2020 Color of the Year Pantone Classic Blue and More

2020 color of year trends - pantone color of the year 2020 by koket

Timeless, elegant, calming, refreshing, steady, bold yet understated – love, love, love Classic Blue, the Pantone Color of the Year 2020. Over the Fall, a number of other color industry players released their color of the year picks for 2020. Pantone, however, is always the last and biggest reveal. Given the 2020 picks so far and the current state of mind of many, I am not surprised by, but for sure in love with Pantone’s selection.

2020 Color of the Year: PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue

pantone 2020 color of the year classic blue

Officially called PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue, the 2020 Color of the Year prediction feels good. Some may look at the classic blue and think drab and sad, but we absolutely should not! This confident, inclusive, and classic color is so much more. And we will most definitely be seeing this blueberry indigo all over 2020 in home decor, fashion, beauty and beyond.

koket in pantone color of the year 2020 classic blue

CONFIDENT

Noted for its resemblance to a man’s suit, blueberries, the deep ocean and by Pressman as the sky at dusk, Pantone’s classic blue selection is meant to overcome any pending fear or untrust of the future.

“From now and then [1999], there’s the same feeling of trepidation about the world, which is why, based on what we saw happening in our global culture, we selected Pantone 19-4052, Classic Blue, to be our color of the year for 2020. ” Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, tells TIME. “It’s a reassuring blue, full of calm and confidence. It builds connection.”

REASSURING

“The sky at dusk – it’s not a midnight blue, it’s thoughtful, but it’s not so deep and mysterious,” said Pressman. “It speaks to our feelings of anticipation, when you think about the sky at dusk, the day isn’t over. You’re thinking, what’s ahead of us? It’s reassuring, but thought-provoking. It highlights our desire for this dependable, anchoring foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era. We’re living in a time that requires trust and faith and confidence. We all see this blue sky and can relate to it, it’s approachable.”

sky at dusk john anselmo unsplash

INCLUSIVE

A timeless and both genderless and seasonless color, classic blue is also a quite fitting selection for this moment in time as topics of inclusion, gender equality and unity continue to flourish.

CLASSIC

“We’re returning to classics because everything has been chaotic in the world,” Pressman said. “It’s not about doing it like you did in the past, but reinterpreting it.”

2020 Color of the Year: Sherwin-Williams Naval SW 6244

sherwin williams naval sw 6244

Sherwin-Williams pick for color of the year 2020 which was reveled months before Pantone, is a similar deep navy. And in an odd yet seemingly telling coincidence, like Pantone, Sherwin-Williams also referenced the comfort of the night sky in their reasoning for the selection.

“The use of color in interior design is changing. It’s not just about what a space looks like anymore, but how it makes you feel,” said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “People want to feel grounded and inspired to pursue their mental, physical and emotional well-being. Naval is reminiscent of the night sky, which people have looked to for centuries for guidance, as a muse and as a reminder to live more mindfully.”

koket in color of the year 2020  sherwin williams naval

2020 Color of the Year: Benjamin Moore First Light 2102-70

Benjamin Moore First Light 2102-70
Benjamin Moore First Light 2102-70

Although Benjamin Moore’s 2020 color of the year pick was not blue, First Light’s soft rosy tone is another calming, revitalizing, fresh color. While Pantone and Sherwin-Williams blue’s call to the evening sky, Benjamin Moore’s warm rosy peach calls to the morning’s first light. The promise of tomorrow awoken. This tone definitely is in line with the theme of calling to a bright new decade!

koket in benjamin moore color of the year 2020 first light

With all three renowned colorists selecting tones with such similar messaging we are sure to see lots of them in 2020! And let’s hope their calming, steady strength and comfort mean lots of great things to come! Personally I love the idea of slowing down and taking sure, steady steps forward in 2020!

Words by Anna Beck Bimba

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