The Meadville Tribune - 01/11/2025
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Meadville Tribune A12 The Saturday, January 11, 2025
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Taste Mocha Mousse: Pantone’s Color of the Year By Marie Feltz
SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE
By now, you’ve probably heard that Mocha Mousse is the Pantone Color of the Year for 2025. If you haven’t heard, now you know. So, what do you do with that colorful news? Not many of you are going to rush off to the paint store, buy a gallon or two, or three, and set out to repaint a room just so you can brag about being on-trend. Well, have a cup of mocha and read on. The Pantone color experts describe this color as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.” Sound amazing? First of all, what’s this “Color of the Year” stuff, anyway? Well, like the major paint companies, the Pantone Color Institute’s color experts always place one shade on a pedestal for the following year, giving it 12 months to shine. This fun tradition is meant to inspire people to try out new colors that they maybe wouldn’t otherwise and
ignite creativity for interior design across the country. You might feel like it takes a full home redesign to make your space work with this rich color, but think again. While that is an option, you can utilize it throughout your house in various creative ways. Here are some ideas for using this 2025 color trend:
Focal feature wall
One way to make your room pop without going too color-heavy is to choose Mocha Mousse as your paint color for one wall. This will create a rich, cozy focal point that exudes feelings of peace and quiet — even in the loudest households. Pair it with lighter neutrals like cream or light gray or go bold with a brighter option. This velvety brown is extremely versatile, you can pair it with lots of different shades.
Cozy sofas and chairs
If you don’t want to use paint, there are plenty of alternatives. One is furniture. What better way to unwind after a long day than by sinking into a sofa in the shade of chocolate and coffee? You can use
brown sofas or armchairs as a foundation to complement various home decor styles. This safe color also pairs nicely with several aesthetics, making it an easy way to stay on trend without making your home look disjointed.
Neutral throws and décor
Brown is a perfect addition to your house because you can use it all year — it matches the colors of all the seasons if used intentionally. One way to disperse this hue gracefully is through comfortable elements and décor. Add texture and warmth with throws and cushions in Mocha Mousse, hang up brown painted frames and place neutral candle sticks on your mantel. Whatever you can do to make the space more inviting while also scattering this color throughout is a win.
And to make your choices easier, Pantone created five unique color combinations to complement their shade of choice for the new year: Relaxed Elegance, Floral PathComplementary colors ways, Uniquely Balanced, Generally, you don’t want Deliciousness and Subtle to introduce a new color Contrasts. You can see them without first knowing if it at pantone.com. will work with the existing Marie Feltz is an shades. Lucky for you, Mocha Mousse matches so many award-winning interior deContributed photos colors, making it the perfect signer and the owner of Dec- Go big and bold by wrapping a whole room in browns this year. Colors like Mocha Mousse can make a bedroom look extra cozy. hue to add to your palette. orating Den Interiors
Pretty, peas? Growing vegetables indoors during the cold season By Melinda Myers TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Limited outdoor growing space or cold winters may have you missing fresh homegrown vegetables. Make this the winter you try growing a few vegetables in a sunny window or under artificial lights.
Greens are one of the easiest to grow indoors. Most leafy vegetables tolerate the lower light indoors, require minimal space and prefer cool temperatures. Select a container that has drainage holes and will fit near a sunny window or under
NEED INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE? Room Refreshing? Window Coverings? Paint Color Choices? Call Award-Winning Interior Designer Marie Feltz (814) 336-3000 feltz@decoratingden.com mfeltz.decoratingden.com
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an artificial light setup. Keep the artificial lights about 6 inches above the top of these and other plants. Fill the container with a well-drained potting mix and sprinkle seeds of your favorite leafy greens over the soil surface. Lightly cover the seeds and moisten the soil. Remove overcrowded plants, called thinning, to provide sufficient space for the remaining plants to reach full size. Begin harvesting the outer leaves when 4 to 6 inches tall. Extend the time between watering and increase success when growing these and other vegetables by amending the soil with a moisture-retaining product, like Wild Valley Farms’ wool pellets (wildval-
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Tribune News Service
This winter try growing a few vegetables in a sunny window or under artificial lights.
leyfarms.com). This organic and sustainable product holds 20 percent of its weight in water and slowly releases moisture into the soil when needed. Add some crunch to your salads with quick-maturing salad radishes. Plant seeds one-fourth inch deep and thin to 1 to 2 inches apart. Use scissors to thin the plantings at ground level and use the greens to add a bit of zip to salads and sandwiches. Expand your indoor edible garden by growing dwarf sugar snap peas. These and other
vegetables, of which you eat the fruit or flowers, need more light. Supplementing natural sunlight with artificial lights will help increase success. Select shorter varieties that will be easier to train. Patio Pride grows only 9 to 16 inches tall while Sugar Ann and Little Marvel grow up to 18 inches tall. Plant two seeds in each 3-inch pot or several seeds 2 inches apart in a long rectangular container. Once the seedlings reach 2 inches tall, thin the plantings. Leave one
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plant in each individual pot and seedlings spaced 4 inches apart in larger containers. Cut the extra sprouts at ground level and use them in salads, sandwiches and stir-fries. Peas are self-fertile, so no bees are needed. Harvest pods when they reach the size you prefer. Don’t forget the tomatoes. These take longer and are a bit more challenging, but that is the joy of gardening. Start your plants from seeds if transplants are not available. Grow small plants in 1- to 2-gallon pots and larger varieties in 3- to 5-gallon size containers. Water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil begin to dry. Once flowers form, lightly shake the stem to aid in pollination. Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including “The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook” and “Small Space Gardening.” She hosts the Great Courses’ “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the syndicated “Melinda’s Garden Moment” program on TV and radio. Powered by TECNAVIA