Setting the Trend: Pantone's Colour of the Year 2021
CURATED
2021 brings with it an unprecedented move for the Pantone Colour of the Year: a duo of eye-pleasing colours that set the tone for the coming year as one of compliment and contrast!
After twenty-one years of trend-setting pigmentative prognostication, the Pantone Color Institute has taken the bold move of selecting two colours, together, as Colour of the Year: Pantone 13-0647 Illuminating, and Pantone 17-5104, Ultimate Gray.
This remarkable pairing of yellow and grey highlights the need for warmth and optimism supported by cool reserve, while also bringing a sense of vibrancy and fun to the solid strength the world needs at this moment.
To celebrate this daring pair, we've collected a selection of strong yet fun lights to complement any space.
Buds Collection from Foscarini
The Buds collection of designer lights by Rodolfo Dordoni from Foscarini
Five layers of handcrafted blown glass with an interior finish of vibrant yellow, Foscarini's contemporary revision ofRodolfo Dordoni's Buds rejoices in its inner vitality. Off, Buds exudes a cool beauty—contained and private. On, it bathes its surroundings in warm light—joyous and open. Shall Buds' inner light be contained or expressed? The choice is yours.
Arne Domus from Santa & Cole
Arne Domus suspension lights, flanked by Arne S Domus pendants, from Santa & Cole
Sleek and elegant, but with an industrial presence, in Arne Domus the team at Santa & Cole presents you with a versatile luminaire that is equally comfortable illuminating a living room, restaurant, or workshop.
Yoyo Pendant Light from Stuff by Andrew Neyer
Yoyo from Stuff by Andrew Neyer
For Yoyo, Andrew Neyer turned the classic child's toy on its side. Thus, like A.A. Milne's "Halfway Down," Yoyo is neither up nor down, and yet both at once. Created through the fusion of two spun aluminium shades, Yoyo finds fun in simplicity.
Tube Top Table Light from Pablo Designs
Tube Top table lamp by Peter Stathis for Pablo Designs
Warm yet dignified, Peter Stathis designed the Tube Top collection to be a study in contrasts: classic style seen anew, weight and buoyancy combined, striking minimalism. Although based on contrast, Tube Top is a compliment to any space.
Pivotante à Poser from Nemo
Pivotante à Poser table lights by Charlotte Perriand from Nemo, in yellow and grey
(for our American friends: that's like "gray," but Canadian, eh?)
Like all Charlotte Perriand's works, Pivotante À Poser is emblematic of the philosophy that functionality bestows beauty. Clean and sleek, this simple yet confident light's rotating diffusers allow you to direct the light exactly where you need it.
Nappe Pendant Lights from Masiero
Two examples of the endlessly-adaptable Nappe lighting collection, designed by Marco Zito for Masiero
Renaissance opulence translated through modern sensibility, Nappe proudly points to the Venetian tassels that inspired Marco Zito, while still being fun and contemporary in its expression. Available in several sizes and customizable forms and colour schemes, Nappe establishes its presence boldly, while complimenting your space perfectly.
Stupa Suspension Lights from Innermost
The Stupa pendant collection, designed by Freshwest for Innermost
Two colours, two sizes, two shapes. The wonderful shape and complexity of design studio Freshwest's Stupa evokes the architecture of far-off Eastern temples in the familiar comfort of your home or office.
Piccola Table Lights from Pablo Designs
A trio of Pablo Pardo's Piccola table lights for Pablo
At only 33cm tall, Pablo Pardo's Piccola lives up (down?) to its name. But don't underestimate it: its fun and whimsical form is defined by brilliant engineering—which keeps its shade level however you position it—and luxurious materials, like the Italian glove leather that enrobes its base.
Babel T Suspension Lights from Parachilna
Babel T ME (left) and Babel T GR (right) chandeliers, designed by Stephen Burks from Parachilna
Designer Stephen Burks brings a sense of warmth to dignified stateliness in the gold variant of Babel T. A wonderful collection of chandeliers that comes in several strong yet elegant shapes, Babel T can also be customized into a form that serves your needs and tastes to a "T."
Mouse Lamps from Seletti
Mouse (Mac variant) by Marcantonio from Seletti
Marcantonio's Mouse Lamp table lights are more than just fun and whimsical flights of fancy (though they are very much that, too); they interrogate the relationship between life and technology as the mice interact with their lamps rather than simply embodying them. Whimsical depth: what else would you expect from Marcantonio?
Blom from FontanaArte
FontanaArte's Blom table lamps by Andreas Engesvik
Fun, functional, and remarkably versatile, Andreas Engesvik's biophillic Blom brings a sophisticated joy to any space. Measuring at only 24cm, it backs up its lighthearted appearance with careful engineering, such as polycarbonate petal-like blades, which allow you to adjust them comfortably even with the lamp on.
Bola Felt Suspension Light from Pablo Designs
Bola Felt pendant light from Pablo Designs
Bola Felt from Pablo is soft and pliable, yet remains firm and strong. Evocative of a glamorous starlet at a Hollywood premiere of yesteryear, Bola Felt winks at those bathed under its light. This expressive shade shrugs off any suggestion of such inner tension and seems to almost float with a casual effortlessness.
Paper Table Light from Moooi
Paper table light by Studio Job from Moooi
With the Paper collection, Studio Job contrasts classic styling with innovative media, bringing the old and new together in a fun, vibrant way. A marvellously playful expression of vintage sensibilities, Paper offers a counterbalance of worlds, allowing it to compliment a wide range of spaces. Also, it looks like a Victorian light by way of a Scooby-Doo cartoon, which is awesome.
Who is Pantone?
For almost sixty years, Pantone has been the authority on all things colour. With the development of their colour-matching technology in 1963, they revolutionized the printing and design worlds and created new standards for precision and consistency. In 1986, they expanded their services with the founding of the Pantone Color Institute, which offered consulting and forecasting services to help their clients better represent their brands and anticipate upcoming trends.
Since 1999, the Pantone Color Institute has named a Colour of the Year for the upcoming year, based on their extensive research, knowledge, and experience. This colour, then, inevitably informs style and design trends around the world.
Read more about the Pantone Color Institute's choice to pair Illuminating and Ultimate Gray here. Not ready to move on just yet? Check out our blog post featuring the 2020 Pantone Colour of the Year!
Discover more colourful lighting experiences online or through one of our offices and showrooms in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, and Winnipeg.