Peach - Love it or Loathe it?
I don’t know about you, but when I heard that Pantone had announced their colour of the year for 2024 and it was peach, my heart sank. Peach! Immediately my mind springs to my Mum’s downstairs loo, and ugly peach bridesmaid dresses in satin and frills.
It’s not unfair to say that peach is a colour that has a lot of negative 80s and 90s associations for many, it’s perhaps one of the most divisive colours out there. Maybe it’s that lingering need to differentiate from our parents, or the fact that there isn’t a person alive that can look good in it (not even Kate Moss). But it seems that peach brings out the most visceral reactions (rejections) in us all.
When we look at the psychology of peach, or its more grown up, older sister, orange, it’s true that the colour has definitely suffered from its association with the no-frills sector in recent years. It’s eye-catching and positive so is used in these sectors to stand out and communicate approachability. Peach itself is vibrant, full of energy, and it encourages communication, which is why you will often find it used in restaurants where it stimulates both conversation and the appetite!
But if we delve deeper into what peach represents as a colour - it is the colour of new ideas and freeing the spirit of limitations; giving us the freedom to be ourselves. So when you look at it like that, maybe peach isn’t that bad after all…
My view on it is that it’s time for a new peach. One that leaves the 80s firmly in the past and embraces a more modern approach to the colour. Forget teaming it with mint green or icy blue hues, instead think bold botanical prints, or colour palettes inspired by the Earth. Earthy tones, including sage greens, muted yet dark blues and warm teracottas ground peach’s energy and bring a calming feel to spaces.
Be bold and explore themes like Palm Springs chic and the deep pinks of the desert sunset. Let peach zing against gold metals and dark woods.Or luxuriate with a velvety blue grey. But most of all, embrace the fun and lightheartedness that peach brings to the mix, even if it is for just one season!
