How Pantone’s colour of the year will transform interior design in 2020

The design powers that be – i.e. Pantone – have declared Classic Blue to be the colour of the year for 2020.

“We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by … Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

The specific hue in question is as traditional and classic as they come. It is a touch lighter than navy, shades lighter than cerulean or azure, and devoid of any green or purple gradients. It is just blue, or as Eiseman elaborates, “a boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky”.

Whether you’re a fan of this particular colour, there are definitely ways to incorporate shades of blue into your home (Classic Blue included). This house in Dublin is an example of rich hues:

“The homeowner is a warm, vibrant and bubbly person and we wanted the design to perfectly reflect her. The brave and bold use of colour was completely led by her,” says Roisin Lafferty, multi-award-winning Irish interior designer and the creative mind behind the house.

Thanks to a true and deeply-held passion for her work, Lafferty has once again managed to create a unique location for one of her clients, restyling a “typical three-storey, split-level Victorian house in the heart of Dublin” in a holistic project that took almost a year. The starting point was considering the homeowner’s personality and lifestyle.

“The client is a successful professional in the legal field,” explains Lafferty. “She has a keen interest in travel, art and socialising with friends. Her home was to be an expression of this, and overall a happy and vibrant space.

“The truth is, you can live a unique experience on every floor. We wanted the house to be a treasure chest of sorts, continuously surprising and delighting the owner as she uses it.”