2021 Color Trends: Marigold

2021 Color Trends: Marigold

Posted by DecoArt on Apr 15th 2021

Sweet and golden like the flower it's named for, our April color of the month is marigold! This rich yellow is somewhere in between a bright yellow and darker mustard color, making it a lovely complement to both spring and fall decor. 

The color marigold gets its name from the flower of the same name. Marigolds come in a variety of colors from brilliant reds to rich mahogany browns, but the classic golden yellow is the most common. This beautiful flower is native to America and can be found blooming from the Southwestern United States down through Central and South America all summer long.

A close-up of honey yellow marigold blooms in the setting sun
Lines of honey yellow marigold flowers blooming in the summer sun.
Yellow, red, and blue make up the  three primary colors. Primary colors cannot be made through mixing other colors, and all other colors are derived from these three hues. Yellow is the most luminous of these colors, meaning even the deepest yellows never look truly "dark."

A color wheel
The three primary colors in a wheel. Yellow, blue, and red.
Yellow has certainly been having its moment in both fashion and home decor. Millennials had "millennial pink" but " gen-z yellow" has become the color to define the latest generation. This means yellow in all its varieties is here to stay, whether it's a cute new accessory or your next craft project. If you aren't ready for bold and bright yellows, try honey hues like marigold for a subtler way to use this trendy color.

A mixed media journal where sunflowers are being painted inside using acrylic paint.
An abstract painting is painted using marigold yellow, white, and pink for a free-form and fun look. Bottles of acrylic paint are scattered around the painting.
An end table painted in marigold yellow with a potted plant on top of it.
A girl in a marigold yellow tracksuit leans against a wall.
A marigold yellow couch is pushed up against a brick wall in a stylish living room.
There are so many ways to use this luscious yellow! We've come up with some great color schemes featuring marigold to help you use this color in your own crafts and decor.

Marigold in Spring and Fall

Since marigold isn't overly bright or dark this color can be paired with a variety of colors for spring and fall color palettes. Add marigold to vivacious springtime colors like bright orange, lime green, sea blue, and magenta for a fun and bouncy spring palette. The less-bright marigold will lessen the intensity of the other colors while still letting them shine!

A bright spring color scheme of marigold yellow, bright orange, light lime green, and sky blue
Stick with traditional fall colors for a truly warm and cozy color palette. Here we have marigold paired with a golden brown, olive green, and rich burgundy. Marigold lightens up the richness of the other colors and ties them together nicely. Try adding some metallic gold for extra fun with this fall palette.

A fall color scheme with marigold yellow, golden brown, burgundy, and a deep olive green.
Marigold with Pastel and Jewel Tones

Similar to the spring and fall palettes, marigold can be used alongside both pastels and jewel tones. With the muted pastels marigold adds warmth and richness for a truly unique color palette. Here we've paired marigold alongside a soft blue, blush pink, and mint green.

A more muted color scheme for marigold with blush pink, a soft blue, and a light mint green
With highly saturated jewel tones marigold can act almost as a neutral, bringing down the intensity of these louder colors. Here we've paired marigold with a royal purple, acid green, and Fuschia.

A jewel tone color scheme with marigold, brilliant purple, magenta, and emerald green.
The versatility of this yellow makes it so fun to experiment with! Try it for yourself by pairing marigold with your own favorite colors, you may just find your next favorite color combination. Here we have a list of DecoArt products that use this shade of yellow, all are available now on our website shop.decoart.com

A line-up of various DecoArt's acrylic paints in shades of marigold yellow.
DecoArt Products:

Americana® Acrylics in Marigold
Patio Paint™ in Marigold
Americana Decor® Texture™ in Harvest Gold
DecoArt® Traditions™ in Diarylide Yellow
Crafter's Acrylics™ in Goldenrod
Americana® Acrylics in Deep Ochre
Americana Decor® Color Stain™ in Golden Honey
DecoArt® Multi-Surface Satin™ in Goldenrod
DecoArt® Glass Paint™ in Yellow

Marigold Projects

We've gathered up some of our favorite  DecoArt® projects inspired by marigold. If you're looking for more color inspiration, be sure to follow us on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest. Every week we post new and creative ways to use our color of the month as well as exciting craft and DIY projects. Happy making!