Expect to see a lot of blue in 2020. Pantone announced the official Colour of the Year is Blue, a shade reminiscent of the sky at dusk.
Back in November, we brought you an unofficial colour of the year from paint brand Dulux. They awarded Tranquil Dawn (a shade of green) with their colour of the year as it represented a natural landscape and a desire to feel more human. More significantly, Dulux picked a colour that recognises the global climate emergency.
The Pantone Institute described the classic blue shade as where the sky and sea meet. Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute, described Classic Blue as a colour that anticipates what’s going to happen next, “what’s the future going to bring as we move into the evening hours?”.
Classic Blue brings us almost full circle when it announced Cerulean as the colour of the year in 1999. Another blue hue that captured a moment in time. Pressman awarded Cerulean the colour of the year because it posed the question, “we were moving into Y2K and wondering if the world as going to fall apart?” Sound familiar? That sort instability is gripping the world today from the US and UK to the climate emergency causing devasting fires and flooding around the world. Ongoing violence and tension in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Hong Kong to name a few.
Incorporate Classic Blue in your home in 2020
Staying true to its name, Classic Blue has an earthy, floral musk and ethereal sound. It’s regal, restrained and boundless. But it can also be edgy — even anomalous — utilising a variety of tonalities, textures, and prints. This bold but calming shade of blue ushers in a new decade on the colour charts, and you’ll definitely be seeing it everywhere as designers, and decor companies rush to get on board with blues.
Like Tranquil Dawn predicted by Dulux, Classic blue is a complete contrast to last year’s choice – ‘Living Coral’. Nevertheless, it’s a reaction to the turbulent times we’ve been living in, this year’s shade brings “a sense of peace and tranquillity to the human spirit, offering refuge”.
Bring the beauty and calming shade of Classic Blue into your home with a selection of fabrics from Posner Interiors.