For me, the color of the year is an anticipated announcement each year. While many paint makers announce a color of the year, the one that most of us spend time talking about is from Pantone.
The 2021 colors of the year are yellow and grey. It’s a mix that I’ve been seeing a lot in home decor, and it makes me a little sad that this is the prediction for next year.
Yellow is such a happy hue, but balanced with grey, yellow takes on a wistful tone. It’s like a little happy sun trying to peek out among the rain clouds of an overcast chilly day. Not a favorite Mother Nature offering for me, but it’s a scene that conjures up longing. But, maybe it’s hopeful longing?
The year of 2020 has been a year of longing. We’ve been waiting for the election, the pandemic to end, the COVID-19 vaccine, schools to reopen, wood to restock at the lumberyard, friends and family members to recover from the virus, and the green-light to leave our homes and do what we used to do pre-pandemic. We’ve had plenty of longing in 2020 to last us for a long while.
That’s why I’m a little disappointed by the Pantone picks for 2021: PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating.
Personally, I like the color combo for home decor, but I’ve had enough of the yellow-and-grey mood. I want to get the sunny-yellow mood without the somber-grey. Perhaps eventually in 2021, we will be able to drop the grey and have piles of sunny hellos to share in person? I hope so.
Yellow and grey home decor
The pair of yellow and grey hues have been popping up in home decor items and in home makeovers. Usually set in a background of white, the mix of colors is sophisticated and sunny-yet-serious. It’s not entirely playful with the grey lurking about, but without the context of the past year, it is refreshing and definitely modern.
I’ve been pinning some of my favorites on Pinterest, and I’d love to share a few with you.
