Pantone Colour of the Year 2021

Here’s what Pantone say about their 2021 colour of the year:
The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute
This combination was the inspiration for these mood boards
Brighter times ahead
Spring is in the air. The bulbs I planted in the autumn are starting to break through the cold dark earth. The days are getting noticeably longer, especially when the sky is clear and the winter sun shows its face.
It is naturally a time of optimism. The image of swathes of yellow daffodils came to my mind when I was creating these mood boards.
In fact, the yellow paint I have chosen to represent Pantone’s Illuminating is Trumpet by Little Greene. I wonder if the name of this luminous shade was based on the daffodil’s distinctive shape?

“Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colours of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time.”
I can understand why Pantone have brought these two hues together for 2021. After an unprecedented year in 2020, I think, as humans, we are looking for a rebalance in the year ahead with perhaps a hint of optimism.
The psychological effect of colour
It’s funny isn’t it how our thoughts and feelings are translated into colour. Are these colours representative of how we have had to envelope ourselves in the safety of our homes over these past 12 months?
Looking forward, let’s hope that the liberties we have long taken for granted are reinstated by the time the daffodils are in full bloom.
Click on this link to read Pantone’s announcement.
📸 Carolyn Hayter