How to add Pantone color 2021 gray and yellow

As a designer and architect, color i big part of my personal life and business. Every year, Pantone ‘announces the color of the year’. after having experience of a tough year, this year Pantone announced grey and illuminating (yellow) to give hope and strength in 2021.

I will give you 24 ideas how you will add Pantone color of the 2021- grey and illuminating (yellow) that will make you encourage to use grey and yellow in your interiors and understand the characteristics of the color.

1-Try alternatives, don’t be afraid of yellow and grey

This year Pantone announced the combination of grey and yellow or illuminating is the name in their palette. It is the aim of Pantone to give a ‘message of happiness and brightness combined with strength and fortitude with the combination of Ultimate Gray (PANTONE 17-5104) and Illuminating/ Yellow (PANTONE 13-0647)”.

‘Any single color or combination of colors appeal emotions, mood and sometimes have symbolic meanings. In the color spectrum, yellow is the brightest hue,” according to color experts. Associated with sunshine, yellow brings joy, happiness, pleasant mood and hope.

On the other hand, solid and firm gray sits between black and white. Like earth and sky, gray represents the earth, strength, resilience. Though it is alone in the color palette, it matches well with the yellow that you have the opportunity to try alternatives.

 

2- Use in the plant pods and accessories

Like most the challenges in our life, it’s way easier to start with the baby steps. For some people, yellow may be too ambitious to select. That’s why I like to start  by placing yellow plant pods and small accessories to keep your room illuminate but not shout.

3- Upholster yellow curtains

Once you get familiar the brightness of the yellow accessories, you may want more shine in your room because small ornaments may not reflect the brightness in the space as a whole.  So the best solution before moving to big furniture, windows are the best places to play with. You can select bright yellow curtains with the light grey paint for the room walls.

4- Illuminate shutter and window frame in dark grey interiors

Sometimes it is think out of the box. If you have wood shutters -even in period house- you can renovate them by choosing an illuminating color.

5- Place illuminating furniture and gray rug

Again, this goes back to making it as easy as possible to get confident with bright yellow if you are fan of soft tones. Get a comfy statement chair to sit down that match with a gray rug at the same time.  If you place this in the corner of the living room, as close as you can to the white or empty wall, you’ll create a feature wall, a focal point that illuminates your room and corner.

6- Upcycle your old stair rails with the illuminating color

Nobody likes old and ugly stair. The easiest and most affordable way of renovating your stair is to pint it. i su and  way shoes right by the front door. I recommend some illumination splash onto the stair rails. I like the idea of combining yellow stair rails with the gray look of the metal or gray carpet on a wood stair. There are tons of varieties, colors and styles of stair carpet that you can choose.

7- Bring warmth with the dry yellow paints

Yellow is the color that found most in nature. The sun, flowers and even some plants have yellow. It is not only associated with joy and happiness but also warmth and life. Daffodils are popular in the nature and  they’ve inspired many artists and politicians to use in a symbolic meaning. If you are too busy to look after real plants, I recommend you get a dry bouquet of flowers that you spread all over the house. These splash of flowers will help to illuminate your spaces in an easy way.

8- Try a contrast with dark grey curtain and yellow furniture

If you want a moderate illumination, you can try the opposite tip in your curtains. Instead of yellow window upholstery, you can go with standard gray option for the window with a combination of yellow furniture. I recommend you dark gray for the window and a yellow chair in front of gray scene. That will minimize the risk of too much yellow, if you have small room.

9- Place yellow furniture in grey reinforce concrete spaces

Some of the buildings are in modern style that exposed reinforced concrete is the unique construction method in these buildings. I love modern architecture but it may be in need of some illuminating, joy and fun due to the darkness of the gray concrete. Since yellow is the perfect match with gray, I recommend some splash of yellow furniture in your rooms It is much easier to paint the concrete wall. some people go with the red tones. Though red brings warmth, it is not as bright as yellow.

10- Showcase a yellow furniture in front of a gray wall

If you do not want to touch your windows, you can follow the same concept in front of a gray wall. Any style of space, such as modern, traditional or scandinavian- that has a gray wall will serve as a screen or background for the furniture. I advice to go strong yellow furniture in front of these walls.

11- Paint your ceilings in yellow

A more convenient way to bring illumination to your room is to paint the ceiling in yellow. If your room has no walls or window treatments to illuminate, I recommend to paint the ceiling in yellow. There will be enough brightness for the room coming from the ceiling and you do not have to worry about changing any window and wall. If you want to change the atmosphere, you just pick another color for the ceiling with ease. It is that simple.

12- Use art works on an illuminating background

Again, the more convenient and affordable it is to splash some artworks in yellow hue onto your walls. If you select the pictures with yellow background, then you have more vivid atmosphere.

13- DIY concrete planters and pots

As a person that has interest in crafts, there is always opportunity to create DIY concrete planters. It is popular and fit in your room well. Though the preparation and realisation take time, the feeling of your own handicraft work is invaluable. If you are more ambitious, you can sell these popular planters and pots on Etsy or Amazon.

14- Be bold to illuminate kitchen cabinets

Yellow is the primary colour along with the blue and red in the color theory. In modern art, three primary color inspired many artworks. Piet Mondrian is the artist that used the primary color in geometric shapes. In fact his paintings look like a facade or plan of an architectural project.

Inspired with these modern paintings, some of the modern architects follow the same principle and used the primary color especially in interior design. So, why not paint your kitchen cabinets bright yellow and create a mid-century style in your kitchen.

15- Select yellow cushions on grey sofa

The strength of the gray is unavoidable for all of us besides it is functionality in our interiors. However, it may be too serious for sometimes. If you have a hose in the country side, you may need some happiness in your room. I like to use yellow cushions with my gray sofa and recommend to my clients.

16- Prefer the calm and softness of all gray in the bedroom

Once you treat window upholstery, furniture or accessories of living areas of your home in yellow, you may want to decorate your bedroom. Nobody likes to feel overwhelmed and tired in the bedroom. Sure you can create feature walls and more vibrant decor, but then you may end up changing the color or re-decorating your bedroom. That is why I recommend a calming atmosphere by selecting all architectural and decor elements in gray. From wall and ceilings to furniture and bedding, selecting gray forms a homogenous look that you can rest at night and have good night sleep.

17- Create an all illuminating space

I like challenge and I will suggest the opposite. That said, I’m saying you to create a full illuminating space. It is sometimes picking all the furniture and color palette in yellow. But sometimes it is creating a yellow illuminating with lights like in this above photo.

18- Choose yellow wall paper or tapestry for the walls

If you live in a traditional house, I suggest an elegant wall paper or a tapestry for your walls. Since traditional stage is different than a modern and minimalist one, this touch on walls is more than enough to illuminate your room.

19- Paint walls yellow

I’ve learned that simple is the best and most effective tool when it comes for the decoration. Painting a yellow wall is simple yet has massive impact on the mood of the room. Get a buck of illuminating and create a feature wall within a half day.

20- Select yellow upholstery for bedding

Again, this is the easiest and most fun to making the room change the color of the room as quick as possible. Use yellow yellow bed linen, throw and bed head. You can change to gray or any color when you get tired of he yellow.

21- Opt for yellow lighting fixture- industrial perfect

Industrial style is the most aesthetic trends that inspires from old ateliers, factories and railway stations. The trend is either to transform the vacant industrial space into a loft space, home or work place or to use some architectural elements of it such as lighting pieces, door handles, hinges etc.

The industrial pendant light is the architectural element that can come in different color and yellow is the popular color for this style. If your space suitable for this industrial style, you can think of hanging yellow industrial pendant. However, not industrial but in all design styles you can find an illuminating lighting.

22- Grey on grey

I suggested contrast use of these two color. If you need a more serious or less dramatic hue, i would suggest to go gray furniture on gray walls. Russian painter Kazimir Malevich painted suprematist composition of painting  “White on White’ in 1918. I inspired the title here gray on gray with reference to this painting.

So, if you are likely to need to create more suttle interior, especially a modern minimalist space depicting a concrete feeling, select gray color for walls and furniture.

23- Refresh room with illuminated radiators

most of us live in old houses and we have old radiators. Usually people cover with them with a radiator cover. However you will sacrifice from your room temperature when you covert your radiator. instead, you can paint the radiator. But instead painting it with gray like an old school class, choose bright yellow. It will change the atmosphere of your room in a dramatic and positive mood.

24- Best practice of yellow in commercial use to bring warmth

Yellow is the color that you can use in commercial interiors and architecture with freedom. The joy, and happiness of your clients are invaluable. You can balance the yellow with the gray without bring a shadow into the space. Restaurant, small coffee shops and hospitality are the best places that you can use yellow and gray.