For the first time in 5 years, Pantone has officially chosen two colors to be their Pantone Color(s) of the Year. For 2021, we present Illuminating (PANTONE 13-0647) and Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104). The beauty of having two colors, is that not only do we get to explore the design cues for each color individually, but we also get to see how they work together!
As you may recall from past articles, Pantone is the global leader in color categorization. Essentially, Pantone catalogs thousands of colors to help designers in various industries keep colors consistent across projects and between different materials – from inks, to dyes, to digital media. This also helps artists and designers find and coordinate colors. Think of Pantone as the world’s biggest color swatch or box of crayons. Additionally, they monitor and report which colors are trending at various industry events like furniture or fashion shows.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into Pantone’s hot colors for this year!
Illuminating Yellow (PANTONE 13-0647)
Let’s start with Illuminating. This yellow shade is bright and cheery, and gives off a warm, sunshine vibe. If you’re afraid that a vivid yellow is a little too “loud” for your décor, try experimenting with it as an accent. Perhaps with something as small as a throw or some pillows. From there, it’s easy to reevaluate and ask yourself if it’s something that’s for you. If so, you can expand from there!
Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104)
What about Ultimate Gray? The contrast between Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow is stark. This medium gray is stable, steady, and solid. Unlike yellow, there’s nothing controversial or boisterous about choosing a calm gray as your go-to design color. It’s such an easy foundational color to work with that literally anyone can do it. And it fits perfectly for everything from upholstery and other furniture, to paint and décor too!
The Perfect Match for Spring & Summer
When you put these two colors together is when the magic really happens! Ultimate Gray works wonderfully as a base color to ground your palette. Meanwhile, the vivid hue of Illuminating Yellow is a perfect accent color that really pops thanks to its high contrast.
The result? An optimistic, sunny tone, anchored by an enduring resilience. After the unease of the last year, this color combo perfectly communicates both hope and strength.
Be sure to add either (or both) of these colors to your home’s color palette for a trendy 2021 style upgrade. Whether together or separate, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray can be the perfect colors for your new look!
Shop Bright Yellows & Medium Gray Furniture, Upholstery & Décor at Woodstock Furniture & Mattress Outlet
Remember, Pantone’s color suggestions are more general guidelines than they are firm rules. You don’t have to find furniture or décor that exactly matches Illuminating (PANTONE 13-0647) or Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104) to take advantage of 2021’s hot color trends!
But if you’re shopping for furniture and décor in similar shades of gray and yellow, visit us at our Woodstock/Acworth, Dallas/Hiram, and Rome furniture stores today. Not only do we have the items pictured here, but we have much, much more! Especially taking into consideration the hundreds of custom upholstery fabrics we offer through brands like Kincaid, England, Craftmaster or Vanguard Furniture.
For more decorating inspiration and a glimpse at past Pantone Colors of the Year, see the helpful links below. These relevant hues may not be the latest trend, but if you like them, who cares? Finally, it’s your home – so do what you want and pick a color story that makes you happy!