Here’s How to Bring the Best 2021 Color Trends to Your Kitchen
By now you’ve probably seen all the picks for the 2021 colors of the year.
For the past few years, we have chosen our own list of the colors and trends you’ll be seeing in kitchen design. This year, we’re starting with the 2021 colors from the major paint companies and sharing ideas on how to bring them into your kitchen.
After the tumult and tragedy of 2020, it’s not surprising that the 2021 colors–and the one pattern of the year–are all soothing, reassuring, and nature-inspired.
All of them work beautifully in the kitchen, either alone or paired with some of the other colors of the year.
Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year: Aegean Teal
Blue and green always rank as the top two favorite colors. And both blue and green kitchens have been on trend for a while now, so Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal is sure to be a winner.
It’s a soothing shade that reminds us of escaping to the ocean on a clear day. You’ll love the way this shade pairs well with any metal, from cool stainless and dark bronze to warm copper and brushed copper. It’s also pretty with terra cotta brick and natural wood in any finish.
Even if you’re not ready to go all-in with a teal kitchen, it’s a perfect Mediterranean accent to any white kitchen.
PPG Paints’ Palette of the Year: Transcend, Misty Aqua, and Big Cypress
The PPG Paints 2021 color palette is pulled from nature, and it evokes a relaxing day of hiking in the woods near the ocean. While either Transcend, Misty Aqua or Warm Cypress would be a soothing addition to the kitchen, we like the idea of showcasing all three together.
These shades just happen to align with the palette for the kitchen Studio Dearborn designed for the 2020 House Beautiful Whole Home Concept House in Colorado. With the combination of natural oak and blue-green accents, plus copper and stainless, it created a very serene space.
Apartment Therapy’s Pattern of the Year: Wander
Biophilia has been a big word in design this year. We’ve written a handful of stories on this ancient approach to design that harnesses the power of nature views, natural forms, and materials to help us feel calmer, happier, and more productive. So it seemed timely when Apartment Therapy named this botanical print called “Wander:” by Jess Franks as its Pattern of the Year.
The hand-painted pattern has curves and repeating shapes that make it very soothing to the eye. A similar wallpaper or mural would be an ideal way to add a bit of natural beauty to an accent wall, backsplash, or a seating nook.
Farrow & Ball’s Color of the Year: Preference Red
The British paint maker Farrow & Ball chose a dozen colors of the year for 2021–one for every month.
We were taken with Preference Red, a shade that F&B color consultant Joa Studholme calls warm and luxurious. It’s a classic deep red that reminds us of some of our favorite garden roses, pomegranates, and claret wine.
It’s a moody and exciting kitchen choice that works well with grey, earthy pinks, and dark blue shades as well. By the way, the name Preference Red is a reference to F&B’s original name: Preference Paints. Like all their shades it’s not inexpensive, but your kitchen is worth it.
Sherwin Williams’ Color of the Year: Urbane Bronze
Sherwin Williams found earthy inspiration for Urbane Bronze, its 2021 paint color of the year. The company chose a shade that evokes minerals like pyrite and anthracite, mud baths in Italy, and rich topsoil.
It’s a deep shade that grounds a space and acts as a neutral that can balance white or other brighter shades. It’s both chic and warm. And it looks lovely with any metal hardware finish you can imagine.
Pantone’s Colors of the Year: Illuminating + Ultimate Gray
Gray is a natural choice for the kitchen: it’s the color of stainless steel and so many beautiful countertop stones, like Vermont Danby marble and imported Carrara Silver marble.
Yellow naturally lifts our spirits and makes us think about eating. A Zillow survey from a few years ago found that homes with yellow kitchens sold for $1,300 more.
There’s a retro appeal to this combination of a strong bright with a soft gray, as this classic-modern kitchen by Denise Davies of D2 Interieurs shows.
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