The Pantone 2024 Color of the Year Surprised Us
Our Austin Architects Share Our Thoughts on Pantone’s Trending Peach Fuzz Color
Our team of Austin architects always eagerly awaits the yearly Pantone Color of the Year announcement. Last year, we were excited to add Viva Magenta to our jewel-toned color palette. In 2022, we were thrilled by the Very Peri reveal. (As you may have noticed, purple is one of our favorite hues.) And the 2021 Color of the Year was twice as nice with the complementing duo of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow. However, the Pantone 2024 Color of the Year surprised us...and not in a good way.
What is the Pantone 2024 Color of the Year?
Peach Fuzz Caught Us Off Guard
We’ll be honest and say we weren’t initially very excited to welcome Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year. This year’s honored hue is PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz. It’s a light, juvenile shade that falls somewhere between pink and orange. According to Pantone, the color is meant to evoke a sense of warmth, capturing our desire to nurture ourselves and others.
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explains that Peach Fuzz is intended to enrich the mind, body, and soul.
“In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.”
The introduction of Peach Fuzz marks the 25th anniversary of Pantone’s Color of the Year program. While it may evoke a sense of connection and warmth for some, our Austin architects are stumped on how and if this color should be incorporated into residential home design. However, we can’t help but feel that we’ve seen this nostalgic shade somewhere before.
Where Have We Seen Peach Fuzz Before?
The Golden Girls House
If Peach Fuzz looks familiar to you, you may have seen it on the set of The Golden Girls. The shade appears on the floral print rattan living room set, Blanche Devereaux's bedroom carpeting and accent chairs, some of the kitchen accessories, and even the home’s exterior paint. While many of our architecture clients love watching reruns of the sitcom, we doubt they would want to model their own home after the TV abode.
Miami Beach
Peach hues also make an appearance on the shores of Miami Beach, adorning brightly colored Art Deco buildings alongside shades of pastel blues, teals, and yellows. These Art Deco buildings are embellished with other fun features, including porthole windows, towers, window eyebrows, and zigzagging trims. A color like Peach Fuzz works in this fun and playful style, especially for the lively South Beach scene. However, the color may not be well suited for more relaxing spaces, calmer environments, or other architectural styles.
The 80s
If you grew up in the 80s, you are probably already very familiar with the Peach Fuzz shade. The over-the-top homes of the era included wild colors and experimental designs with everything from neon lights to maximalist floral-clad rooms to peach bathrooms. Many elements of 80s design, including brass hardware and colors like peach, are making their way back in style. However, many of our clients are reluctant to return to their childhood bedroom designs when planning their new construction homes.
Design Styles Peach Fuzz Could Work In
While our team is not a big fan of Pantone’s Peach Fuzz color, there are a few design styles we think it could work in.
Retro
Pantone’s peach shade is a throwback to the 80s, so it would feel right at home in a retro-inspired space. Be careful when relying on old trends because some went out of style for a reason!
Beachy
As you can see by the peachy hibiscus and palm leaf print patterns in The Golden Girls home, Peach Fuzz channels a bright, tropical mood that could fit in with the traditional beach house style. Vacation homes are great for experimenting with a bolder, more fun design. After all, you are going there to escape your day-to-day routine!
Southwestern
The Peach Fuzz shade can also be found in a Southwestern sunset. Our team of Austin architects does recommend looking to your natural surroundings for color palette inspiration. If you happen to be located in the Southwest, Peach Fuzz may make sense for your home.
Our Architects’ Advice for Using Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year
While our architects have mixed feelings about the Pantone 2024 Color of the Year, that doesn’t mean it’s off-limits for your home design. If you’re drawn to the Peach Fuzz shade, you should use it. Our advice: just be careful!
Trendy colors like Peach Fuzz tend to cycle through quickly. After all, it was in style in the 80s, but people were gutting their peach-tiled bathrooms by the 2000s. When incorporating a trendy color, do so sparingly. Consider adding small splashes through accessories or paint rather than through more permanent fixtures like tile or cabinets.
If you have more questions about the latest color trends, feel free to reach out to our team of Austin architects!