Catch The Blue Wave
The Color Blue Dominates In 2024
By: C.L. Pinto Martinez
1/28/2024
In 2023 we saw an array of colors, the most popular collection of all was of the season fall. Lol, see what I did there? Of all the fall colors, Rust Orange was at the top of the pyramid as the staple color for the year. Well, move out of the way fall because we have a new chosen favorite for 2024 — Sapphire Blue! Many interior designers are going wild for this fabulous hue called blue! Oops, I did it again, lol. With a variety of popular painters unveiling new shades of this majestic color, no doubt a new wave is approaching the horizon.
According to the popular fashion website Stylecaster.com, “Soft shades are dominating 2024, and “powder blue color” will give all of your outfits a Cinderella feel, and “almost navy” is on the rise!” From Benjamin Moore’s “Blue Nova” to “Elemental and Cobalt Blue” being the colors of choice in this year’s logo designs, we can say with a degree of certainty that this color will dominate in 2024! Even sports designers, teams, and equipment companies are jumping on the bandwagon such as the Tokyo-based manufacturing company Fujikura, (who claims that they produce “World’s Best Golf Shafts” since 1994) introducing for 2024, wait for it, the Ventus Blue shaft with Velocore Plus. Golf? Golf is always associated with its staple color green! Do we see a shift coming? The question now is why? What is it about the color blue that is so alluring? We’ll cover a little background about this inspiring sapphire, when, where, and how to use it.
When it comes to the color blue we see it everywhere in nature, our homes and schools, in city and country living, in architecture and medicine, jewelry and art, and the list goes on. My favorite shade of blue is what I see when I go hiking most weekends, waterfalls. It’s majestic and peaceful, patient and purposeful, captivating, and altogether a wanderlust of marvelousness! In Greenville, South Carolina there in the middle of downtown is this exquisite masterpiece of a waterfall that tourists and locals just simply can’t get enough of! We see it when we arise every morning from our slumber in the sky above. The color blue is everywhere and this year it will get its applause!
The color blue signifies a lot of powerful meanings in literature, religion, business, different cultures, and throughout history. The professionalism that is often associated with blue is because it is seen as a powerful, objective, calm, and analytical color. In the world of business, blue conveys trust, honesty, and dependability. More conservative businesses tend to lead towards shades of blue because it is seen as reliable, stable, and can connect with audiences to help develop customer loyalty. This is why you see financial institutions like JP Morgan Chase Bank, accounting firms like Coastal Accounting, hospitals like Boston Children’s, and law offices like Vescio & Seifert, P.C. adopt these colors into their business brand.
Additionally, education, intelligence, sophistication, and elegance all are attributes associated with this brilliant color. Um, hello! Yale, Oxford, anyone? It’s no wonder many powerful monarchs and political figures have shades of blue embedded throughout their reign or campaigns as it were. A keen example of royalty associated with blue would be the ancient Egyptians as they equate blue with the Nile River and its life-giving properties, thus it became synonymous with royalty due to the work and cost necessary to recreate the ‘Egyptian blue,’ pigment. Hey, I guess you can put a price tag on the royal treatment.
The French and English monarchs have also embarked on embracing the boldness and beauty of blue as seen used in the heraldry of the French monarchy since at least the 12th century, with the golden fleurs-de-lis of the kings always set on a blue (heraldic “azure”) background to modern day Princess Kate and the late Queen Elizabeth II often seen wearing various appealing blue tones. Even the original Queen Elizabeth was featured in many paintings wearing shades of blue.
Digging a bit deeper, on a psychological level, blue has a natural calming effect and lowers blood pressure. This is why many hospitals, even while not in their logos, use shades of blue throughout their patient treatment and clinic rooms. You often see doctors and nurses wearing blue medical scrubs, and if you look closely even some of the medical equipment is painted some form of shade of blue.
Now to reverse directions into the way of the eternal, blue is often seen and associated with intuition, inspiration, and inner peace. Many religions associate blue with heaven, angels, God, creation, cleanliness, and even the commandments. Mother Mary is often depicted wearing a blue dress in Catholicism, signaling a sign that she is the new Ark of the Covenant. In Ezekiel 1:26 it says, “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.” If that’s not a heavenly view I don’t know what is! The Jewish flag has blue in it and is also seen in many Hanukkah decorations. In Hinduism, blue symbolizes Krishna, a Hindu deity often portrayed with blue skin. Even the world-famous church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, uses the color blue throughout its brand messaging, printed materials, digital displays, church buildings, and temples. At the end of the day, blue is definitely a color of faith.
Segued to the world of music, art, and fashion you can see the stunning blues throughout all mainstream media and in various mediums. Musicians even utilize the word blue in their names, such as Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Blues Brothers, and even Beyoncé named her daughter Blue Ivy. Heck, blue is so rocking that it even has its own musical sound, “The Blues”! Now what other color can say that? Famous artists such as Giotto, Picasso, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Botticelli all used blue pigments frequently in their paintings. We also see it a lot in architecture from the blue pyramids in Afghanistan to the blue pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, and various office buildings throughout the globe.
From a design aspect shades of blue have been used in break rooms, offices, apartment complexes, and homes all over the globe. Inspiring imagery can be seen and used everywhere. Architizer.com has created an inspiring new collection using the shades cyan, navy, turquoise, aqua, and aquamarine. When speaking about it, its blog says “When used on the interior of buildings, blue is considered to be a cool color that has soothing and calming qualities, believed to have positive effects on users’ physical and mental health.” Beautify your homes this spring with beautiful shades, tones, and hues of blue! I love the mood board entitled “Classic Coastal Home Mood Board” from the popular interior designer, Melissa Boyer of MBoyerInteriors.com where she uses, as she puts it, “a coastal feel with a masculine/rustic flair” for a living room design.
We come full circle now to talk about this bodacious color named blue and why it’s the topic of hot discussion for 2024, starting with fashion. According to the fashion trend-setting website WhatToWear.com nine colors are currently trending and coming in at number 2 is “Pale Blue” about which they write “The entirety of the blue colour spectrum was evident on the spring/summer 2024 runways but it was this specific shade of pale blue that had every fashion editor’s head turning.” When it comes to interior design, Valspar is taking the lead in this blue color craze by announcing a “ Simplified Approach to Color Inspiration with its 2024 Color of the Year, Renew Blue.” Last August Valspar took out an entire press release in PR Newswire letting the world know that blue is the “it color” and unlike in previous years, they are moving away from its selection of 12 Colors of the Year. If that is not a power move, I don’t know what is!
In the art world galleries in recent months have hosted recent collections dedicated to this magnanimous color, from the Somerville Museum in Somerville, MA with its collection entitled “BLUE: The Celebration of a Color” to the world-famous Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, located in Washington, DC with its collection simply dubbed “Blue”, it’s clear to anyone with eyes, that no other color can compare to the current heir!
In the entertainment world, our color of the year takes center stage literally with a movie entitled “Blue” featuring stars Paul Breen, Diane Lukins, and Freddie McDonnell, and in the movie “Black, White & Blue” a film by Tyler Perry at Amazon Studios. When it comes to music, the hit band “Blue” has announced a “Greatest Hits Tour” coming to a city near you in 2024.
In the world of sports cars, the all-new seventh-generation 2024 Ford Mustang gains three new exterior colors, at the top of the list is a powerful contender “Vapor Blue Metallic” set to take the world by storm. Out of the twelve new shades available, four of them are shades of blue. Who doesn’t like feeling the need for speed now and then? This ride will certainly turn heads and you’ll look incredibly cool while doing it!
When it comes to royalty, the color blue is often a first choice for any event worth mentioning. As mentioned previously, this regal color of choice has been tied to many occasions throughout generations from formal crowning ceremonies and coordinations to seasonal and even wedding celebrations. (Wow, I did it again, lol.) I will say that I personally think Princess Diana wore it best!
Giving credit where credit is due, I have mentioned a lot of brands, businesses, influencers, etc., but none is better than nature itself to give blue its due! As I have mentioned previously, I just simply love the warmth and feeling of peace I get from seeing the color blue. When I am camping or hiking by a waterfall, I instantly feel at ease, I am breathless, inspired, and in awe of just the sure purity and glory of it! The same can be done in your home, office, garden, and even your car.
Bonzi! Catch the Blue Wave! It’s coming for you fast! As we can see no matter where you are, or what you do, my baby blue is everywhere! Art, design, fashion, technology, medicine, law, accounting, banking, education, music, and the list goes on! And the Oscar for “Dominating Color of 2024” goes to Blue! Obviously and conclusively, blue is the world’s favorite color! Blue is a color that stands out all on its own and has no problems blending in with friends and helping sing the chorus. But always remember, nobody puts blue in a corner! (See what I did there? lol). So, I invite and encourage you ladies and gentlemen to dust off those casual and dress blues, get yourself a pair of blue suede shoes, and get ready to enter the dance room to Celebrity Blue’s overdue salute! It’s going to be a blast! As my girl Ella is quoted as saying “Blue skies Smiling at me; Nothing but blue skies do I see “!
