2020 Color Watch: An Ode to Blue

Blue.

The color of sky and sea; this satiating hue is deeply associated with feelings of rejuvenation. And as you probably know, it’s also my long-time favorite color. I see blue as a neutral—like a classic pair of blue jeans in your wardrobe. It goes with nearly everything. Am I right?!

Rust-Oleum has launched their 2020 Color Watch with color trend predictions for the year, and I was tickled to see they named Ink Blue their color of the year! Obvi, I’m on board. Some of my most favorite things in life are Ink Blue, like my mismatched blue china collection that I’ve collected over years of thrifting + the gamut of Henri Matisse’s beloved Cut-outs and Blue Nudes works. Swoon!

Beyond Rust-Oleum’s featured Ink Blue, their 2020 ColorWatch palette is a line-up of nine trend-forward colors with hues ranging from subtle to showstopping. Solstice Blue and Perfect Gray are on my radar big time too!

Hitting the ‘Refresh’ Button In 2020

All this talk about this year’s ‘It’ color has inspired me to infuse a bold bit of ink blue our living room. For nearly 5 years, we’ve been hobbling along with one side table in here. Yeah, we’ve been dragging that wood side table (shown in the lower right of the above photo) around the room depending on where we’re sitting. Made of legit wood beams, you can imagine how maddeningly heavy it is, and with the dawn of a new decade, it’s time we stop this ridiculous game of ‘Musical Side Tables’, and add another surface to the mix. Copeesh?

The Great Table Hunt

I’m a big fan of shopping second hand for casegoods, art, accessories and lighting because thrift stores have those one-of-a-kind finds that no-one else has + pieces that are just begging for your personal stamp (aka TLC!). All the while, you’re helping to reduce landfill waste.

These lowly, veneered nesting tables priced at just $3.99 + $6.99 are prime examples of diamonds-in-the-rough that just need a little vision…a little love! I suspect they were retail display tables in a former life. Their worn/chipped veneer has definitely seen better days, but the simple, iconic lines are classic enough to rock the bold color infusion I have in mind.

After using spray paint for our radiator cover last summer, I knew spray paint was the way to go. You get that brushstroke-free, cabinet-maker spray finish and there are no paint brushes or vessels to wash at the end of the project.

Rust-Oleum’s Ink Blue plays swimmingly on the moments of blue in our living room’s existing Persian rug, pillows and pouf. As a plot twist, Ink Blue is much more vibrant making it a bold, irreverent, delicious statement in here.

Our home is an ever-evolving work in progress–just like we are as humans. There isn’t a definitive destination other than creating a home that’s an authentic reflection of our family’s needs, tastes, and values.

This pair of thrifted nesting tables was just the duo to add an inspired jolt of color to the living room and put an end to our side table charade once and for all. It’s amazing what small changes can do to make spaces more functional, and dare I say, more enjoyable?!—No more table shuffling in this house! 

Though blue may be “trending” at the moment, my love of blue won’t be going away anytime soon. I think when you truly love something, it has this incredible ability to transcend. Whether or not you share my love of the color blue, I hope you’ve found some inspiration here to hit the refresh button in your own home through moments of color.

This post is sponsored by Rust-Oleum. Thank you for supporting brands I truly love and personally use.