Coral is Out—Persimmon is In

It seems it was just a year ago that everyone was talking about coral. It was the best way to update pink AND the best new version of orange, because coral was so important that it had a home in both color families. Adults loved it. Kids did, too. Even baby products made a place for coral in their assortments.

But trends in décor color rarely last for more than three years, and coral has been a topic for about two so far. Today, it is in the sunset of its popularity.

Robert Allen

At the recent Showtime upholstery textiles market, companies revealed that coral is still selling. However, new-product development featuring coral could hardly be found. Pinks were still a topic, even warm pinks. But hot pink was the shade that mattered, not coral. And when it came to orange, persimmon was the color name on everyone’s lips—and the orange that showed up repeatedly in directional assortments.

What made the shift to persimmon so interesting was how it was embraced across style categories and fabric types. Persimmon looked as comfortable as the main color in an updated-traditional framed damask as it did in a loose, transitional floral. It teamed beautifully with white in a patchwork of geometric repeats, and it was also found in a textured stripe that could go become a companion to a number of patterns or styles. This orange was ideal as a ground below a printed Jacobean design, yet it was also the perfect touch as an accent within a cut-velvet floral pattern.

Persimmon also proved to be a versatile partner with other colors. It was shown with gray, blue, pink, oatmeal, camel and yellow.

Here are some of the newest designs featuring persimmon from the Showtime textiles market.