As 2020 has seen people all spending more time in their homes, there has been a huge growth of interest in decorating and re-imagining how people want their living, and now working, environments to look and feel. To help people make the most of their spaces, Clariant’s latest ‘New Freedom’ Decorative Color Trends 2021, is full of creative colors to capture imaginations.

According to Clariant, at a time when people are all adjusting to the new normal that gives the freedom to discover what is important: the freedom to do something creative for people and their loved ones, and; the freedom to focus on making people's homes and cozy environments in which they feel happy and at ease.

Global color institutions, interior designers and Clariant’s operating customers who have their fingers on the design pulse provided inspiration for the palette of 13 different trendsetting tones.

Wabi-Sabi, with soft violet undertones, is an imperfect gray that can be combined with any other color.

2021’s colors are also creating spaces that have more than a positive emotional impact. They have all been formulated with Clariant’s Hostatint 500 range, multi-purpose pigment preparations with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and no APEO (alkylphenol ethoxylates).They are binder-free, and deliver technical design freedom in water and solvent-based modern decorative paints.

“It’s well known that colors can reflect and influence our emotions and well-being so we have chosen bright warm and neutral color shades in our latest collection to help create spaces that have a positive impact,” said Franziska Hammerl, Segment Head Decorative and Wood Coatings, Global Technical Marketing Coatings at Clariant.

Hammerl named some examples, “One stunning 2021 color, for example, is Meraki, Greek for an outburst of dedication, an intense red. Another is Ubuntu, a Nguni Bantu term meaning ‘humanity’. It’s a warm, intense yellow that reflects a bond of sharing, connecting all of humanity, and seems particularly relevant today.”

These bold shades are ideal for color blocking – an interior design trend here to stay. It may have started on the fashion catwalks but the pairing of different solid colors and textures, to boldly segment space in our homes, continues to be a much used decorating tactic.

Clariant has also nominated a color of the year included in the “New Freedom” Decorative Color Trend palette. Wabi-Sabi gray, with soft violet undertones, is inspired by Japanese aesthetics and the concept of appreciating the beauty found in the imperfections of nature. It is an imperfect gray that can be combined with any other color.