It can be a tricky color to work with – let alone define – but periwinkle has worked its way into the annals of elite professional design circles. And it’s well deserved, as this striking shade mixing various versions of purply-blue serves as a provocative tone perfect for accenting.

The results are in: Pantone® Color Institute, the iconic guru of All Things Color, has chosen “Very Peri” as its signature Color of the Year for 2022. This should move interior and exterior designers into inspired action, creating style palettes with the blue/pink/purple composite at their core.

Pantone® is the go-to color entity, a source of shade standards for more than 10 million designers and producers worldwide.
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Referring to “Very Peri” as a “symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through,” Pantone® chose to make a topical statement. Not a bad idea for a profound point in history, and perhaps an intriguing way to reflect on interesting times by coloring our world with mood and vigor.

Conventional wisdom pins the periwinkle shade to a purple color family, though artful versions introduce subtle blues and even pinks to change it up a bit. It’s a staple in Bohemian-inspired décor, and it shows up frequently in fashion (including the iconic bridesmaid dress). Now periwinkle is officially blessed as a mainstream color to be used liberally, and with pride.

The true periwinkle traditionally features a violet-red undertone, which is not always obvious to the naked eye. As with any color, its appearance shifts depending on surrounding shades. This becomes important when planning interior design, from wall colors to furnishings, accent pieces to linens.

Interested in experimenting with the ingenue shade? Consult the Pantone® website for fabulous ways to work “Very Peri” into a design scheme, making the most of its multi-tone character. Its vibrant mix of shades invokes a spirited mood with plenty of options for assembling a truly pleasing space.
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Pantone® has chosen some spectacular shades for past colors-of-the-year designations, including “Living Coral,” “Marsala,” “Sand Dollar,” “Tigerlily,” and most recently, the 2021 winner, a first-ever joint color of “Illuminating” and “Ultimate Gray.” Stay tuned for future picks that keep designers on their toes.

The color king chooses classic blue as its color of the year

If there are fifty shades of gray, count on triple that for an old favorite: blue. Pantone gets this and, in typical fashion, is not afraid to lean on it for its 2020 “color of the year” designation.

The marquee source for go-to color advice, Pantone Color Institute™ supplies designers, graphic and print artists, and hobbyists with definitive hue-related tips and hints. Its licensed shades offer industry standard consistency as they create vivid, sublime, or subtle colors. For 2020, Pantone has selected classic blue as its annual designee.

And classic it is, as this version of blue is a compelling blend of rich and neutral, dark and medium; its utility in home interior design, clothing, and art is unlimited. Blue is making a comeback in the second decade of the 21st Century, and Pantone is celebrating in style. This is a win-win for designers of denim clothing, and an intriguing potential boost for designers of modern furnishings.

Among shades on the master list of Pantone blues that sing the blues are navy to royal, French to robin’s egg, and sky to Copen. Classic blue seems to be a happy medium with contemporary significance. Find it in bed linens, tapestries, furniture finishes, artwork, and even kitchen appliances. Blessed with versatility, it’s still a really gorgeous shade you’ll want to focus on and work with.
 
Seeing is believing
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Consider this eye-catching paint job, courtesy of none other than classic blue:

​Classic blue velvet offers a rich, romantic feel to this velvet upholstered chair:

​And casual is as casual does, with this high-top sports shoe reaping the benefits of Pantone’s honored color:

What can go wrong when you celebrate a design-forward palette? Not much, according to Pantone LLC, an entity devoted to the wonderful world of color. Pantone shades appear as go-to matching guides for artists, interior designers, and just about everyone engaged in a pursuit of imagery.

For 2019, the nod goes to “Living Coral” as Pantone’s Color of the Year designation. And there are good reasons why.

First, it never hurts when old and new engender the same emotion. Coral is a fave; a mainstay from Mid-Century days among cutting edge designers. Its rich melon base with a spicy red ingredient woke up living rooms, apparel, and even some automobiles with warmth and pizzazz.
Living Coral emulates its ancestor, but adds in a pinkish tone that brightens. It offers golden undertones to embellish warm palettes. And it enlivens both infrastructure and accent décor with a personality all its own.
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Coral’s origin is, of course, rooted in cold water ocean reef environments. Its heyday in wearability celebrated fashionable necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The substance comes in a variety of shades, but for consumer purposes, the melon-based hue is most popular.

​You’ve probably heard by now, the “it” color for 2017, as announced by the experts at Pantone, is Greenery. A verdant shade sure to inject a sense of natural serenity into your décor.

And we must say, we think it’s a fantastic accent color to incorporate into your home. While this hasn’t always been the case with past colors of the year, Greenery is a fabulous way to refresh and energize your space. 

So, how do you do it, short of a full-on redesign? ​