Etsy Predicts This Calming Color Will Be Everywhere in 2021 (and for Our Sake, Let's Hope So)

After the first half-dozen annual color predictions, it’s easy to dismiss any latecomers—after all, how many “it” shades can there be? But Etsy’s 2021 Color of the Year deserves a closer look. For one, their pick is data-backed, providing a revealing look at where we are collectively (spoiler: in desperate need of a little zen). And for two, it’s the kind of universally appealing shade that’d work with just about any style, whether your tastes skew Shabby Chic revivalist or Japandi minimalist.

So, drumroll please: Etsy’s 2021 Color of the Year is…sky blue. The online marketplace saw a 39 percent rise in searches for light blue and sky blue items in the last three months of 2020, and they’re only expecting that number to rise, given the pandemic-riddled year we all went through.

Why sky blue in particular? It gives people the sense that “hope is on the horizon … while offering tranquility and further connecting us to nature,” says Etsy’s resident trend expert, Dayna Isom Johnson.

Plus, it’s easy to work into your décor. Such a muted, dusty blue is almost a neutral, so it can work with just about any color scheme or style. And there’s a good chance you’re already decorating with blue in some capacity—after all, a YouGov study found that it’s the most popular color in 10 countries (the U.S. included).

With a matte finish, it’s mellow enough to be the primary color in a room, but if you’re concerned about it feeling a little well, nursery-like, work it in as an accent, following the 60-30-10 rule: 60 percent of the room in a primary color, 30 percent secondary and 10 percent accent color to make things pop, like this brighter-days-ahead shade. Here are a few easy ways to incorporate it in your home.