Colour, perhaps more so than drawing, has a liberating effect.

This was the opinion of Henri Émile Matisse, the most famous exponent of Fauvism, the artistic movement that earned its fame through colour. According to the fauvists, a painting had to consist exclusively of colour: its choice had to be rooted within the depths of the soul, of which is reflected the various emotional states.

After all, this has always been the case: colours have a big impact on our emotions.

Walking into a dark-painted room when we’re feeling upbeat tends to oppress us and sometimes even influences our mood negatively. Likewise, when we’re feeling very tense and are in a room where red predominates, our anxiety and irritability will be heightened.

Colour can also become an instrument that helps – at least symbolically and psychologically – to lift our spirits in the wake of life’s hardships.

That’s why we have decided to dedicate one of our first products for 2021 to the new colour trends for walls. We need fresh stimuli for a new future, but we also need to rediscover our certainties to lay the platform for a new start.

Now, more than ever, colour can help us to overcome a terrible 2020 and imbue us with a new sense of hope capable of ending the nightmare we are still experiencing.

Pantone colours for walls 2021: “Illuminating” yellow and “Ultimate Gray”

Pantone, the most authoritative entity when it comes to colours, has proposed two colours for 2021 that, despite being independent, can be used together to mutually enhance one another, namely “Illuminating” yellow (13-0647) and “Ultimate Gray” (17-5104).

Symbolically, these two colours convey two different ideas but that can be regarded as complementary:

• “Illuminating” is a bright yellow shade that is bold and lively, symbolising positivity, vitality and the warmth radiated by the sun. It therefore embodies the concept of rebirth and optimism.
• “Ultimate Gray” is a medium grey shade that embodies solidity, certainty and neutrality. We can imagine it as a neutral tablet on which we can choose what to write and how.

The mood revealed by these two colours therefore aptly embodies the idea of a future erected on the certainties of the past, as we mentioned above.

Colour ideas for walls 2021: yellow and grey in the VALPAINT collection of decorative paints

VALPAINT, an Italian company leader in the production of decorative paints, has incorporated these ideas to offer several products (through various colours) capable of enhancing the colours defined as the “wall colours for 2021”.

The comprehensive study conducted in the in-house Research & Development Laboratory has yielded a selection of decorative paints capable of optimally enhancing the effects and nuances conveyed by Illuminating and Ultimate Gray.

Examples of colours for home walls: grey in the VALPAINT collection of decorative paints

With regard to grey (Ultimate Gray), VALPAINT proposes a series of products that optimally boost this nuance:
• METEORE 10 INTONACO Col. 425 B
• SABULADOR SOFT ARG. 100 Col. 449 C
• VALRENNA Col. 425 C
• KLONDIKE LIGHT Col. 448 A + G200

Yellow in the latest trends for wall colours by VALPAINT

Illuminating features in the following VALPAINT products, which include both textures and nuances:
• POLISTOF Col. 417
• SABULADOR MATT Col. 460 A
• VALSETIN 2 709 ORO
• SABULADOR SOFT Col. 432 A ORO

Interior wall colour trends for 2021: looking beyond yellow and grey…

Interior architecture and design in 2021 will not be dominated exclusively by these two nuances, however, as other colours are set to come to the fore in defining the aesthetics of new furnishing and interior design proposals.

New wall colour trends for the home: blue

There’s no doubt that blue was among last year’s musts. Whereas in 2020 classic blue was the preferred choice (we discussed it here: “Distinctive walls for interiors: ideas for painting homes with on-trend colours in 2020”), in 2021 Navy Blue or Marine Blue will dominate the scene.

Navy blue is a decidedly elegant colour much sought-after by interior designers (but not only: it will play a crucial role in the fashion and make-up industries as well). It is a nuance that pairs very well with other colours, for example:

• with gold-coloured details, where the contrasting effect optimally emphasises both nuances;
• with woods, particularly light-coloured varieties which are very popular in Scandinavian countries;
• when juxtaposed with furnishing accessories featuring pale and faint colours.

The VALPAINT assortment of decorative paints that fulfil these criteria includes tactile products, smoother decorative paints with or without texture, but also nuances that optimally embody the navy blue concept. Among these:
• POLISTOF Col. 377
• KLONDIKE Col. 428 A
• ROCOCO’ Col. 536 A
• METEORE 10 INTONACO Col. 536 A Effetto Spatolato

Green among the wall colours for 2021

Green – especially the Mint Green shade – can also be regarded among the wall colour ideas for 2021.
It is a relaxing colour that brings the nuances of nature into our homes. The idea of bringing the outside world into our closed spaces helps to foster a sense of relief and well-being in us.

The association of this colour with VALPAINT decorative paints is conveyed through a series of finishes capable of enhancing this nuance:
• KLONDIKE LIGHT Col. 453 + G200
• POLISTOF Col. 358
• SABULADOR SOFT Argento 100 + Col. 535 D
• IDROSMALTO DECORATIVO V55 MATT Col. 1177

Neutral shades in the 2021 catalogue for wall colours

We could not overlook NEUTRAL SHADES, which are equally capable of satisfying several needs relating to colour but also the psychological dimension. Neutral colours can be easily combined with bolder shades and are effective in creating environments characterised by significant colour effects.

Two shades we will certainly see in 2021 are Walnut and Vanilla. They are included in the VALPAINT colour swatches of the individual decorative effects, where all their shade variants appear, in both the textured and smoother products:
• METEORE 10 CEMENTO Effetto Compatto Ref. 124
• VALPAINT I-BETON Ref. 456 C Lucido and Opaco
• VALRENNA Col. 470 D
• VALSETIN 2 Argento 100 + 496 G

Gold and Bronze: two new examples of colours for the home’s walls

This year’s interior design solutions will feature a measured and targeted approach to colours, especially those with a more decorative dimension embodied by golden and bronze shades.

The quest for more creative and sophisticated decorative effects finds fertile terrain in decorative paints that incorporate the colours of precious metals, in both their textures and nuances.