2021 Pantone Color of the Year

Image credit: Pantone.com

If you've been here longer than a hot minute, you'll know that while we follow and comment on color trends, at the end of the day, we're gonna do our own thing. And we encourage our clients and friends to do their own thing too. We don't do "matchy matchy", we believe firmly in the philosophy of "if you love it, it goes", and we get super excited when we can push the limits of color and pattern in a space and it turns out even better than we envisioned. Last year when Pantone announced the Color of the Year for 2020, Classic Blue, we appreciated the choice in that it was made in the attempt to assure us that everything was going to be OK. It was safe, dependable, dare I say, patriotic. Looking back, it appears that the Universe thought that choice was laughable and gave us plenty of reasons to protest such a confident color. Covid Red might have been the better option. 
For 2021, Pantone decided there would be not one but two Colors of the Year; Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. Maybe they learned their lesson in not putting all the chips on one bet? 

Image Credit: Foursquare Builders

According to the Pantone website, these colors are "A marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting."
We see you, Ultimate Gray, as the pillar of concrete strength and practicality. We firmly set our design aesthetic on a room with a neutral base that often includes pale gray walls that are both practical and versatile. Gray has quickly surpassed tan and brown as the neutral of choice when buying a sofa or other large furniture item. It instantly gives an element of sophistication to a room.
Illuminating immediately has me singing "Sunshine Day" in my head, and maybe that was the intent. We could definitely use some sunshine in our lives right now and seriously when has a yellow pillow or yellow tulips not made you smile? Plus with the popularity of Ochre last fall, a brighter, sunnier yellow is a great transition to spring. 

Image Credit: Architecturelab.net

Now, is SGD going to ever design a room in gray and yellow? No. BUT, we are fully on board with incorporating elements of this color duo in to a room and have curated an assortment of products to get you up to speed on this trend. Check out our Color of the Year Shop here and some of our top picks below. 

So tell us, what are your thoughts on these color choices? What would your pick be? If you have some great yellow and gray rooms you'd like to share, we would love to see them! 
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