The essentials
- For 2021, Pantone selected two colors: Ultimate Gray (Pantone® 17-5104) and Illuminating (Pantone® 13-0647), which can be translated into natural English as “Mouse Gray” and “Sunshine Yellow”.
- Ultimate Gray is a neutral and popular gray, this light gray or “mouse gray” that already exists in many contemporary interiors.
- Illuminating is a bright, bold and luminous yellow, evoking the brightness of the sun or a floral yellow like mimosa.
- Every year since 2000, Pantone has set the season’s color trend: Violet in 2018, Living Coral in 2019, Classic Blue in 2020.
- This duo works particularly well in Scandinavian, natural or slightly vintage décor.
Every year since 2000, Pantone, a publisher of color charts for professionals, has set the season’s color trend by highlighting a color that will make its mark across the worlds of graphic design, fashion, decoration and design.
The colors selected by the experts at the Pantone Color Institute offer a global perspective, an expert insight that changes with the seasons and the years. Previously, Pantone highlighted strong colors such as Violet in 2018, Living Coral in 2019, or, in a more widely appealing register, Classic Blue in 2020.
Of course, this color of the year highlights a trend that was already emerging. It is eagerly awaited by manufacturers, creators and designers, who will develop their products based on the color or colors selected by Pantone. In the world of decoration and furnishings, color is one of the most important criteria, along with the material, when choosing an object or a piece of furniture!
What are the Pantone color trends for 2021 in decoration and furnishings?
For 2021, Pantone selected not one but two colors: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, a surprising color duo that can be translated into natural English as “Mouse Gray” and “Sunshine Yellow”. So make way for two colors that, at first glance, seem completely opposed: Ultimate Gray (Pantone® 17-5104) and Illuminating (Pantone® 13-0647).
Following a particularly complex and turbulent 2020, Pantone revisits 2016, which also saw two colors take center stage: Rose Quartz and Serenity. Once again, Pantone has taken a gamble with a duo of colors that we were not really expecting, yet which complement each other and work particularly well together in Scandinavian, natural or slightly vintage décor!
The two Pantone 2021 colors at a glance
| Pantone Color 2021 | Reference | English translation | Character in decoration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Gray | Pantone® 17-5104 | Mouse Gray | Neutral and popular gray, light gray already found in many contemporary interiors; soft, classic and designed to last |
| Illuminating | Pantone® 13-0647 | Sunshine Yellow | Bright, bold and luminous yellow; a joyful and optimistic touch of color |
How should this choice of Pantone 2021 colors be interpreted?
Pantone is offering us both reassurance and hope and flair, combining a classic, reassuring color such as light gray with a bold color such as sunshine yellow. Two colors that balance each other, two complementary colors that we initially think of as opposites, yet which offer security and hope to help us get through a challenging period and open up new horizons!
Pantone’s light gray, Ultimate Gray
On one side, we find a neutral and popular gray, this light gray or “mouse gray” that already exists in many contemporary interiors. A color that is both soft and classic, and perhaps slightly conventional, reminiscent of the natural trends currently inspired by stone, sea-polished pebbles and marble in interior decoration. This gray selected by Pantone therefore establishes itself as a strong color, designed to last in our interiors. An inspiring, soft and enduring color!
Pantone’s yellow, Illuminating
On the other side, we find a bright yellow, a bold and luminous yellow that inevitably evokes the brightness of the sun or a floral yellow like mimosa. A joyful, optimistic touch of color, naturally carrying the promise of brighter days...
How can you bring the Pantone 2021 colors into your home?
FAQ: Pantone colors in decoration
What is the Pantone Color of the Year 2021?
For 2021, Pantone selected not one but two colors: Ultimate Gray (Pantone® 17-5104) and Illuminating (Pantone® 13-0647). This duo translates into natural English as “Mouse Gray” and “Sunshine Yellow”.
What is the reference for Pantone’s 2021 light gray?
The light gray selected by Pantone in 2021 is Ultimate Gray, reference Pantone® 17-5104. It is a neutral and popular gray, this “mouse” gray already found in many contemporary interiors, inspired by stone, sea-polished pebbles and marble.
Which Pantone colors were selected in previous years?
Previously, Pantone highlighted strong colors such as Violet in 2018, Living Coral in 2019, or, in a more widely appealing register, Classic Blue in 2020. In 2016, two colors had already taken center stage: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
Which decorating styles can Ultimate Gray and Illuminating be paired with?
These two colors complement each other and work particularly well in Scandinavian, natural or slightly vintage décor. In the world of decoration and furnishings, color is one of the most important criteria, along with the material, when choosing an object or a piece of furniture.
