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Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced purchasing decisions and product development in multiple industries, including packaging design, graphic design, fashion, home furnishings, and product packaging for over 20 years.
Thoughtful consideration and trend analysis goes into the Pantone Color of the Year selection process. Pantone’s color experts and the Pantone Color Institute scour the world looking for color influences. They take inspiration from every aspect of life: technology, textiles, popular travel destinations, new and emerging artists, and even upcoming events that will capture the attention of the entire world.
So, what was Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year? PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue.
This color needed to be extra special because it would be the color that introduced us to a new decade of color. The Pantone Color Institute comments on this by saying that “Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.” Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute also says “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. Imbued with a deep resonance, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.”
How have we seen the Pantone 2020 Color of the Year in the stone and tile industry?
Every year in the stone and tile industry, colors work together through multiple different means other than the actual stone and tile itself. Cabinets, floorings, backsplash, accent walls, and paint colors all work together to create the color composition of a room.
This year, we saw Classic Blue in every aspect of the home. Most people gravitated towards the same color scheme when deciding what looked best with Classic Blue. Keeping it classic and bright, the most popular pairing for the Pantone Color of the Year was white! The most popular way we saw this combination was through Classic Blue base cabinets, white upper cabinets, a white backsplash, and a white quartz countertop.
Another popular way to use Classic Blue was in the backsplash. Pairing this color with white countertops and white cabinets brings a big pop of color while keeping your kitchen bright and open!
Alternatively, we saw Classic Blue being used as the main focal point of the color scheme instead of white. We saw this being used mainly in bathrooms: either as tiling in the whole shower or as a solid accent wall paired with patterned floor tiles.
