By Roberta Schlehr

Let me start by first discussing what exactly Pantone is and why we care. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is the process to color color-matching items during production, whether it is in the printing industry or the fashion house. The PMS swatch books are used by graphic, fashion, and interior designers to help keep consistency across the project. For example, corporations and businesses will often have a color palette of brand colors and documentation on how the colors can and cannot be used. The Pantone Color of the Year influences many facets of our life. You will start to see this color pop up in advertisements, clothing, and home décor to mention a few. Keep your eye out for Peach Fuzz.

Pantone has been naming colors since 2000, the first color was Cerulean Blue. This color symbolizes peace and an optimistic future. Remember, a lot of people thought Y2K was going to cause all kinds of havoc, especially with computers.

Let me introduce this year’s color…

Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz – 13-1023

Peach is a color that falls somewhere between pink and orange, a nice soft blend that provokes a sense of calmness. Peach reminds me of springtime and carries me through the days of summer. Peach Fuzz is a color that certainly can stand on its own and is neutral enough to complement other colors, such as beige or tan. Take a look at a color wheel to see what complements Peach Fuzz – is it bold colors to create a sense of energy, or do you keep it a bit softer and not so loud to create a feeling of calm and serenity? The choice is yours. Honestly, today, anything goes!

Pantone’s website on this year’s color writes “PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul.” (https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2024)

I like the thought that this color will help us to nurture ourselves. It is a beautiful color that we can wear as clothing or make-up and makes us feel good! We can bring this color into our homes, starting small with accent pillows, a vase, or colors in a painting to complement our current décor. This color can bring the beauty of a sunset into our hearts.

If you feel stressed, close your eyes, take a deep breath or two, and for a few minutes focus on Peach Fuzz, nurture your spirit, and embrace the calmness it brings.

Enjoy Peach Fuzz and consider how you can incorporate this color throughout the year.