Pantone's Colours of the Year

With the world still in the middle of a challenging time, we find ourselves drawn to anything that will brighten up our days — so it’s not surprising that this year Pantone have decided to give us not just one, but two ‘Colours of the Year’ that they believe will help people as they seek ways to "fortify themselves with energy, clarity and hope".

‘Ultimate Gray’ and ‘Illuminating’, a bright and optimistic hue of yellow, have been announced and they are certainly bringing a lot to the table this year. ‘Illuminating’ is a bold and bright yellow tone that is meant to evoke ‘the optimistic promise of a sunshine-filled day’, whilst ‘Ultimate Gray’ is much quieter and is said to signify ‘composure, steadiness, and resilience’. They are natural tones that Pantone says can be compared to a scene such as time-weathered pebbles on a beach, which is honing back to bringing the outside in, a trend we have seen really grow into its own of late. 

For designers everywhere, the two tones contrast and compliment so have a multitude of uses, and that’s especially exciting for interiors as it brings new ways to innovate and inspire. For example, you could use a yellow tone as your core colour on the walls, and accent with grey furniture and fabrics, or for a more contemporary twist, try it the other way around and really make your sophisticated grey space pop with touches of bold and brilliant yellow. 

However you decide to introduce these Colours of the Year, we would encourage you to experiment, and enjoy Pantones intentions of allowing them to bring you energy, clarity, and hope.