Sharing the hottest 2021 paint color trends, as well as some inspiration on how to use these color trends for 2021 in your home.
At the end of each year, decor enthusiasts and design professionals delight in predicting the paint colors that will outpace all others in popularity in the year ahead. While 2020 was a wild year and held many unexpected surprises, the 2021 paint color trends are all about bathing yourself in grounded serenity.
Some hues, such as whites, grays, and blush, continue to reign supreme but there are a few new colors that you can expect to find at the top of the list in 2021.
Designers know that your emotional well-being is linked to your environment, so after a year like 2020, it’s little surprise that people will seek to restore calm and reset by getting back in tune with nature.
In going along with the themes of serenity and reconnecting with nature, expect to see a lot of neutrals and muted tones with just a few bright pops to even everything out. Let’s dive in to see what the hottest 2021 color trends will be.
2021 Paint Color Trends
2020 was all about moody hues, which looking back (isn’t hindsight always…20/20?), seems even more fitting than anyone realized at the time.
And after all the craziness and unpredictability of 2020, the color trends for 2021 are all about restoring calm and serenity. Here are the hottest trending colors, and I just know you’re going to love them.
Neutrals Paired with Bright Colors
First on the list is the 2021 Pantone Color of the Year, and this year we get a special 2-for-1 deal. That’s right, this year’s color pick is actually two colors.
Gray, specifically Pantone’s Ultimate Gray (17-5104 TCX), has been used in living rooms and bedrooms for several years now. This year, Pantone is adding a pop of bright, cheerful color with Illuminating (13-0647 TCX) yellow to help boost the mood and look forward to the brighter days ahead.
Another way to use this in a more toned-down look would be like this.
PPG’s Misty Aqua (PPG1147-3) is another bold pop of color with a note of tropical personality that would also pair well with gray. It balances the earthier and neutral tones of other trending hues. Pair it with grays or cooler whites for a serene blue that brings to mind cloudless skies.
Nature-Inspired Hues
Sherwin Williams picked Urbane Bronze (SW 7048) as its 2021 Color of the Year to convey a sense of coziness and safety. This color conveys a contemporary simplicity that makes it a powerhouse in the world of neutrals and confidently complements natural materials such as wood, woven textiles, metals, and stone.
Try using it in any space you consider as a sanctuary or retreat.
Valspar’s Maple Leaf (2008-8B) is a muted uplifting hue that reflects that seasonal change of color. It pairs really well with green, so using this paint color for your wall(s) and offsetting it with indoor house plants will give your space a very welcoming feel.
Grounding Neutrals
Designers expect people to seek out grounding, restful colors to create stillness within the noise. Our homes are now where everything happens: work, school, and relaxation, which means that hue will have an even larger impact on our lifestyle.
Neutrals are still king, but instead of the typical grays and greiges, expect to see a trend toward warm earthy beige neutrals that mimic nature.
The grounding neutral paint color trends for this year include PPG’s first-ever palette of the year (called “Be Well”): a collection of 3 organic hues that embrace the simplicity of nature.
Transcend (PPG1079-4) is an oatmeal-colored hue that is reminiscent of warm sand on a summer day.
Big Cypress (PPG1062-5) adds a little earthy spice with this warm ginger shade with persimmon undertones.
Misty Aqua (PPG1147-3) is a muted tropical turquoise that adds a note of freshness with the earthy tones.
These three colors, when used together, produce a restful, calming effect that’s also fresh, as demonstrated in this image.
Jewel Tones
Jewel tones add some personality and inspiration. and a lift in mood during all the hours at home, but painting the house is a fab project to stay active and feel productive in the winter months.
Behr’s 2021 paint palette includes Euphoric Magenta (M110-7), a warm, purple-infused magenta. It’s a rich color that pairs well with charcoal, greys, creams, turquoises, and golds to lift your spirits as in this living room.
Midtones
Benjamin Moore’s 2021 paint color of the year, Aegean Teal (2136-40) is a beautiful blue-green-gray that creates harmony and serenity. It works in nearly every room of the house and pairs well with grays, creamy whites, blush, and earth-tones as shown in this example.
How to Use These 2021 Color Trends in Your Home
Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to use some of these colors in your own home. Here are a few simple ideas to help you incorporate these 2021 paint color trends if you’re looking for a refresh.
Add Small Pops of Color
Layering fabrics, using throw pillows, vases, and artwork are all ways to add in small pops of color (especially bold colors) without committing to whole walls painted in a color you may not end up liking.
This image shows how you can liven up a fairly neutral room with pops of color in many different ways yet still not commit to painting the room or even an accent wall.
{via McGee & Co}
Paint an Accent Wall
When it comes to deeper hues, sometimes painting an entire room can be too much. However, painting an accent wall completely changes the feel in the room (and takes less time!) without being overwhelming, as you can see in this bedroom.
Paint Smaller Items
Items such as kitchen chairs are quick and easy to paint to give the room a fresh feel and a pop of color. Here, the 2021 Pantone Colors of the year are on full display with the cabinets as Ultimate Gray and the chairs painted Illuminate for a fun pop of color.
Paint Your Front Door
Painting the front door with one of the trending paint colors for 2021 is a fun way to make a statement with a bold color. It’s also a small way to enjoy a pop of color that’s easy to swap out when you get tired of it, like the aqua door on this house!
I’m really enjoying the 2021 paint color trends and seeing them in action in these images makes me like them even more! Which color(s) will you add to your home first?
Now that you’ve seen all the latest interior color trends for 2020 and ways to incorporate these fun colors in your own home, I hope you have a blast updating your home in ways that make you love it again.
Remember, using these 2020 paint trends isn’t a forever commitment, so have fun experimenting and give a few ideas a try!
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