Classic Blue is Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2020

Classic Blue

If you’re considering giving your walls a new look and need some decorating tips and inspiration, then look no further than Pantone’s Colour of the Year – Classic Blue. The eagerly anticipated announcement influences the DIY market, product design and fashion and is based on influences from the entertainment industry, popular travel destinations and socio-economic conditions.

Timeless colour

Chosen by Pantone’s colour experts, Classic Blue brings a ‘sense of peace and tranquillity’ and is ideal if you’re decorating to calm anxiety or transforming rooms into a calm and relaxing space. It’s been chosen at a time when life appears to be moving at great speed with technology racing ahead of the human ability to process it all. Therefore, this trusted and universal favourite colour ‘highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era’.

As this timeless colour is fairly dark, it’s important to use it in moderation, such as on an accent wall. By pairing Classic Blue with neutral and pastel colours, this can create a balance of tones and hues. If you want to create an elegant look, pair Classic Blue with a cool grey. Alternatively, if you’re afraid to take the plunge with blue walls, then use accessories that incorporate Classic Blue, such as throws, to add some colour to the room and a sense of calm.  It also pairs well with natural materials, such as natural wood and leathers.

Creating your canvas

Before you get your paintbrush out though, you’ll have to prepare your wall first and that’s where we come in! Dark tones show more imperfections that lighter colours. To avoid highlighting existing imperfections, you will need to sand down plaster walls; evening out rough areas, indentations or holes to give you a smooth, continuous surface on which to work.

Firstly, take a look at our sandpaper guide to choose the right sandpaper for the job, such as Norton Expert sanding rolls and sheets for sanding plaster. The high performance ceramic abrasive technology combined with flexible fibre reinforced backing and an anti-clogging No-Fil® layer provide excellent results and improved surface removal when sanding and smoothing plaster and filler. 

To help minimise the dust created from sanding all types of plaster and filler, try the Norton Expert wall sander Dust-Free Sanding Kit. Simply attach the sanding head to your vacuum cleaner and let the Norton Multi-Air® technology do the rest. This can help save time cleaning up all the dust that sanding typically generates.

Blue chairWhen you’re ready to start painting, take a look at the five common issues when wall painting to avoid these mistakes. To ensure decoration preparation success, follow these decorating tips.  

Blue hues

To infuse a sense of calm with finishing touches, you could try upcycling some of your old wooden furniture to create standalone pieces. Painting wood furniture is a great way to achieve a completely new look in no time at all. For example, Classic Blue painted furniture will create a sophisticated look when paired with neutral white walls.  If it’s your first time painting furniture, you just need to lightly sand it down all over in the direction of the wood grain; smoothing out any rough areas whilst imparting a tactile surface to receive the furniture primer. Norton Expert has a wide range of suitable sanding sheets and rolls, with self-gripping, dual-purpose foam blocks available to help make this part of the process simple.

Apply your primer and lightly sand again, ensuring that the surface is smooth and even. Then, apply your Classic Blue paint and leave it to dry. For a vintage, worn, shabby chic look, you can always experiment with further sanding – a coarse grain for a heavily distressed look or a finer grain for a matte, bleached or time worn appearance. This sandpaper guide can help you choose the right sandpaper for the job.

Don’t forget to tag @nortonabrasivesuk on Facebook and share a photo of any upcycling projects using Norton products and tell us all about your creation. Please contact our Norton experts to find out more about DIY products.