Color forecasts have become a bright spot in winter and a bellwether of the country’s state of mind. Paint company Benjamin Moore recently pronounced its chocolaty purple Vintage Wine the 2011 color of the year. Sonu Mathew, the company’s senior designer, tells us how Vintage Wine complements other trends.

Q: What social indicators influenced Benjamin Moore’s pick?

A: The idea for 2011 is balance. We’re talking about finding a way to balance so many things in life today. Not just work, because work is certainly very important to all of us who feel lucky to have a job right now, but it’s also about the reprioritization, and realizing play and family and living are all just as important as work. It’s not just about moving forward and accumulating; it’s about being more responsible in small decisions.

Q: How does that come back to Vintage Wine?

A: When we’re looking at Vintage Wine, it’s a purple but a smoky purple. In the past, purple was a very difficult dye to come across because of the process. It was accessible only to those who had lots of money: royalty and the church. It’s been seen as a luxurious color. That has carried down for generations. By layering chocolate over it, it grounds the luxury of purple. The brown reminds us of soil and nature and coffee and Thanksgiving dinner — things that are very accessible and make you feel warm and cozy. Vintage Wine is luxury but comfortable luxury.

Q: How would this shade work in the home?

A: Experimenting with color on the ceiling is another trend. We have paired Vintage Wine with Etruscan, a rich camel color, on the walls. It creates a space filled with sunlight, even though you have this dark, deep feeling. It feels like you’re inside a box of chocolates. We also did stenciling on the ceiling. Designers are experimenting with graphic and illustrative patterns and ethnically inspired patterns — Moroccan, Indian and Middle Eastern. It’s a really interesting way to bring another culture into a space.