FLIRT WITH FUZZY OR COMMIT TO A PEACHY PEACE
March 2024. Each year, a variety of organizations forecast color trends for the coming year. We take notice, as these are often the colors that will help a space feel fresh, revitalized and current.
We pay special attention to Pantone Institute’s Color of the Year. While not the first of the colors to be announced, it tends to have exponential impact. In fact, you may have already seen its choice, Peach Fuzz, showing up in media as well as fashion and interior design shops.
The color has been described as one that invites you to “reach out and touch,” one that evokes “compassion and empathy,” as well as “a more peaceful future.” Well, we’re on board with all of that!
Whether you want to add a little Peach Fuzz to freshen your look (low commitment) or hope getting fuzzy will bring more peace to the world (high commitment), we see a few ways to bring it! Here are our high-to-low commitment tips.
ALL IN: PASSION FOR PEACH
LA’s exceptional Spanish architecture provides plenty of opportunities to wrap yourself in a peachy peace. If you have yet to move into such a paradise, there are a few other all-in options:
Patios, Walks and Drives: Many of the distinctively-LA materials we use to construct long lasting outdoor rooms and “traffic” flows through a garden can bring a naturally peachy hue. The most natural materials include flagstone, tiles, and even gravels. Dyed concrete is also a nice all-in option.
Built-In Features: We love the space-saving and movement-directing qualities of built in furnishings and features. Those that involve tile, stone, or metal finishes require commitment to the color trend, but can be designed and built to bring a timeless quality.
Pro Tip: Even when on-trend, the more built in and architectural the feature, the more timeless it should feel. It can happen! A peachy flagstone patio and path may feel like a big commitment when plants are young. Once greenery establishes, the features will feel like a neutral backdrop, especially when paired with LA’s deep blue California Lilac, Margarita B.O.P. Penstemon, and Woolly Blue Curls.
MIX-IN: PRESENTING PEACH
If you want to present a little more peach to your garden but aren’t quite ready to commit to architectural changes, planting Peach Fuzz may be an option for you. Several native plants bloom with a full or partially peachy color, including a few of our favorites:
Long Lasting Color: Apricot Mallow, as well as Santa Cruz Island and California Buckwheats have staying power. Apricot Mallow will bloom much of the year. Buckwheat’s display of peachy blooms will evolve throughout the year, ranging from cream thorough peach to rust.
Seasonal Pop: For true Peach Fuzz, Apricot Monkeyflower can’t be beat (yes, we see the irony!). Both Monkeyflower and Alumroot bloom through much of spring and summer, but they do eventually retreat, making them lower commitment options. For Fuzz in fall, consider Manzanita – on arrival, its berries, known as California’s little apples, will appear peachy.
Pro Tip: While blooms provide a peachy pop, the full tapestry and seasonal cycles of a garden mitigate the level of commitment. They can also be a way to bring a pop of peach to your interior spaces without having to buy so much as a sofa pillow… just gaze out the window or vase a few blooms for indoor enjoyment.
TOE-IN: FUZZY FOR AWHILE
For those looking for a perfunctory pop of peach, a few options include:
Container Gardens: Potted plants can also be peachy! We love container gardens for integrating non-native foliage that needs more care in our hot, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
Containers: Pots themselves can be beautiful, low-commitment ways to participate in a trend. We like classic terra cotta pots or those with a patina that will give them a useful life beyond their trending moment.
Cushion Covers: For those who replace them often or leave them out in the sun, outdoor cushions can also be a lighthearted commitment.
Pro Tip: Anything mobile lessens the commitment. No longer love a particular container? Place it in a foliage-full area where you might otherwise plant a fill-in. Think your interest in that cushion cover will fade with time? Maybe a pattern will feel more manageable.
Bloomful Color Palettes
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