How to Style Houseplants with the Pantone Colours of the Year

Once again, colour authority Pantone has released their choice for Colour of the Year—and this one was a big surprise with a profound meaning. Today, we’ll be going through the story behind the announcement, and how to make the trend work for you using houseplants!

What is the Pantone Colour of the Year?

This year is a bit of an outlier, and Pantone has actually announced not one, but two official colours of the year! They are:

Ultimate Grey: A true, neutral, concrete-slab shade of grey, this colour is a not-so-subtle reference to the previous year.

Illuminating: A soft and warm yellow shade, Illuminating is intended to be used in combination with Ultimate Grey to convey hope—the first glimmers of sunlight after the storm.

These colours are intended to be paired together for the full effect, but to be honest, they both feel fresh and elegant on their own as well. Nevertheless, what better way to convey optimism and new light than to pair this colour combo with some houseplants!

Styling Houseplants with Pottery

The obvious choice is to style these plants with pottery that flaunts the year’s signature colours. For a truly unique Ultimate Grey planter, you can DIY a concrete pot using some smooth concrete, a few plastic containers or reusable molds, a little cooking oil, and a power drill.

How to make your own concrete planter:

Choose a larger plastic container or mold for the exterior shape and a smaller plastic container to create the indentation for your plant and soil.
Coat the inside of the first container and the outside of the second container with cooking oil, mix up the concrete, then pour it to the halfway point of the larger container.
Insert the smaller container in the middle, and backfill around the edges until the concrete is level with the top of the larger container.
Allow the concrete to set before removing the inner container, and let dry completely before removing the cast from the larger container and adding drainage holes with a drill.

However, if that’s a little more trouble than you’re in the mood for, we carry a collection of pots at Royal City Nursery in the Pantone Colours of the Year, such as this sunny yellow pot available in several different sizes! For a more subtle hint of grey, this painted square planter features tasteful navy or white glaze marked with a neutral pattern.

Styling Houseplants with Decor Items

If you love the contrast of the Pantone Colours of the Year, you can get more impact by enhancing the palette with other household and decor items. Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

Keep an on-theme mister handy to enhance the look and keep those plant leaves hydrated! Try this Luster Glass Mister in Clear Grey.
Keep your plant near a vase or decorative box that flaunts a little grey, yellow, or both.
Show off your plant or plants on a stand or decorative table in the contrasting colour; for example, place yellow pots on a grey table or vice-versa.
If you already have a room with a lot of grey furniture and fixtures, enhance it with one to three “pops” of yellow.
Try adding a fun piece of yellow furniture, such as an accent chair or some yellow wall art. This will create a lovely colour echo effect with your plant’s yellow pottery and stand out in your decor.

Plants that Flaunt the Pantone Colours for 2021

Finally, and possibly the most fun of all, add plants to your collection that naturally show off the Pantone Colours of the Year! These options are sure to add just the right touch to your indoor spaces.

Assorted Succulents: Many succulents, particularly echeveria varieties, have a misty grey colour to them that adds great tonal variety to a mostly-green collection.
Spider Plant ‘Bonnie’: This super-low-maintenance plant has sunny yellow variegations, so you get all the cheer with hardly any work!
Snake Plant, ‘Dragon Fingers’ in Neon Yellow and/or Grey: These are so fun, and our team cannot get over how cute they are! This is a cultivar of snake plant that has been dipped in plant-safe, non-toxic paint with a velvety finish. It’s available in both the Pantone Colours of the Year as well as some other awesome vibrant shades—such a cool and different way to add a visual accent to your home!
Rubber Plant ‘Tineke’: A really lovely variegated cultivar of rubber plant, Tineke’s colours verge on silvery in some places and will beautifully complement a grey or yellow planter.
Golden Pothos: Another famously easy-care houseplant, this beauty has emerald green leaves painted with vibrant yellow variegations.
Dracaena ‘Gold Star’: The golden-yellow edges and bright green stripe down each of this dracaena cultivar’s foliage is sure to make you do a double-take. Make a huge impact in a room!
Croton ‘Petra’: If you love the tropical look of crotons, this one has fabulous veins and flecks in neon yellow and apricot that add a little subtle sparkle.
Croton ‘Magnificent’: This croton variety turns up the volume compared to Petra and wows with super-charged shades of red, orange, yellow, and burgundy.
Tillandsia tectorum ‘Ecuador’: A fuzzy silver-toned air plant that makes it easy to have fun with grey! Pick up a bunch to create a textured, eclectic design.
Tillandsia ionantha orange ‘Enhanced’: While technically a shade of orange, this colourful air plant looks right on-theme with your yellow home decor.

Not a fan of the Pantone Colours of the Year? No judgment here; we’re all for going your own way and working with the colours that suit your space. You can browse our full collection of tropical houseplants here, all available for curbside pickup from Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t hesitate to contact us at the store for more information!

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