“Peach fuzz” may bring to mind those soft little hairs that help to regulate body temperature while protecting your skin. Or, perhaps your first thought is of the skin of an actual peach, whose tiny hairs separate it from its stone fruit cousin, the nectarine.
But for the next year — at least — those in interior design, fashion, merchandising, and more will likely associate peach fuzz with the “compassionate and nurturing soft peach shade conveying a heartfelt kindness” that Pantone, the global color authority, chose as its 2024 Color of the Year. PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz also marks the 25th anniversary of the annual distinction.
A soft, pinky-orange hybrid that looks like it would be at home in the sherbet section of the local ice cream shop, Peach Fuzz is a warm and welcoming hue that offers a “cozy sensibility (that) brings people together and enriches the soul,” says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
The color that “echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection,” per Pantone’s news release announcing the Color of the Year, is the latest to reflect the zeitgeist. Pantone’s 2023 selection, the vibrant red, Viva Magenta, spoke to “optimism and joy,” tickling the rebellious spirit and taking Barbiecore to an even more bold and saturated level.
In 2022, Very Peri’s newly created hue — a first for Pantone’s Color of the Year — was released at a critical period of post-COVID-19 isolation, illustrating “the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa”. The year prior, dual Colors of the Year, Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, spoke to “deeper feelings of thoughtfulness and optimism.”
Per Pantone, this year’s choice recognizes that, “at a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future.” The company also sought a color for 2024 that “reflected our feeling for days that seemed simpler but at the same time has been rephrased to display a more contemporary ambiance.”
Designs on Peach Fuzz
Peach Fuzz’s “fresh approach to a new softness,” is twofold: the hue itself is far more subtle and neutral than is typical for Pantone in recent years (2016’s Rose Quartz excepted). You have to go back another decade to find 2006’s creamy Sand Dollar.
The potential application is also a departure; Is it really Peach Fuzz if it’s not tactile, as in a textured wallcovering, fabric, or design accent?
“Introducing soft and cozy PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz into home interiors creates a welcoming ambiance…promoting feelings of gentle warmth whether appearing on a painted wall, in home décor, or acting as an accent within a pattern,” says Pantone.
In the coming months, you can expect to see a profusion of Peach Fuzz as Pantone’s influence trickles down to design and manufacturing. In the meantime, you can take advantage of the company’s partnership with home decor brands Ruggable and Spoonflower.
Ruggable’s limited-edition capsule collection showcases the hue in three indoor rugs, a doormat, and a bathmat, in various sizes. Spoonflower, known for its print-on-demand wallpaper, home decor and fabric, is unveiling brand-new designs by three independent artists featuring the Color of the Year.
