London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

8 Gorgeous Ways to Decorate with Pantone's 2021 Colors of the Year

8 Gorgeous Ways to Decorate with Pantone's 2021 Colors of the Year

Ultimate Gray and Illuminating make a beautiful color combination for living rooms, kitchens, exteriors, and more. Learn how to incorporate these trending colors into your home.

This week, Pantone announced two diverse shades for its 2021 color of the year: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. The juxtaposition of a soft, livable neutral with sunny yellow is meant to represent strength and positivity, offering a message of hope at the end of a long, difficult year. The two colors balance each other beautifully, and you can expect to see the combination pop up throughout the fashion, beauty, and interior design industries in the new year. To work this duo into your own home, try one of these ideas for decorating with Pantone's 2021 colors of the year, both indoors and out.

                                

1. Add color with small updates


Color trends come and go, so one of the best ways to incorporate them is with accessories that you can easily and inexpensively swap out. Pillows, area rugs, throw blankets, wall art, and other accessories offer a simple way to try out Pantone's colors of the year without going all-in on new furniture or wall paint right away. Start small with a few colorful updates and see how the shades play in your space. If you still love the look after living with it for a while, consider a more substantial dose of gray or yellow.



2. Use gray and yellow in the kitchen


Ultimate Gray is a timeless neutral that makes an excellent choice for kitchen cabinetry. The versatile color easily pairs with a variety of other hues, so it's easy to switch up if your tastes change over time. To incorporate Illuminating into your kitchen color scheme, pull in chairs or barstools in a sunny shade or roll out a runner with a bright yellow pattern.



3. Layer in cozy fabrics


Choose textiles in gray and yellow tones to add another layer of comfort to rooms. The warm tones lend an inviting feeling that's especially cozy in bedrooms and living spaces. Drape a quilted throw ($24, Macy's) at the end of your bed, pile your sofa with plush pillows, or dress windows in gray and yellow curtains ($53, Wayfair). These versatile hues work well with most neutral color schemes as well as colors like blue and green.



4. Try gray and yellow in a bathroom


Use Pantone's colors of the year to update your bathroom with a modern look. Ultimate Gray looks gorgeous as a bathroom paint color, on a backsplash, or as floor tile. Add in splashes of yellow through rugs, hand towels, and countertop accessories. For added contrast, opt for a gray paint color that's a few shades darker to make the yellow accents really pop.



5. Paint your front door yellow


Set a welcoming tone from the street by painting your front door in a bright, happy yellow. The color stands out particularly well against exteriors with gray siding or roofing materials. Outline the door with white trim to emphasize the contrast.

                                

6. Decorate your bedroom


Gray is an inherently soothing color that makes a relaxing addition to bedrooms. Apply the soft neutral on large surface areas, such as walls or bedding, to create a calming backdrop. Then mix in a yellow patterned area rug ($130, Wayfair) or mustard throw blanket ($22, Target) for a pop of energetic color to help wake you up in the morning. Metallic or mirrored accents provide a variation on gray that adds shine and dimension to the bedroom color scheme.



7. Outfit your outdoor space


Bring Pantone's 2021 colors outside for an inviting patio, porch, or deck. Create a neutral foundation with gray patio furniture, then accessorize with yellow pillows and other bright accents. For example, shiny yellow garden stools ($163, The Home Depot) can stand in as side tables or provide extra seating options. Place a gray outdoor area rug ($70, Target) underfoot to make the arrangement feel homier.



8. Accessorize with yellow


Layer in yellow accessories to add personality to a neutral kitchen. Start with a base of gray on cabinets, walls, countertops, or tile treatments, then introduce yellow in smaller ways. These colorful accents can be as simple as yellow dishware displayed on open shelves, a bowl of lemons on the counter, or a touch of yellow on a patterned Roman shade.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×