Meet 2021’s Top Colors of the Year

Each year, color experts and the leading paint suppliers analyze design trends to determine which colors will be the most popular and impactful in the year to come. This makes the new year a perfect time to pull inspiration from the recently named Colors of the Year to redecorate or repaint your home. Whether you paint your rooms with these exact shades or simply incorporate similar tones in your decor, you’ll give your home a chic and trendy refresh. 

Pantone: “Ultimate Gray” & “Illuminating”

Each year the Pantone Color Institute, a global color authority, names a color that they believe will set the tone for the year. This year, they have switched things up and chosen two colors. “Ultimate Gray” and “Illuminating” were named the 2021 Colors of the Year because together they “convey a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.” Pantone hopes people will be inspired and uplifted by this energizing combination of a mid-tone neutral gray and a vibrant shade of yellow. 

For homeowners, this color pairing is a great example of how you can match basic neutrals with pops of color for high-impact style with minimal effort. How you incorporate it into your home is up to you. Maybe you’d like to add some excitement with a bright yellow powder room or choose to use a tranquil gray on the walls and bring in yellow through furniture or accent decor. 

Sherwin Williams: “Urbane Bronze” 

In 2020, people around the world spent a lot more of their time outdoors than ever before. A lot of us rediscovered how peaceful and restorative nature can be. This could be why paint supplier Sherwin Williams took inspiration from nature for their 2021 Color of the Year. “Urban Bronze” is described as being “rooted in nature” and was inspired by stone, metals, and wood that create a grounding and meditative feeling. This deep shade falls somewhere between gray and brown. Sherwin Williams chose the color as a refreshing alternative to classic gray tones you often see in home design. 

Painting an entire room with Urbane Bronze can add richness and drama or a feeling of serenity, depending on how you style it. An accent wall is another great way to use this color to create a chic statement in any room. If you’re not sure how to pair Urbane Bronze with other colors, Sherwin Williams has created a series of “ColorMix” palettes that range from light and neutral to bold and bright. Urbane Bronze is a unique hue but these palettes make it easy to create color-coordinated design choices for your home.  

Benjamin Moore: “Aegean Teal”

Inspiration from nature can come in many different forms. For Benjamin Moore, their inspiration came from the cerulean and indigo tones of the world’s oceans. Their 2021 Color of the Year is “Aegean Teal,” a blend of blue-green and gray that brings the calming and crystal clear waters of Greece and the Mediterranean to mind. The paint supplier also identified a palette of 12 other earthy tones to complement the teal shade, which will make introducing it into your home as an accent color a lot simpler. Benjamin Moore’s goal for this year’s palette is to show how surrounding yourself with colors inspired by nature can help create a feeling of stability amidst uncertainty. 

While it may not be common to see walls painted teal, this specific blue-green tone is quite soft and pairs well with warm neutrals like “Foggy Morning” or “Kingsport Gray.” If you’re ready to shake up your neutral-toned home this year, Aegean Teal is a great way to get started. This color would also make a great accent in an otherwise neutral kitchen, like on the cabinets of an island or on the walls of a breakfast nook.

Our homes are an extension of ourselves and the new year is the perfect time for a little reinvention. No matter where you pull inspiration from, let 2021 be the year you experiment with color to make your home feel like new. Whether you’re renovating your house to sell or just to enjoy, you can always turn to our real estate experts for advice. For more on home design, visit senne.life/design.