Pantone Classic blue color has been on my mind ever since it was announced by as color of the year in December 2019 by Pantone. Either I have been driven to notice it more or it has been popping in front of me from nowhere. But either way it is worth discussing this cool color especially in today’s scenario, maybe it helps us beat some `lockdown blues‘. I shall be talking about it only from interior design perspective.
`Pantone’ as every year announced the color of the year 2020- Classic Blue 19-4052. Now for those of you who don’t know about Pantone. Well its the standardized color matching system and is hence a standard language of color communication for designers, manufacturers, retailers etc. The company announces annual color to forecast the color trends after understanding how societal changes influence our color selection. To know more about Pantone click here.
Now coming to the color, Pantone Classic blue 19-4052.
As the name suggests, it is a very traditional, deep, fairly saturated blue hue. It has no undertones. The LRV (Light reflective value) is very low.
The hue can be said to be very close to cobalt blue and royal blue. Its definitely not close to navy which is darker in shade and not Indigo either which has very strong purple undertones. It can be easily confused with all its sibling hues though.
The depth of this blue is relatable to the sky at dusk. Time when the skies are preparing to retire into the deep dark night. We look forward to the restful, peaceful time ahead. We are visually more connected and aligned to the restful, cooling celestial bodies above.
All of us are so accustomed to the color blue. It is everywhere around us in abundance. Mother earth is also known as the blue planet. Its the color of nurturing, refreshing waters and expansive, limitless skies. But there is another side of blue which is icy, cold and gloomy. Remember blue color is related to poison as well. Lord Neelkantha is another name of Lord Shiva. As per Hindu mythology, he drank the poison that came out of churning of the ocean. As a result his neck turned blue but he saved the mankind. I would not recommend overdose of blue.
Shiva, The Lord with Blue Neck – Neelkantha.
This particular hue is not evoking those sentiments though. A very grounded and stable color of the spectrum. It is timeless and gender neutral. The hue has something deep and mystical about it. But its not moody or exotic. Its quite relatable and livable.
Most of my clients have preferred blue color over others and are most comfortable or agreeable over it. It is one color where there is least amount of difference of opinion. Most people like the entire spectrum of blue. It almost feels as a neutral. I have always enjoyed working with this palette . Almost every other color works out well with it effortlessly. So the color blue gives no design blues!
Coming back to Classic Blue, I feel it is quite versatile. On one hand it reminds me of the pair of jeans paired with a crisp linen shirt. Its casual and relaxed.
On other hand it reminds of my school uniform or any uniform in general. So it is also a very formal or corporate color. Most of the logos you see around you are blue- facebook, amazon, even wordpress. So its a very business like, official color for me.
The hue strongly reminds me of the ethnic `Ikat’ patterns. The deep traditional patterns which use a lot of blue. I like the wallpapers or fabrics in these patterns. They have a very blurry, earthen, traditional feel to them.Talking about patterns it also reminds of chinoiserie – vivid blue patterns on ceramics. Blue subway backsplash is another thing i can instantly visualize on seeing the color. Also a faded oriental rug with touches of complementary burnt orange.
Chinoiserie
There are innumerable ways to add this hue to your decor. The color is visually heavy, a little dose would be enough to render a space. Add it as an accent against a neutral background. Or If you are bold enough then treat it as a neutral and make another color pop against the backdrop.
A few pictures where the hue has been used in different manners and proportions are shown below. If you don’t want to commit too much to the color just go ahead and add a few throw pillows, a rug, shades,accessories…
or just go ahead and add an accent – a door, a sofa or kitchen cabinets…
or a painting, wallpaper, rug…
If you really like the hue maybe then take a plunge and go all out…
How much and where you want to commit to the color is totally your choice.Go ahead and add it to your decor and share a pic maybe. Hope this post inspires you to do so.
HAPPY DECORATING!