Colour is a universal language. It can influence mood, create atmosphere, and lift the spirits.
Every year Pantone, the company that calls itself “the global authority on colour”, announces the colour of the year. It is a colour forecast for the consumer and we often see how fashion, marketing and design industries are influenced by the predicted colour trends.
The Pantone Colour Institute begins global research early in the spring, looking for recurring patterns or colours in daily life situations. The process now takes nearly nine months. Pantone states that the Colour of the Year is actually “…a colour snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”
Beside Pantone major paint companies such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin William and Farrow & Ball choose their colour palettes for the upcoming year too.
So, let’s have a look at the current colour trends of 2021 and see how they resonate with you.
Pantone’s colours of 2021 are Illuminating 13-0647 and Ultimate Gray 17-5104. The Pantone news release announcing the colours described Illuminating as “a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power.” Ultimate Gray, like pebbles, is emblematic of “solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.”
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Benjamin Moore’s top pick for 2021 was Aegean Teal 2136-40. A blend of blue-green and gray, it is an intriguing midtone that creates natural harmony.
Benjamin Moore announced “…Celebrate the simple pleasures—think the faded rumple of linen sheets in the morning and perfectly ripened fruits on the windowsill. The twelve hues in the palette radiate warmth and wellbeing. These are colours that make your home feel even more like home. Settle in”. You can view other featured colours on the official web site of the company.
Sherwin Williams selected a nature inspired grey-brown tone Urbane Bronze SW7048 to be the colour of the year.
The announcement stated “…Nature at its simplest and most elemental — embodying the richness of the Earth’s stone, metal and wood — forges a feeling that’s grounded, meditative and serene. Announcing Urbane Bronze SW 7048, the 2021 Sherwin-Williams Colour of the Year. Let a colour rooted in nature create a feeling of calm and bring all you cherish together.”
Farrow & Ball sees 2021 colour trends that reflect our recent collective journey – towards more time spent indoors, emphasis on sanctuary, and the need for rooms that enhance our wellbeing. The three chocolatey tones Deep Reddish Brown W101, Tanner’s Brown 255 and Preference Red 297 are representative of that.
“In challenging times, we crave warm tones that will enrich our homes and create cozy sanctuaries away from the outside world,” says Joa Studholme. “Luxurious colours like Preference Red can be added to the most neutral of palettes by using them in rooms we use at the end of the day, when we most want to relax and be comforted … In 2021 we have moved away from dark charcoals and towards the warmer tones of nature, like Deep Reddish Brown and Tanner’s Brown, which are both luxurious and soothing.”
I see colour trends more as a source of inspiration and an interesting topic of study on how we reflect on events happening around us and unconsciously translate them to colour.
I invite you to attend my upcoming webinar on Colour if you would like to learn how colour affects our mood and ways to add colour to your home.
Cheers,
Marina
