Meet the 2021 Color of the Year

In case the events of the world made you miss it, Pantone’s 2021 Color of the Year is not just one, but two shades! Announced on Dec. 9, 2020, the 2021 Colors of the Year are Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. Why these colors? Read on to learn more about what these colors stand for, along with a few facts on the Pantone Color Institute as well as suggestions on how you can add these colors into your home.

Before we dive into learning more about the perfect pairing of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, here’s a little refresher on the Pantone Color Institute and its ability to forecast and influence color trends in various design and creative industries.

What is the Pantone Color Institute?

The Pantone Color Institute was first a commercial printing company, servicing an advertising group in New York City. Today, it stands as a color authority, a creative leader that has made it its mission to guide and assist various companies in making the most informed decisions about colors. To the general public, or at least to relevant communities, the Pantone Color Institute is most known for its Pantone Guides (series of color swatches) and its annual forecast and declaration of Color of the Year.

Over the years, it has been observed that once a Color of the Year has been announced, multiple industries such as fashion, home furnishings, as well as graphic design, and product packaging follow. Retailers, designers, fashion brands, and many others come up and release their own collections aligned with the announced Color of the Year, and these would usually do great in the market.

How is the Color of the Year Chosen? 

So how does the Pantone Color Institute decide on what shade should be the next Color of the Year? Various online readings say that the selection process includes trend analysis and a thorough search of new color influence. Pantone’s color experts comb through what’s current in the entertainment, fashion, design, and tech industries. Impactful online content and world events may also be sources of inspiration. 

Once color candidates have been pooled together, Pantone’s color experts then hold private meetings and discussions with color standard groups. 

Pantone’s Color of the Year 2021

Why does Pantone’s Color of the Year work? Because at the core of it, the colors that they choose are shades that resonate with the world. They touch on social issues that need to be tackled and discussed. Take 2017’s Color of the Year, Greenery. 2017 was a year of technology fatigue. Everywhere you looked were screens, gadgets, and social media. The world was craving for reassurance and Greenery offered that by reconnecting people’s consciousness to the calm and natural care of Mother Earth. 

This year, as uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the desired effect was clear: to provide optimism and bravery. And that’s just what the Colors of the Year Ultimate Gray and Illuminating are serving.

Not Your Ordinary Gray: Ultimate Gray

While gray is one of the go-to colors for modern, sophisticated designs, color psychology says that it is a color that suggests balance. It is still, emotionless and reliable. These qualities are well-associated with Ultimate Gray. It is a color of stability, strength, wisdom, and resilience.

Sunshine Yellow: Illuminating

The color of the sun at its brightest, yellow is hopeful, and the happiest of colors. The color Illuminating captures this along with other yellow color attributes of creativity and energy, and this makes it an interesting color to pair with plain and solid gray.

Pairing Ultimate Gray with Illuminating creates an interesting contrast that works. While the colors appear to work independently, together they create a mood; the yellow pulls up, attempting to lift spirits, while the gray makes sure that everything stays real, grounded, and enduring. Illuminating is bright and cheerful with a kick while Ultimate Gray provides a firm foundation that assures. 

Together, Ultimate Gray and Illuminating are Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year, promising a better year (in comparison to 2020) despite global problems.

Paint Color of the Year for your Home 

Have the inspiring combination of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating on your walls or spaces at home. Island Prima by Island Premium Paints is a pure acrylic-based paint that’s specially formulated to provide amazing gloss retention, resistance to alkali, and excellent durability on interior and exterior surfaces.

The best part is that Prima comes in a wide variety of colors — that’s 30 premixed colors and 2 color series swatches of 240 special mixed colors. Channel the color of the year shades with these recommended Island Prima shades:

Dolphin                                 

Florets

Gather more color ideas and inspirations with home improvement and home decorating features from Island Premium Paints. Island Premium Paints is the first and only local paint with a Product Satisfaction Guarantee. 

Sources: 

https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2021

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-12-09/the-pantone-color-of-the-year-for-2021

https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/pantone-color-of-the-year-ultimate-gray-illuminate-leatrice-eiseman-innovation-20201209.html

https://www.colorpsychology.org/gray/

https://www.colorpsychology.org/yellow/