The new year is here and 2020 is finally behind us.
Rather than dwell on the past, we are moving on and looking forward to a brighter future. In many ways, these 3 color trends of 2021 reflect this hopeful outlook:
1. Warm neutrals and natural hues
2. Bright yellows and soothing blues
3. Decadent, emotional, and deep
When it comes to livening up our world and meeting our post-2020 needs, the first item on the list is color.
The past decade has been full of variations of gray, white, and black, and it’s time to move on and bring some color into our lives. It’s time to let go of the cold and impersonal. It’s time to embrace life-affirming colors, whether they are soothing, earthy sand tones or rich, decadent reds. This year has marked an exciting milestone and massive changes to the world of color. We’re making room in our living spaces for mindful reflection and we seek consistency and solace in a world of uncertainty.
Warm Neutrals and Natural Hues
Warm, beautiful neutrals have taken the place of cool grays, chosen, no doubt, to enhance and enliven our living spaces. Since many of us have never spent more time in them, it’s never been more important to create a cozy, safe place for ourselves.
Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams
A prime example of this is the beautiful Urbane Bronze, Sherwin-Williams’ color of the year. Its presence is strong but its tone is warm, evoking feelings of nostalgia while still being perfectly modern. Working just as well as an accent as it does filling a space, it’s sure to pull the whole room together in cozy, homely fashion.
While Urbane Bronze may be a bolder take on the neutral trend we see in 2021, there is still plenty of room for lighter neutrals, as well, especially natural, warmer ones. Take the majority of Behr’s 2021 color palette, for example, with colors like Almond Wisp, Seaside Villa, Modern Mocha, Sierra, and Canyon Dusk. Each of these colors resonates with a refined quality despite their earthiness. This unique combination gives them the ability to easily create an inviting space.
Sunny Yellows and Soothing Blues
Illuminating and Ultimate Gray by Pantone
For only the second time in 22 years, Pantone has selected two colors for their color of the year - Illuminating (Yellow) and Ultimate Gray. True to its name, this vibrant yellow is a beacon of hope and the characterization of our dream of a sunny future. As the experts at Pantone have elaborated, the year 2021 needed more than just one color in the same way that we need more than just ourselves to get through the rough times.
Illuminating yellow forms a brilliant pair with its coselection Ultimate Gray, whose inclusion encapsulates solidity, and our much-needed rock, after a year filled with uncertainty. The interplay between the two is exciting, a delicate balance of being grounded and resilient while feeling uplifted and rejuvenated.
Aegean Teal by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore’s color of the year is Aegean Teal, a phenomenal blue chosen for its ability to soothe, comfort, and nourish the spirit, not unlike a long view into a beautiful seascape. Something about this color is entrancing and of notable depth, not just in saturation but in personality. It’s also surprisingly versatile, something that would obviously suit a maritime theme (especially given its resemblance to verdigris) but also feel at home alongside the thoughtfully chosen colors of Benjamin Moore’s lively Color Trends 2021 palette.
Long Horizon by Sherwin Williams
Long Horizon is a deep blue that was chosen for Sherwin Williams’ “Delightfully Daring” color collection, and it does not disappoint. Selected for its unique vibrancy that isn’t hindered by its depth, it strikes a balance between being energizing and calming at the same time. Just like the much-needed new year, it’s another breath of fresh air, which both reinvigorates and relaxes at once.
Decadent, Emotional, and Deep
The next colors are just two examples of a range of bold, rich, emotional colors that experts say offer a distinctive “cocooning” effect on people, which is to say they are colors in which people want to wrap themselves, so to speak.
Passionate by Sherwin Williams
Passionate by Sherwin Williams is a remarkably bold red that happens to be part of the aforementioned “Delightfully Daring” color collection and is the Sherwin WIlliams color of the year. The year is new and so are we. We’re throwing out the gray, white, and black. We’re going to luxuriate a little. This bold red is how we’re going to do it. This idea of surrounding oneself with warmth becomes especially tangible with this shade of red. It’s as if you could reach out, grab it, and wrap it around yourself like a blanket. It plays well with soft whites and natural textures, and seems to have been formulated to encourage mindful reflection.
EPOCH by Graham and Brown
To round out the list for 2021, we’re taking a look at Graham and Brown’s color of the year, simply called Epoch. It’s a heavily saturated plum color that is bold and decadent with a matte finish. As with many of the colors we’ve mentioned, there is a superbly warm, inviting quality, but this one has a distinctly royal feel to it without being at all pretentious. Interestingly, the launch of Epoch marks Graham and Brown’s 75th Diamond anniversary. They describe the color as a rich, deep amethyst, which is another trend that some experts have pointed to as developing in 2021, namely the use of gem colors and tones.
What an exciting time for the world of designers, color enthusiasts, and people who get excited about sprucing up their living spaces with fresh, amazing color. Whether you’re shooting for neutrals and greiges or bursts of bright, bold powerhouses, always choose what gives you joy. Take advantage of making your space as cozy as possible, and enjoy settling in. Create a space with your wellbeing in mind that allows you to be at your very best.
The Vault has the perfect affordable luxury lighting to go with these color trends. Any one of these luxury light fixtures will complement these colors and transform your space for 2021!