Colour of the Year: 2021

Experts are announcing their predictions for the key trends in 2021, and top brands have chosen their colours of the year for interior design.

Farrow & Ball

Deep Reddish Brown, Tanner's Brown, Preference Red

Farrow & Ball admit that in 2019, we didn’t know just how important our homes would be to us in 2020. They’ve planned their colour palette around earthy colours, that they believe will enhance our well-being. Their colour curator says: ‘in challenging times, we crave warm tones that will enrich our homes and create cosy sanctuaries away from the outside world’.

Their first pick is Deep Reddish Brown, which matches its name. It’s an autumnal shade that has warm tones. This would look great on a cast iron radiator, or paired with a metallic or polished finish.

Next up is Tanner’s Brown, which Farrow & Ball call ‘luxurious and soothing’. It’s a dark, warm tone, ideal for anyone looking for a very deep brown. If you are looking for a dark-coloured radiator, this would be a great paint finish. Alternatively, if you choose to use this on your walls, you could pair it with a lighter-coloured cast iron or column radiator for a lighter finish.

Their third choice is Preference Red. This dark red is very warm, and would look great as an accent colour or feature wall, combined with a neutral palette. If you are looking to use this on a radiator then we would recommend an eggshell finish, and this tone would be great for adding a touch of luxury to a simple, traditional cast iron radiator.

Pantone

Illuminating, Ultimate Grey

Pantone have taken a different approach to Farrow & Ball, going for very different shades. Their choices are PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray, a cool grey that is ideal for walls, fittings, and furniture, and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, a bold, bright yellow. They describe these choices as ‘practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic’, offering a message of happiness.

Grey has been popular in interior design for a while now, seen all over Instagram and Pinterest in homes of any age. Grey radiators are increasing in popularity, with anthracite designer radiators being an excellent choice for the modern home. This lighter shade of grey would look great on a column radiator, or you could incorporate our Metallic Silver finishes onto modern and traditional radiators alike.

Yellow is a much bolder colour for radiators, but not unheard of. This bright colour really stands out, making your heating option a really eye-catching feature in your room. This would look great paired with a grey wall, but it is also fantastic for pairing with dark colours for a contrasting effect. This colour is offered on both cast iron radiators and colour painted column radiators, depending on the overall decorating motif of your home.

Dulux

Brave Ground

Dulux's pick for 2021 would fit in well with Farrow & Ball’s chosen shades. Their chosen colour Brave Ground is described as ‘a bolstering shade that connects back to nature and the simple things’. This is another warm, natural tone that is ideal for homes with neutral palettes, sure to look fantastic for years to come. This neutral brown is great for homes with minimalist or natural designs, fitting in well with bare or lacquered wood. You could colour match a radiator to this, or if you have chosen to use it on walls or shelving, we recommend pairing it with a simple white column radiator for a Scandinavian-style hygge look. It would look great in both period-style and contemporary homes, depending on the fittings and furnishings you choose to pair with it.

Pinterest

Neon

Pinterest predicts that 2021 will be the year of neon colours and rooms, after 2020 saw an 8x year-on-year increase in searches for ‘neon room’. This is perfect for more modern radiators, such as anthracite designer radiators if you are looking for contrast, or for colour-matching column radiators in bright shades that really stand out. Purples and pinks seem to be the most popular colours for this trend, but if you are looking to go even brighter we have plenty of finishes to choose from. This style is of course better suited to more modern interiors, so take a look at our selection of designer radiators for the perfect finishing touch.