Color Confidence - Hello Yellow!

Decorating with yellow is tricky. Get it just right and your room feels bright, new and fresh. Get it wrong and it looks harsh, dated or dingy. So, how will you know when you’ve got it just right? Follow these designer tips: 

Yellow can be a bossy color. Like all warm colors, it advances visually. Painted on multiple walls, it will intensify, looking more yellow than it does on a tiny paint swatch. The fix? Choose a paint swatch one or two shades less intense to achieve the color you really want in your room.  

When we looked at the paint swatch for this kitchen, it showed only a hint of yellow. On all four walls, the effect is a perfect warm glow.

2. Use yellow sparingly. 

A little yellow goes a long way. If you want a yellow kitchen, for example, a yellow backsplash or yellow island surrounded by neutral floors, walls, and cabinets will carry the whole color scheme.  

With yellow on the backsplash and pendant lights only, this kitchen is bright and fresh, but not overwhelming.

3. Balance yellow with white. 

Yellow and white are a classic color scheme. What could be fresher? The trick here is to use more white than yellow.

White and gray balance the yellow in this casual polyester throw rug.

4. Let yellow play second fiddle. 

Yellow can pair with literally any other color. The trick is to pick the right shade of yellow. If you don’t have an eye for color, use a favorite fabric, area rug or piece of art to guide you. For example, this yellow coffee table from Decorative Crafts would be the perfect accent for blue or purple.