Let'’s be Real: Pantone’s Color of the Year Is Just 2022’s Version of Millennial Pink

For those who don’t know, millennial pink (AKA Pantone's 2016 Color of the Year, Rose Quartz) is the ubiquitous shade of calming, pale pink that has dominated feeds for the past few years. When it debuted in 2016, the tone was described as a “more unilateral approach” to a color that coincides with “societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity,” according to Pantone. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? It was, but after a few years, its ubiquity became tiring, and we craved something a little less saccharine. That, and a general desire to connect with the outdoors led to the rise of warm, earthy neutrals over the past year. Now, we’re left with a pink velvet sofa sitting in our basements—all dressed up with nowhere to go.

So, what does this have to do with Pantone’s Very Peri? Well, it sort of begs the question of how much color is too much color? Don’t get us wrong; there’s nothing we love more than a fun, colorful accent piece. But painting our kitchen periwinkle blue is an entirely different story. Not only would the shade significantly decrease our home’s ROI, but we’d also have to commit to seeing its “joyous attitude” and “dynamic presence,” day in and day out.