Pantone creates new shade for its colour of the year 2022

Very Peri is the ‘happiest and warmest of the blues’ blended with dynamic violet-red

Pantone's colour of the year 2022, Very Peri is a blend of blue and violet-red. Photo: Pantone Colour Institute

The unusual times we find ourselves in have coloured almost all aspects of our lives. So it’s not surprising that Pantone, the institute that is recognised as the global authority on colour trends, has eschewed every shade from its rather substantial palette archive and come up, for the first time, with an entirely new hue for 2022.

Very Peri, Pantone’s colour of the year, is a fusion of blue and violet-red. The periwinkle shade is meant to exude a blend of trustworthiness, tranquillity and comfort (from the blue) and energy, joy and creativity (from the violet-red). It is, says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute, representative of “the expansive possibilities that lay before us”.

While it acknowledges the challenges of the past, the shade is more about looking ahead to a bright future, said the company.

“Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, Very Peri helps embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today, Very Peri places the future in a new light.

“We are living in transformative times. Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways.”

The institute's past colours of the year include: Ultimate Grey and Illuminating Yellow in 2021; Classic Blue in 2020; and Living Coral in 2019.

Pantone’s shade of the year is based on its analysis of pop culture, fashion trends and sporting events, as well as popular travel spots, offerings from the entertainment industry and the latest technologies. Alongside, the institute’s colour choice typically acts as a cue for fashion, interior and industrial designers to adapt into their collections and concepts. Periwinkle curtains, anyone?

What designers say

Kate Instone, celebrity interior designer and founder of Blush International, says: "How we'll use Very Peri in our interiors depends on how brave our clients will be! We are currently working on Caroline Stanbury's new home in Dubai and we know she will be obsessed with this colour. I can imagine her full kitchen finished in Very Peri with Bianco Lilac marble tops. For our more conservative clients, we will use Very Peri as an accent colour, for a curtain trim, scatter cushions or maybe for the occasional bold chair.

"This is also a wonderful colour to use in your garden or on your terrace. It will lift your exterior space; use it for accent cushions and throws on your sofa and chairs and maybe even in your outdoor rug.

I am delighted that a such a bright and pretty colour has been selected as Pantone colour of the year," continues Instone. "After a few years of uncertainty, we all need some colour in our lives. So many people are scared to use bright shades, but a colourful room is such a mood lifter, I highly recommend it."

Sabrina Panizza and Aude Lerin, co-founders of Pl Studio, say: “We love the positive energy of certain hues, so we are excited to see the creation of Very Peri, which makes blue, a calming and serene colour, more vibrant and dynamic thanks to the addition of a red undertone.

"If you are brave enough to embrace a bold interior, use this energetic colour on your walls for a high-impact design element.

"You can also experiment with an eye-catching combination of Very Peri and an intense flamed orange red, such as Troubadour by paint manufacturers Craig & Rose, to create geometric shapes. Have fun with the geometric patterns, but ensure that you always create balance in your interior space with some accents of the same hues (they can also be softer or stronger shades of the same colour) throughout the room, in order to achieve a harmonious design.

"For those who would like to introduce Very Peri into their homes in a more subtle way, we recommend focusing on soft touches, like throws, pillows and area rugs. Pair Very Peri with a bright yellow for a high-spirited and joyful interior space to get your creative juices flowing and start the New Year off with fresh energy.”

Mariam Akolade, a design consultant at Ethan Allen, meanwhile, is of the opinion that less is more when it comes to dynamic colours such as Very Peri. “When incorporating a bold shade, use the 60-30-10 rule. Select three colours; your primary colour is a dominant neutral shade that will be used in 60 per cent of the space. Next comes your secondary colour, which will take up 30 per cent. Lastly, use the boldest color in the remaining 10 per cent. Veri Peri can be used as this accent shade rather than a focal point, to ensure the space remains balanced, while still accentuating the dynamic blue hue.”