Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz
Peach Fuzz is Pantone’s new Color of the Year and it really speaks to us! Some of our favorite color stories are in peach tones - especially in Alessandra’s projects in warm locales like Harbour Island and Palm Beach. At our Casa Branca boutique on Worth Avenue, the warm hues are an unexpected and elegant anchor to the rich chocolate shades throughout, a move sure to have been appreciated by classic 1940s and 50s movie stars- they were said to decorate their dressing rooms in peach because it was flattering to their skin.
Of course, the Pantone choice is not just about color. It’s become a major part of trend forecasting, and they consider everything- politics, fashion, the design community’s mood!- and tapping into that mood is of the utmost importance at Casa Branca.
One of our design rules of thumb is to pay attention to the vibration that the color creates, and this is never more true than with the Color of the Year. Pantone has been the authority since the 1960s, and they definitely know the power behind a particular shade, especially as a reflection of the times through history. According to them, Peach Fuzz- the color of sunsets, spring blooms, and hugs- is “a shade that resonates with compassion” and “captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others.” It’s also not the first time they’ve evoked a sense of calm through blush tones. Who remembers the “persuasive and gentle” Rose Quartz in 2016, or Sand Dollar in 2006, evoking soft beaches to “relax and soothe nerves?” And in 2019, Pantone chose Living Coral, a brighter cousin to Peach Fuzz, to be “animating and life affirming.”
Peach Fuzz, or peaches in general, have evoked these warm feelings just about forever. Fragonard,Degas,Gaugin, and Warhol all used the hue to lighten the eye and the spirit, as did the earliest Chinese porcelain. An ancient Italian fresco, Still Life With Peaches and Water Jar, came from a house a few miles from Pompeii and dates all the way back to Mount Vesuvius erupting (79 C.E.). The painting depicts the famous hospitality of the Greeks and Romans, with the simple peach fruit representing the comfort and abundance guests enjoyed in a prosperous household. We can’t help but feel the same way today when we see a big bowl of fresh fruit piled up on a table in welcome!
