This kind of blue is a classic colour

As the days grow longer, thoughts turn to infusing our homes with new life and colour, and what better way to do it than to toss in hits of classic blue — Pantone’s colour of the year for 2020.

Saturated and rich, this jewel tone spans tonalities of indigo and crisp navy. Restful and restorative, the shade evokes elegance in its simplicity.

“It’s a colour that has huge impact,” says Rochelle Cote, founder and senior designer at Rochelle Cote Interior Design in Calgary.

“It adds a vibrancy, yet it’s not too bright.”

The Pantone Colour Institute suggests that the colour brings a sense of peace and tranquillity to the human spirit.

Cote is known for her elegant designs and stunning builder show homes. Collaborating with a variety of builders — including Calbridge Homes — her team is working on its 11th Calgary Health Trust Home Lottery show home to be unveiled in August 2020.

Cote says colour is so important in design.

“I don’t think that people realize the impact of their environment or understand the psychology. It can really affect your mood, and colour is part of that,” she says. “I always tell clients to put colour into the items that are easily changeable, so that you can adapt and add more colour as you go along.”

In the recently unveiled Hudson duplex show home by Rohit Communities in the northeast Calgary community of Savanna, she introduced pops of classic blue into the furnishings to complement the blue cabinets and island in the open concept home. A feature wall clad in white and classic blue sets the perfect backdrop, weaving the dining room and living room spaces together.

“We then added accents of black rattan and gold, picking up the gold in the faucets,” Cote says. “We also used blue on the headboard wall in the master bedroom, accented with warm woods. It’s definitely a cosy place to relax in.”

Classic blue pairs well with various colours, including camel, which is also a big colour star this year.

“You can really introduce quite a few colours into a home. The camel with the blue works really well because they are complementary colours,” says Cote.

She also likes to pair gold with the blue and scatter in pops of differing blue tones to add movement and dimension.

“Olive green as a contrast also works really well. All of the jewel tones are here to stay for a while,” says Cote.

Other ways to add classic blue: consider peppering in the hue in toss cushions, a throw, art, a feature wall or even drench the entire powder room for some sparkling drama.

“Adding small amounts of colour in a variety of different areas helps to bring the colour through, and don’t be afraid to use different shades of the blue tone,” says Cote. “It’s all about how you collage it together. It’s like creating an art piece.”