Where to discover Pantone’s 2021 Colours of the Year

To represent 2021, the US-paint brand has selected two shades – this is only the second time they have done this in the Colour of the Year’s two-decade history. For 2020, Pantone chose Classic Blue, which was eerily announced weeks before the first Covid-19 cluster was discovered, it being a shade used for medical scrubs around the globe.  

For 2021, the two shades are Ultimate Grey and Illuminating (17-5104 TCX, 13-0647 TCX). Many have likened the colours to road markings and hi-vis vests, a dull urban melancholy. However, Pantone says their choices are “a message of happiness supported by fortitude”, and that “there was never going to be one colour that could express everything that needed to be expressed – that it was, instead, critical to have two independent colours that could come together.”  

And we completely agree. 

2021 is likely to be a transitioning year and moving from Ultimate Grey to Illuminating is the goal. There is no other colour that could express hope and happiness as much as a yellow. The complementing colours bring out the best of both, and we couldn’t help but investigate our Cotswold cottages and discover where might we find these colours that will take-off in 2021.  

1 Horseshoe Cottages 

Location: Lower Swell 

Tucked away into one of the bedrooms you’ll discover Ultimate Grey and Illuminating. The cushions combine the colours with a bright yellow strip against the grey, while the headboard and throw add a bright dash of sunshine. 

Appletree Cottage 

Location: Bourton-on-the-Water 

Here you can understand what Pantone meant by two independent colours coming together. The calming grey tones of the bedroom are expressed in a variety of fabrics, but the two yellow cushions brighten the whole room up and enhance the warming bedside lights.  

Stable Cottage 

Location: Saltford 

Stable Cottage must have known the 2021 Pantone colours even before the company! Not only is the grey kitchen enhanced by the delightful table runner, the soft grey sofas and chairs in the living room are also decorated with fluffy yellow cushions that look wonderfully cosy and comfortable.  

Grindstone Mill 

Location: Wotton-under-Edge 

The luxurious furniture in Grindstone comes in many colours, but we can’t help noticing the light grey curtains and footstools in the impressive living room, offset by the odd golden yellow cushion and even golden ornaments.  

Hawthorn Cottage 

Location: Northleach 

Hawthorn’s dedication to the 2021 Colours of the Year is hard to miss. From the moment you step out of your car you will spot the bright yellow door of the cottage, with grey slate sign and letterbox.  

Lakeside 

Location: Fossebridge 

Unlike Hawthorn cottage, Lakeside’s show of appreciation is a bit more subtle. The living room employs the use of grey cushions and monochrome prints, but if you look carefully you can spot the Illuminating vases and subtle colour on the chequered cushion.  

Archers 

Location: Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe 

The designers of Archers are making sure you won’t miss the combination of Ultimate Grey and Illuminating in the cottage. Besides from the ornate wallpaper, there are also full walls painted grey with delicate, yellow accents, across the house.

Lovell Cottage 

Location: Minster Lovell 

This wouldn’t be a Bolthole blog without a mention of the famous Cotswold stone. The exposed yellow brick is not only a great complement to the soft grey sofa, but also provides a brilliant contrast in texture.

Discover our Cotswold cottages that embody Pantone’s Colours of the Year 2021: Ultimate Grey and Illuminating.