They’re the official colours of 2021.
Every 12 months, Pantone chooses a specific shade which forms the backbone to the year ahead. It’s avidly followed by artists, designers, printers, manufacturers, hairdressers – practically anyone who uses colour in their works. And for the four seasons ahead, it’s time to let yellow and grey into the spotlight.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The ‘Pantone Matching System’ was borne in 1963: a concept revolutionised to make colour matching within the printing industry simple and preventing tones from becoming mixed up. It holds over 1,114 colours to date, where each one is given its own specific name – such as ‘Sunset Orange’, ‘Cotton Candy’ or ‘Radical Red’ – names which may sound familiar if you’ve ever been paint shopping. It’s guaranteed that whether you’re searching for a colour now, or 15 years down the line, you’ll end up with the same shade which caught your eye all those years ago.
In 2000, the Pantone Institute began their ‘Pantone Color of the Year’. What began as a simple marketing scheme (like the Michelin Star), has now become a recognised standard, where many brands and businesses eagerly anticipate to guide them ahead every year. Over the past 21 years, we’ve been given a wealth of different colours, ranging from lighter blues to pigmented reds and classic green shades.
2021: ULTIMATE GRAY AND ILLUMINATING YELLOW
In Pantone’s own words, this combination is “a marriage of colour conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting. And with the choice of two – not the usual one – the placement seems more important and prominent than ever.”
Here, the two colours, which are bold enough in themselves, are both intertwined to play upon each other and help them stand out even better than before. Yellow is a classic illuminating colour for Spring and Summer seasons, and grey is an important tone during the darker months when the atmosphere becomes moodier. Pantone gives us the best of both worlds, showcasing two shades to guide us round all year. And even more importantly, when both are blended together, they push themselves further for a dramatic impact. Whether you want to play it down or unleash a striking palette within your home – ultimate gray and illuminating yellow will allow you to do that.
YELLOW IN THE HOME
Right now is the perfect time for bringing yellow into your home. As we’re fast approaching Spring, this is a colour which symbolises new beginnings and the sunnier seasons ahead of us.
Rather than blending itself into the background, bright shades of yellow command attention. This is where tweaking with spots, as opposed to changing the whole design of the room, allows yellow to easily come into play. By plotting smaller residues of it within your space, you can easily make your home more dynamic and vibrant – by even the slightest touch. One of the most prominent and easiest ways to bring some of this sunshine shade in your space is with some useful furniture. An accent chair is perfect. Our set of two tub-shaped chairs are a fantastic way for anyone to incorporate colour quickly whilst still having a useful spot to utilise and love. The soft velvet-feel upholstery sprinkles suave and sophisticated feeling into its surrounding, which blends so seamlessly amongst other textures present.. Being a set of two gives you greater leeway too – it’s easy to create a matching look in your dining and living areas if you want a full seating set-up, or you can place in different rooms of the house if you want to soak some brightness throughout.
If you’re looking to really make that statement, especially when a room adorns a retro or minimalistic feel, then choose one stand-out piece to really create a strong focal point. How about a chunky industrial table or sideboard, finished in a vivid yellow tone? By blending sharp edges and furniture which is large sized, it will make even more of an impression if your current decor is more minimal and unimposing. Or, for something just a little bit more subtle, why not go for yellow curtains, pillowcases or a lightshade?
Another great way to showcase yellow is through your walls. For rooms in white who want to switch up their look in a different way, how about painting an inward feature wall? Using a lighter shade is recommended as opposed to a darker yellow, but nevertheless, this subtle contrast will help open up a space beautifully. Bring in some artwork if you’re looking for a temporary pop of colour instead.
And just as the season comes in – Daffodils are a really lovely way to bring in colour this Spring.
GREY IN THE HOME
We’re a big fan of grey here at Aosom, and this year is the perfect time to really let it make an impression in your home.
Opposed to yellow, grey is arguably much safer to welcome into the home. A neutral shade, it rarely contrasts with other colours, and instead complements, making it easy to fuse and stack with other furniture – perfect for bringing in those odd pieces here and there. And even though it’s neutral, grey has a magic way to even enhance certain brighter shades brilliantly so they stand out further. It is noted that, whilst an all-rounder, it’s best to leave the dark tones away from walls (and wall art at times), otherwise this will create a gloomy and caged-in feel in your home. Never-the-less, it still works whether it’s a little or a lot in your space.
Starting off in the living room is an excellent way to incorporate grey into the home. Both buildable and impersonal, everyone can get involved and bring in furnishings bit-by-bit without ever feeling like it’s too much. Why not start off with a grey sofa to help set the tone you want to implement? This HOMCOM storage loveseat is an excellent choice. Compact in size, it’s suitable for any sized space, whilst the thick and comfortable padding means it’ll soon become the most coveted seat in the home. And even better – it’s got some discreet storage space so you can keep your space clean and tidy with ease. Thanks to the cotton upholstery, it’s easy to mix with other textures. For a touch of drama, add in this emerald green velvet-feel chair and on-trend ribbed-panel coffee table. The pared-back colour of both sofa and table will allow the green to stand out strongly, with the ribbed panel on the table adding another dimension to the combination for extra impact.
If you’re a fan of velvety upholstery and want it as your centrepiece, then how about this lush sofa bed? The grandeur design is enough for adding some drama into the space, but is easy enough to pair with your current furnishings.
Going for large parts of grey in the bedroom can be daunting, but if you’re wanting to try incorporating it into your personal space, then start little and choose an ottoman. For an elegant feel, this long tufted piece from HOMCOM. It provides lots of comfortable seating and holding space, whilst bringing in a feminine feeling to your room – if that’s what you’re looking for. Or, if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe but does that little bit extra – go for this round piece with built-in storage to keep your space tidy. The gold-tone hairpin legs offer a stroke of glamorous contrast, and its compact round size and comfortable padded top making it a great seat for dressing tables. This ottoman pairs wonderfully with this HOMCOM chest of drawers, where the mix of white and grey creates a softer palette which doesn’t inject a mass of grey at once, allowing it to pair with other colours present in the room. And for extra style, we recommend adding this floor lamp into the room.
If you’re really searching for a vibrant way to complement grey in the bedroom (and other parts in the home, of course), then we recommend using corals, pinks and lime greens in bedding and soft furnishings helps to gently break up the darker edges – creating a mysterious and welcoming feel instantly. And of course, if you want to take full advantage of Pantone’s choice for the year ahead, blend together with some vibrant swathes of yellow for maximum impact…
Will you be bringing yellow and grey into your home for 2021? We’d love to know below!