Color of the Year 2021

“Amid uncertainty, people yearn for stability. The colors we surround ourselves with can have a powerful impact on our emotions and wellbeing,” - Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore director of color marketing & development.

2020 has been such a turbulent year and everyone is looking forward to a more peaceful new year. If anyone has picked up on the need for calm in 2021 it's paint companies.

Looking at the new color of the year choices are that are coming out they capture the current moment in design, gathering insights from pop culture, fashion, architecture, and technology trends which right now are all rooted in balance and tranquility.

Today I am going to focus on my two favorite paint companies that I use for myself and our clients time after time, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams.

Photo Credit: Benjamin Moore

Aegean Teal by Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore has selected Aegean Teal 2136-40 for its 2021 color of the year. It is a lovey shade of blue-green with grey undertones. The color's calming qualities make it a great choice for use in bedrooms or home offices. Where I have seen it lately is in kitchen cabinetry or built-ins. Like in the photo above it lends itself well with natural materials like wood, stone, and brick to give it a sence of warmth and texture.

Benjamin Moore's 2021 color trends palette is made up of 12 organic hues from soft buttery yellows and creamy off-whites to deep earthy hues that pair beautifully with each other.

Photo Credit: Sherwin-Williams

Urbane Bronze by Sherwin-Williams

″The home is now the ultimate retreat from the world, and color is an easy and effective way to create a personal haven,″ -Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing.

Sherwin-Williams selected Urbane Bronze SW 7048 for its 2021 color of the year. It is a bold warm shade of gray-brown that gives me a strong burnished metal vibe. If you are so daring it would be a very sofisticated statement on all 4 walls in a bedroom or den. It can also be used for kitchen cabinetry, built-ins, and doors with walls painted in a warm white like Pure White SW 7005 to offset the darkness and give it a crisp contemporary look like in the photo above. Pair it with natural materials like wood, stone, leather, woven texures and metals to bring out that orgainic feel.

Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast 2021 is made up of 40 trend colors, presented in four palettes: Sanctuary, Encounter, Continuum, Tapestry. The Sanctuary palette holds 10 nature inspired colors ranging from warm whites and soft grays to more jewel colored greens and browns that when combined together hug the room with a nurturing effect.

How to use a Color of the Year in your home

Just because you like a color does not mean that it has to go on the walls. There are many ways to incorporate color into your space. a front door, cabinetry, a kitchen island, shelves or a bookcase, wallcoverings, furniture, ceilings, trim and baseboards, accessories, fabrics, or in a rug.

If you are nervous about trying a new color test in small doses with things like accessories, art, or pillows before you go all in with larger areas or pieces. In the end the colors that you choose should not be anything someone tells you to use because they are currently the trendy color. They should be colors YOU enjoy and bring YOU happiness every time you look at them. Making a color change in your home is the biggest change you can make for your decorating budget. Here are some of our top tips for creating a new color palette:

Color don’ts

• Rush to make a decision

• Pick color from a tiny swatch at the paint store or test the color on your own walls (lighting is everything for paint colors)

• Think only about the room that you are painting. Color needs to flow in order to work.

Color do's

• Create a color palette and work from there. Think about everything in your room currently, what you want to keep vs replace.

• Buy the best quality paint you can afford. Our preferred paint for the average home owner is Dutch Boy Platinum Plus it is affordable and has a ton of pigment making the application one and done. (remember you can always match colors to whatever paint you want to use)

• Can't decide on a color? Look at magazines, Pinterest and your own wardrobe for inspiration

When all else fails, call a professional. Our job is to keep you from making mistakes and help you find a color palette that you absolutely love.

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Other posts you might enjoy:

How To Choose The Perfect Neutral Paint

How To Make A Small Space Feel Big

How To Fix Common Design Mistakes

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