First Light (Benjamin Moore Color of the Year)

First Light is Benjamin Moore’s 2020 Color of the Year. Pink in interior design is popular once again. The color can be said to have begun its current resurgence in 2011. Our culture’s attitude towards pink has varied over the years. Over time pink has been perceived as feminine, kitschy, frothy and frivolous, punk and sophisticated. For 150 years, Western culture has maligned pink as a symbol of feminine weakness, but now our perception of pink is changing once again.

The History of Pink

Pantone, the expert voice on color, chose Honeysuckle, a reddish pink, as its Color of the Year for 2011. That hue was regarded as “uplifting and and encouraging”. Pantone chose another pink hue, Rose Quartz, as Color of the Year for 2016. Rose Quartz is seen as a symbol of wellness, a concept that has become very important to us lately. For a long while, Western society associated pink with women and girls. The color was seen as hyper-feminine and therefore looked down upon as a color not suitable for men. For many years, men did not wear pink. However, it was first worn by both sexes and for a time was seen as more appropriate for boys since pink was seen as a lighter shade of red, a military color.

During the Kennedy years, Jackie Kennedy helped pink’s image somewhat. The 80’s hit show, Miami Vice, featured cops wearing pastel pink among other light hues. We, as a culture, have enjoyed pink Barbie dresses, pink Cadillacs and pink frosted donuts. Punk rock and rap made pink edgier, but pink still polled as one of Americas’ least favorite colors. Pink has a lot of meaning for different people. It has been and is used as color of protest and strength. Lately, pink has become more androgynous and powerful especially in the area of home design. Millennial Pink became quite popular in 2016 and the trend shows no signs of slowing. Benjamin Moore’s choice of First Light continues this growing trend of pink as a strong design choice. Today, the perception of pink is definitely going through a shift.

First Light-Interior Design Embraces a Modern Pink

Pink is now seen as passionate, fun and powerful. The color is warm and energetic. We are seeing pink in interior design more than we ever have in decorating history. Rose Gold and Metallic Pink were very popular for phone cases and other accessories. Eventually, people wanted to use pink on the walls in their spaces.

Benjamin Moore’s First Light continues the design industry’s move towards modern pink in home design. This color is not saccharine or frothy. It has slight blue undertones, making it a more subtle color than Millennial Pink. First Light is a new neutral, similar to beige, white or gray. It is a wonderful and unexpected color for the living room or dining room. You can even use it on the ceiling as an accent color. Benjamin Moore suggests at least nine colors that work well with its new color of the year. The palette includes dramatic colors such as Cushing Green and Blue Danube  and sweeter hues such as  Golden Straw and Windmill Wings. You could even use an orange hue as an accent color. The design options are practically limitless. Dive in!

If you would like to arrange a color consultation appointment, give us a call at 508.740.6212.

Be well,

Bill