Five Ways to Incorporate Pantone’s Color of the Year Into Your Home

If you’re looking for design inspiration, how about the Color of the Year? The Pantone Color Institute chooses the color of the year annually based on “what is taking place in our global culture in a moment in time” and Classic Blue (PANTONE 19-4052, if you want to get technical) is said to “highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation”. Keeping in mind the tumultuous few months of this year already, we’d say the choice was a wise one. A ready reckoner for anyone into design and aesthetics, Pantone Color Institute is the world’s authority on all things color. And considering how intimately color affects our mood, it makes sense to pick carefully. Pantone referred to it as a ‘comforting and relatable’ shade and Classic Blue certainly lives up to that claim. Reminiscent of the sky at dusk and still waters, it’s a color you would want to integrate into your daily life, considering that blue boosts creativity as well as inspires calm. And what better way to start than with home decor? Here are five ways you can bring this soothing yet statement-making shade into your living space.

1. Accent wall

Channel all the bright and calm that classic blue has to offer by painting one wall in a room in this shade. An accent wall works great in any room, whether the wall behind a queen bed (think statement headboards!) in the bedroom or as the background for a piece of art in the living room. Blue walls make for a great canvas to show off art, especially modern pieces. You could even pick this shade for your kitchen cabinetry to really make a statement while staying on-trend. Blue cabinets can be paired with anything from pastel walls to patterned wallpaper – classic blue can easily be neutral if used cleverly. If you want to start small though, pick a wall in a smaller area like the foyer or a powder room and see how you like it there.

2. Statement pieces

This gorgeous shade of blue works well for statement pieces like a sofa or an accent chair, its bright hue making it a natural centerpiece for the room. Options like our Delight Tufted Button Velvet Sofa or our Loft Gold Velvet Sofa are great to get started with. Add accessories like vases, lamps or pillows in the same shade to complement the color and you’re all set to make a statement. Rugs or carpets are another great way to bring the color into your home and make an impact. The rich Classic Blue in a texture like tufted wool or the flat weave of natural fiber will add depth and brightness to any room.

3. Perfectly paired

If you’re concerned that the Classic Blue shade is a bit too rich for your style, channel the Mykonos island vibe by pairing blue accent pieces with white. Blue cushions on a white sofa, a set of blue decorative plates on a white wall – there’s so much you can do with small curios and decorative pieces to use this trending color. If you’re feeling braver though, or if your decor style tends toward the boho-kitsch vibe, consider teaming Classic Blue with other bright colors. Pair with green for a tropical vibe by adding leafy plants or succulents, or even palm prints on your walls or upholstery. Add a hint of yellow and pink for a spot of cheer and remember to stick with pastel shades if you want to keep it gentle on the eyes. Often considered the new neutral, this shade of blue works well in patterns, like the eternally popular blue and white stripes, or the Moroccan tile print. There are definitely a lot of options when it comes to incorporating this shade into your home.

4. Opt to accessorize

If you’re wondering if there’s a low-cost way to bring this color into your home without making any major changes, we’ve got good news. There’s a whole range of accessories that come in this hue that will add that pop of trendy color to your décor. From Le Creuset kettles or KitchenAids for your kitchen countertop to woolen throws for your neutral sofa, plain or printed duvet covers for your bedroom to ottomans and planters for your living spaces, the options really are endless. And the fact that Classic Blue is a shade that’s versatile enough to pair with everything from art deco elegance to mid-century modern and everything in-between, makes it a no-brainer no matter what your taste in décor. Using different textures and materials in the same shade of classic blue can be a great way to use the same hue in many ways and keep things from getting too monotone.

5. DIY magic

Not sure if you want to invest too much but still want to incorporate the color of the year? There’s always a cost-effective option. Try repainting an old chest of drawers or a wooden chair in classic blue and see how you like it. Nothing like a DIY project to get you channeling those creative juices. Or consider wallpapering a section of your kitchen wall in a blue-and-white tile print to see how you like the color – we’re sure you’ll find yourself warming up to it in no time. Or go even simpler and spray paint a large empty jar in the hue and repurpose it as a vase or use it to store ladles in the kitchen. So much can be done to bring in the blues with just a little imagination! For home stagers as well, modern furniture rental options like CasaOne ensure that you can stay on trend by choosing pieces in Classic Blue while staging new homes. There’s nothing like updating your home with new colors to add a breath of fresh air and bringing new life to a familiar space. And no better way to channel the spirit of the new decade than by adding more Classic Blue into your life. As the name says, it is a classic, so you don’t have to worry about going out of trend anytime soon. So, go on, channel those blues!