Color of the Year: Decorating with Classic Blue

 

According to Pantone, who has been naming the color of the year since 2000, the color for 2020 is an old, steadfast favorite: classic blue.

In past years, Pantone’s colors of the year have been alternately bold, daring, comforting, or serene. For 2020, the chosen classic blue is all of the above. 2020’s color is a boldly saturated hue that communicates strength and a commitment to moving forward—but it’s also a cool color that exudes soothing calmness, like still waters or a cloudless sky.

If you’re looking to update your decorate, the classic blue of 2020 is a great color to focus on. Not only is this blue full of positive meanings, but it’s also versatile enough to be used in every room of your home. Whatever décor style you’re using, classic blue is the perfect hue for an energetic and modern feel, while also emanating the feeling of an old favorite.

Home Décor

The first and simplest way to incorporate classic blue into your home is by swapping last year’s décor for the bold blues of 2020. If you’re not ready to start painting your walls this bright shade of azure, begin with blue accents that hint at the calming, steadfast shade of the year.

Blue lampshades are a simple way to change the color pallet in a room. Beyond the blue design on the accessory itself, lampshades will cast a calming blue tint on the light in the whole room, spreading a soothing feel—always welcome in this century’s never-ending fast pace.

Add blue-accented rugs, throw pillows, and wall décor, and you can give your home this modern blue feel in a snap, especially if your home is decorated in the mid-century modern style. Or, if you’re decorating in a minimalist style, then the bold, saturated classic blue will pop in contrast to the clean whites or off-whites that dominate your style.

A more industrial or rustic theme might call for blue accents on steely grey or earthy wooden tones, adding a modern splash to the old-fashioned feel of your décor. The bright, saturated blue will stand out against both industrial greys and a neutral brown to put a touch of cool sophistication in a room that otherwise avoids saturated colors.

Kitchenware

Another easy way to add classic blue to your home this year is by getting new kitchenware in this bold color. Getting new small kitchen appliances like a blender, electric mixer, or coffee maker in blue might be the perfect way for you to put that classic blue splash in your days without having to redo the décor of your entire home.

Blue-handled knife sets, blue mixing spoons, and blue-tinted metal flatware are great choices for an unconventional use of color in your kitchen. Not only are these small changes unobtrusive enough that you won’t get tired of them, but they also create a nice soothing undertone that’ll let the strength and comfort of classic blue surround you subtly every day.

If you want a somewhat bolder blue kitchen statement, you can add blue dinnerware to your cabinets and use classic blue for serving platters, dinner plates, bowls, and mugs. Solid blue dinnerware is a great choice, or neutral tones with blue accents for a subtler influence. Dishes with a white base and blue accents resemble the delicate and old-fashioned feel of fine china, while black or brown accented with blue can add to an industrial or rustic style.

Furniture

For even bolder strokes, you can add blue to your room in a bigger way by coloring your walls or adding blue to furniture. Blue-accented wallpaper may be a way to put blue on your walls without overwhelming a room with a solid color. Curtains, either solid or accented, is a great way to give a room blue-tinted ambient light for a calming feel.

A blue sofa can make a bold centerpiece in a living room, radiating the serene strength of classic blue. You could bring new life to an old table by giving it a fresh coat of classic blue paint, either in a solid color or with the previous neutral color still visible through a rustic or antiqued streaky layer of paint. Old furniture can be given new life in this way, bringing an outdated piece firmly into the year 2020.

Whatever you choose to do with it, using classic blue for your decor choices this year is sure to add strength and calm to your home.