Last year I decided to give up writing about the paint colors of the year because many people in our vibrant community were out of work. Buying Farrow and Ball paint for $ 125 a gallon, it seems, wasn’t the first thing on their to-do lists.

So here we are in 2021 where the Pantone color of the year is… wait… Ultimate Gray.

Are we not yet tired of gray? Of course, Pantone pairs it with an outrageously bright yellow called Illuminating, which I would have guessed to be a bluish white if I hadn’t seen it online. The combination of gray and yellow has been used in linens and fabrics for several years, although in softer hues, so although the stronger hues have been updated for 2021, I don’t find them any fresher or more exciting. .

There is a range of colors in the lineup this year that are reminiscent of dirt. Dulux has Brave Ground, a neutral earth tone that “creates a sense of stability, growth and potential, and provides a solid foundation for change and creativity.” It looks like a color that I need to have in my paint collection just for writing articles, negotiating real estate contracts, and watching the news.

Sherwin Williams brings us Urbane Bronze, which they describe as “sophisticated” and “rooted in nature”. Harvard naturalist Dr Edward Wilson is said to have compared it to biophilia, a term he coined to refer to humanity’s desire to seek “a connection to nature and other forms of life.” I think that would accentuate the cicadas well.

Contemplative, the 2021 choice of Pratt and Lambert paintings, is a color to think about. It’s a deep moss like the one you find in the rainforest or on the front of my house. I guess it’s time for a power wash.

Teal has been around for decades, but it has become so overused that 20 years ago Crayola removed teal from its pencil collection. Now he’s back in Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal, a deep, muted blue-green-gray combination, the oceanic equivalent of Mossy Contemplative.

The land of the southwest is represented by Behr’s Canyon Dusk, which looks a bit like a New Mexico landscape on a hot, dry day, without the intertwined cacti and mountains on the horizon. Or try it outside your organic adobe home.

Glidden suggests using her 2021 pick, Aqua Fiesta, a softer, muted turquoise-aqua blend that won’t overpower your bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen walls, and promote a feeling of calm when used.

Dutch Boy has selected Earth’s Harmony for 2021. Although the name implies a brown tone, this color is actually a happy blue that takes you to the moon and back. (Well, skyward anyway.) Check out what that looks like on kitchen cabinets on the Dutch Boy website. Forget the theme of gray cabinets at the bottom and white at the top and brighten up your kitchen with this vibrant color.

Now, if you are not already overloaded, Valspar offers us 12 new colors to choose from. Many are neutral and all are muted.

Brown and beige tones include Maple Leaf (think Vermont maple syrup candy), Unforgettable (a perfectly forgettable beige), Arizona Dust (see Behr’s Canyon Dusk above), and Gallery Gray (gray is perhaps a misnomer – he looks tanned to me).

The blues and greens are Lucy Blue (a teal by another name), Blissful Blue (a medium blue gray), Granite Dust (a very light blend of greens and grays), Garden Flower (a cheerful green with only a twist). of gray) and Academy Gray (closer to teal than gray and the darkest of their 2021 choices).

In addition, Valspar gives us Soft Candlelight (a not too bright yellow), Cherry Taupe (a neutral with slightly pink tones) and my favorite, Dusty Lavender (true to its name, although anything called Dusty gives me want to go and take a shower).

Clark and Kensington Paint combines its colors into three collections of six colors each: Understated Impact, Mindful Living, and Creative Escape, which look like things to mull over while doing goat yoga.

Each collection features shades that resemble the blues, greens, tans and grays created by all other paint companies. The only exception is Red Tulip, which can be found in the Understated Impact collection. It’s more of a ruby ​​or garnet than a true red, but it’s nice to see someone painting outside the box.

This month, I hope to see more decorations in gemstone colors: Garnet, Amber, Citrine, Emerald, Sapphire, and Amethyst, with smoky quartz and tiger eye accents, and a handful of blue topaz. sky, rose quartz and pearls.

Wouldn’t that make a beautiful flag? Stay colorful, my friends.

Valerie M. Blake is a licensed associate broker in DC, Maryland & Virginia with RLAH Real Estate. Call or text him at 202-246-8602, email him via DCHomeQuest.com, or follow her on Facebook at TheRealst8ofAffairs.