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Designing with 2022’s Color of the Year

Modern, hopeful, and new, Pantone’s Very Peri is set to lend refreshing light and imaginative color to your 2022.

Amanda Scott
Amanda Scott
Bathroom with periwinkle walls, freestanding tub, black vanity, fireplace

The Pantone Color of the Year 2022 is significant for a few different reasons. The first is that it is a new shade. Never in its more than 20 year history has the Pantone Color Institute created a new shade for a color of the year. Never has it been necessary. So what is the Pantone Color of the Year? 

PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri encompasses “the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone ... Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.” 

Another significant thing about the 2022 Pantone Color of the Year is the description that comes with it. While last year’s duo of colors was unique to describe the then much-needed feelings of sunny-yellow optimism and grey resilience; this year’s is all about possibilities and the future. 

"Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives."

The Pantone Color of the Year 2022 periwinkle color palette involves blue color psychology, which brings the qualities of calm, serenity, trust, and tradition. While red injects energy, passion, daring, and determination. This combination is the perfect outlook to take us into 2022. 

"Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today..."

We love the color of the year and seeing the way it influences and is used in multiple industries; including fashion, home decor, industrial design, and even product packaging and graphic design.

While it may seem easier to keep to the same palette in your home year after year, color psychology indicates changing up our everyday surroundings can inspire creativity, encourage joy and optimism, stimulate energy, promote tranquility, nurture trust, cultivate cleanliness, and more.

But what are some practical ways to implement the Pantone Color of the Year into our everyday lives, homes, and fashion choices?  

Pantone has developed a few palettes, each conveying a different mood that complements its brand new shade, Very Peri, and we’ve come up with ways to pair it with your decor style.  

Balancing Act

Because of its natural feel and balance of warm and cool tones, this palette is very versatile. It pairs well with gold tones as well as brushed silver tones.

Pantone color palette

Injecting color into your home doesn't have to result in a bright, neon scheme. For a sleek, sophisticated feel, opt for rich jewel shades in contrasting hues. Balance emerald wallcoverings with a purple velvet chair and opulent gold hardware.

Gold cabinet handle, periwinkle rug, nickel finish kitchen faucet, tile.

Pastels are also a great way to introduce color. For a harmonious contribution, combine a few shades. Try a subtle mix of pinks, pastel green, and classic pastel yellow.

Earthy Gems

The plethora of green shades in this palette feels nourishing and verdant. It is most compatible with silver and bronze tones.

Pantone color palette of earthy jewel tones.

Breathe new life into any space with tile. Retile a whole wall or a smaller area like the space above the vanity or toilet alcove. Complete the look with matching pendant lighting and faucet.

Gold widespread bathroom faucet, gold globe pendant, green subway tile.

Use the same hues to create cohesion and elegance in any space. Earthy blends combine opulent lighting accents with inviting ochre tones.

Spotlight On Very Peri

This palette makes Very Peri the star by highlighting its brilliance. Here, focus on pairing Very Peri with matte black, bronze, and white.

Neutral color palette, browns, taupes and one periwinkle color

By keeping the rest of your palette neutral, it’s easy to add a statement piece or focal point to your decor. Choose a rich velvet couch or accent chair in a Very Peri shade surrounded by  grounded hues and fixtures.

Black traditional wall scone with shade, dark blue sofa, ceiling fan

Minimalist spaces can always benefit from a touch of color. Consider a light fixture, a statement appliance, or an area rug.

Whimsical Hues

If you choose this palette, you’re not afraid to be bold! It’s lovely for a child’s room, playroom, a boho-inspired room, or any space meant to spark joy. Choose gold hardware for cabinetry and lighting to create whimsy when mixed with the bright shades.

Whimsical color palette, bright pink, yellow, orange and periwinkle

Use contrasting prints and textures to create an eclectic feel, interjected by velvet upholstery, throw pillows, shades, ottomans, and deep-pile carpeting

Bright color palette, ottoman with zig zag pattern, gold pendant light

About The Pantone Color of the Year List

Since 1999, the experts behind the Pantone Color of the Year have curated a list of color influences from around the world. They rely on inspiration from artists, designers, and the broad avenues of the entertainment industry to find a selection of colors that, among other things, make people happy.

The list proudly incorporates ideas from surprising places, from new technology to classic textures, that may reflect color. Colors play an important role in our daily lives, evoking memory and emotion in a variety of ways. Whether planning for home or commercial spaces, color is an important element in any design strategy.

"The Pantone Color Institute™ is the business unit within Pantone that highlights the top seasonal runway colors, selects the pantone color of the year, forecasts global color trends, and advises companies on color for product and brand visual identity." ~ Pantone

The resulting Color of the Year list from the Pantone Color Institute has had global impact. Pantone says that their work has "influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design." The colors we surround ourselves with add to our comfort and creativity and Pantone tracks the way we use every shade and tone. The Color of the Year list allows art to inspire art, evokes memories from past travels or places, globally or at home.

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