Caribbean Coral is a reassuringly simple terracotta shade. It is neither overly lively nor zesty, like Sherwin Williams ... much more like a pink paint in some settings, a dark apricot in others ...

Many choose a “color of the year.” Coral Reef, a vibrant pink-orange, is Sherwin-Williams’ pick. Debra Kling, a New York-based color consultant, thinks it’s a region-specific hue.

Last week, Pantone — a company with a proprietary matching and labeling system widely considered the global authority on color — named Living Coral, a vibrant orangey pink, as its Color of the ...