Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year Is Finally Here and It's a Total Classic

Every year design lovers wait with bated breath to find out what color Pantone will select as its Color of the Year. After months of other Color of the Year predictions steadily rolling in, the color experts at Pantone always wait until early December to make their choice. And this year, they're going with a classic.

Pantone's official 2020 Color of the Year is Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue. The shade feels decidedly approachable and particularly well-suited for interior design. It's not quite as dark as navy or as bright as royal blue, instead it feels like a classic true blue that Pantone describes as "a timeless and enduring hue elegant in its simplicity."

And just as all the other 2020 Colors of the Year have been inspired by the opportunities a new decade can bring, so too is Pantone's choice.

"Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era," the brand explains in a press release.

In a statement, Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, expands on the inspiration behind Classic Blue's status as 2020's Color of the Year. "We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on,” she says.

So what do other design experts think about the hue? The overall response has been consistently positive.

Sue Wadden, the Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams tells MyDomaine that her team is on the same page as Pantone. “Deep blues like their Classic Blue and our own 2020 Color of the Year, Naval SW 6244, are poised to carry us into the next decade," she says. "Relaxing, assuring shades of navy add a calm confidence to any space of the home, from living rooms to bedrooms and kitchens.” 

Similarly, Jackie Schneider, CID, Vice President of Marketing at the window and door company Marvin believes the timelessness of deep blue tones make them a great choice for just about any space.

“Homeowners are interested in flexing their creativity by cultivating spaces that are thoughtfully designed to evoke certain feelings or emotions," she tells MyDomaine. "Deep blues can be used as both beautiful, grounding accent colors or even as a dominant color in a room for a bolder statement, like theater rooms, living rooms or smaller powder rooms.”

Ready to add Classic Blue into your own home? Erika Woelfel, Color Expert at Behr Paint recommends Optimum Blue M540-7 as a close match to Pantone's shade. But she also recognizes that blues across the spectrum have been trending in the décor world.

"In a time where many people are looking to nature for inspiration and bringing the outdoors in through home décor, we’re seeing a full range of blues bubble up: think, icy aquas, watery teals, and inky blues reminiscent of a clear evening sky," she explains.