, and they all were 1-2 steps to and from this shade, lol.

Cottage Core 4Ever. Any time humans are going through something, this color returns as the emotional support dog. Dreaming of green pastures and not a worry in the world. Connecting with nature. Cottage Core will never die, Cottage Core 4Ever.

Curious Green. Piggy-backing off of the Cottage Core vibes, is this green. Why is this green so curious? It’s an old encyclopedia collection living in a quite corner of a dimly lit library that has pothos vines reaching around the shelves.

Baby Bear. The honey undertone in this brown gave me a bit of a pinky-promise energy. It wants to swear to you that you will be friends forever. Bear cubs I found out actually are highly likely to be born in pairs. While the color immediately reminded me of a baby bears fluffy coat, the hypothetical pinky-promise of two cubs is the feeling I get from this particular color. What color would you pair a baby bear pinky-promise with?! I sound insane. But, I am free.

If you may have noticed there is an absence of yellow in the selections. Yellow tones show in a few, lightly. But, for some reason yellow was not showing up for me in my mind or reflection. I don’t know why entirely, but I do suspect when we see yellow it prompts us to be happy or cheerful. Unfortunately, prompts may be inorganic/authentic and I don’t think people wanted to be prompted or be made to feel like they should or need to be surface level happy. I know this seems a bit far fetch. I simply think people are sick of being told what to do. That is why in this color predictions list I intuitively went for colors that would stir up possible individuality . Like I mentioned earlier, there is a diverse group of colors here and it is all up to us in how we could chose to harmonize them or use them in our creative expressions and works. In the end, we will embrace what we are drawn to.

PS. Watch yellow be the biggest trend of 2023 [laughing out loud in thought of the irony]