Pantone‘s Colour of the Year 2021 is in fact two colours – something they have only done once before in 2016. And here at Tile Addict we feel bang on trend, with our yellow and grey colour scheme matching almost perfectly with Pantone’s choices – Ultimate Gray and Illuminated – although we will concede to being a few shades darker.

Chosen to represent the dichotomy of uncertain and unending limbo and unceasing hope that it will soon be over, the contrasting yellow and grey shades offer both dull restlessness and ambitious longing. Despite feeling ultra modern and highly indicative of the times, grey and bright yellow has been increasing in popularity in interior design over the last few years, as the boldness and calmness of the two balance each other out and produce something fantastically classy.

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In the tile world vibrant yellows have been popping up amongst the more earthy ochres and pale pastels and greys have always had a home. We’ve trawled through countless companies and collections to demonstrate some of the best in ceramic and porcelain offerings that match Pantone’s conflicting shades (so you don’t have to).

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Claybrook‘s Flotilla tiles offer the vibrancy of yellow with the calming shades of grey and the soft white triangular accent. The stunning surface texture provides a comforting hand crafted look whilst the subtle shade variation creates depth of character.

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Claybrook’s Cabana collection offers trendy skinny format tiles in both sunny yellow and warm-tinted grey. Demonstrated as perfect partner to a grey grout, Cabana Sunrise marries the two tones together beautifully. Alternatively, mixed with Cabana Flotsam the skinny tiles can create a stylish feature.

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Otto Tiles & Design nail tonal variation with their slightly speckled encaustic cement tiles. With bold Amalfi Yellow and deep Shark Gray, both of Pantone’s suggested colours can be found.

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Combining the two shades with a twist, Otto Tiles & Design’s Terrazzo Yellow Zebra adds multi-shaded chips to create grey, whilst the bright yellow decorates the tile. Similar to Claybrook’s Flotilla, Otto’s Magic Triangle tiles offer a mutlitonal grey that can be combined with their yellow counterpart, or with other encaustic cement tiles from the ranges.

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Crossville‘s Swatches collection offers 16 distinct shades that range across calming neutrals, thoughtful basics, and vibrant pops of colour. Included amongst these choices are their Pantone twins Brilliant Deduction Pineapple and Neutral Territory Shadow, a striking pair that creates a winning combination.

Itaca‘s bright golden yellow 3D tiles offer the power of the sun, with subtle decors that hint towards the grey. It’s a unique take on Pantone’s Colours of the Year, but one that will certainly turn heads.

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Mainzu‘s brilliantly colourful Brillo range includes both Ultimate Grey and Illuminating, with each represented in a classis square format and a gloss or matt finish.

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Expertly combining textured skinny format tiles with dark grey terrazzo, these two tiles from Mandarin Stone encompass the beauty behind the mixture of bright yellow and moody grey.

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The beautiful handcrafted zellige tiles from Clé offer rustic charm and artisanal elegance. With both bright yellows and peaceful greys available in square, hexagon, and elongated metro formats, they offer a world of creative layout options.

Here’s to hoping for a brighter 2021!

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, December 2020.