Blue’s ‘moment’ continues with Chinese Porcelain
PPG touts calming and restful nature of its color of the year
Blue’s “moment” in the design industry is expected to continue, as PPG’s color experts have named Chinese Porcelain — a deep blue — its 2020 color of the year.
Blue has been hot in all forms, in fashion, home design and elsewhere, and has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Blue and white porcelain and ginger jars are everywhere, and blue patterned wallpaper — from simple prints to delicate Royal Delft patterns — seem new again.
PPG’s Chinese Porcelain is a mix of cobalt and ink blue. It is described as a shade that “imparts calmness and restful sleep while also offering the spirit of hopefulness, a commodity in a restless world.”
“The need for simplicity and escapism from technology is, in part, the reason that consumers are craving blues like Chinese Porcelain that bring us closer to natural elements such as the sea and sky — creating
serenity in any space,” said Dee Schlotter, senior color manager, PPG paint brand.
Master bedrooms seem to be all about soft neutrals, but imagine falling asleep surrounded by a soothing blue. In a living room, nothing would be more luscious than deep blue velvet in draperies or on your favorite chair.
PPG’s team of color experts looked at recent data from Paintzen, its own technology platform where people choose colors and schedule painting services, which showed blue to be the most explored color family and Chinese Porcelain the most engaged color for the past six months.
What goes with Chinese Porcelain? You have plenty of choices, from the contrast of a crisp white to earthy neutrals and even metallic colors like copper, gold or silver. For now, though, we’re still living amidst PPG’s 2019 choice, “Night Watch,” a deep evergreen that has plenty of blue in it. Other 2019 color picks include Pantone’s vivid Living Coral; SherwinWilliams’ warm terracotta Cavern Clay; Benjamin Moore’s soft gray Metropolitan; and Behr Paint’s Blueprint, a solid teal.
More color trends are sure to come, as those other paint and color trend-setting companies announce their own 2020 picks this summer and in the fall.