Looking for interior design inspiration for 2021? Get creative with Pantone’s 2021 colours of the year!

This year, Pantone has chosen two colours which simultaneously embolden and centre the spirit. PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating Yellow both underpin “our innate need to be seen, to be visible, to be recognised, to have our voices heard.”

“[This is] a combination of colour whose ties to insight, innovation and intuition – and respect for wisdom, experience and intelligence – inspires regeneration, pressing us forward toward new ways of thinking and concepts.” – Pantone, 2021

The tandem of vibrant yellow and a more neutral gray allows endless experimentation. Whether you harness the gray as a base with a delightful dash of yellow or go hard with one colour on a feature wall or statement piece, be inspired by Pantone to experiment with the colours of 2021.

Image: @casamereki

Walls are the Windows to the Soul

It’s been said (by us) that walls are the windows to an interior designer’s soul. We love this geometric yellow feature wall from Casa Mereki, a buzzworthy interior design studio based in Mexico City.

Breaking up the pattern with white also ensures the inhabitant doesn’t feel like they’re waking up in a yellow submarine.

Getting creative with wallpaper is another way to introduce bold colours and play with light and texture.

At AIFF, we love British interior design heavyweight Kit Kemp, who spoke as part of our 2020 virtual program for the Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series.

Famed for her interiors as Creative Director of Firmdale Hotels, Kit’s clever and charming use of colours, prints and textiles has proved inspirational for thousands around the globe.

An example of how brilliantly Kit uses yellow can be seen in Room 116 at Firmdale’s Covent Garden Hotel. The walls have been lined with her ‘Willow’ fabric for Christopher Farr Cloth in Lemon “to amplify the light and add depth to the walls.” (See more at Kit Kemp’s Design Thread).

Room 116 at the Covent Garden Hotel in London. Image: www.kitkemp.com

Take Gray as Your Neutral. Then Add Yellow! 

Soft furnishings are the perfect place to slowly add in some yellow touches, whether that’s in a cushion, throw or curtain.

We love the gray and yellow vignette shown in the feature image at the top of this page, from LaForma Australia. They’ve been a regular exhibitor at Decor + Design and the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) over the years and will be showing again at the 18th edition from 15 – 18 July 2021 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

With an ethos of ‘Barcelona Living’, Laforma’s extensive outdoor collections and vibrant indoor ranges are a great match for the Australian lifestyle.

Or…Do You Need a Hero? 

Choose an unforgettable sofa in yellow which will be the hero of any room! The ‘Soft Modular Sofa’ from Vitra was designed by Jasper Morrison as an updated interpretation of a modern classic – the low-slung modular sofa. With fine proportions and precise finishing, its streamlined design also lets the vibrant colour do the talking.

Soft Modular Sofa from Vitra. Image: www.vitra.com

Looking to get up close and personal with the latest indoor and outdoor collections from Australia’s favourite brands? The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) will be returning to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 15 – 18 July in 2021. Co-located with Decor + Design, this is Australia’s premier buying and networking destination for the interiors and furnishings industry.

Entry to AIFF is free but restricted to trade visitors. Subscribe now to receive notification when visitor registration opens.

Go here to find out more about exhibiting at the show.