Trend Alert: Yellow and How to Use it in your Home
There’s no question about it, yellow is the interior colour of the moment! After years of being in disgrace and working on upping its game, yellow is back, renewed and ready to once again bring joy to our daily lives. From zesty Gen Z yellow and sophisticated mustard and all the way to soft buttery tones, yellow is firmly rejecting the mindset – one size fits it all. It welcomes individual interpretations and empowers us to embrace a bit of cheer in our decorating styles. There is a shade for everyone and they’ve all been looking so gorgeous lately that we are having some serious trouble picking our favourite.
How about you?
Love it or hate it, but you can’t deny the optimism and warmth of these interiors with playful yellow pops. It’s true, the wrong shade of yellow (or too much of it) can create disharmony and overwhelm the space. But if you pick the shade that resonates with you and implement it with style, the joy you will experience by the very sight of the room will blow away all the doubts you once had about this choice.
So let’s explore why we are witnessing the yellow fever in interior design and learn how to use different shades of yellow in our homes (+ discover the Get the Look mood board with a shopping list of yellow furniture and decor at the end of the post).
Trend Roots
Colour trends are always retrospective. They come as a reaction to lifestyle changes, our strivings or heavily influential events from the recent past. In our case, the reason behind this newly discovered global obsession with yellow lies in the colour psychology. Yellow stands for optimism, joy, happiness and confidence that tomorrow is bright. It comes as a promise of a better world that will be built by honouring the past and welcoming everything that future holds.
That’s one of the main reasons why retro-inspired colour schemes have been so popular in recent years. Mustard yellow is not just beautiful and easy to work with, but it also reminds us of the days that hold a special place in our hearts (and collective memory) – days of optimism and a strong community.
Photo credit: Julien Fernandez
1970’S French Yellow Bowling Ball Ice Bucket
Why You Need Yellow in Your Life
Just look at the image below and tell us if this bedroom could be any more welcoming than it already is. You don’t actually need more convincing, right?
No other shade can feel so effortlessly upbeat but yellow. It has both retro and modern appeal to it and, depending on its level of saturation, can make you feel either energized or cosy.
Image credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner via Country Living
Vintage Danish Sofa Model Ej20 By Jørgen Gammelgaard For Erik Jørgensen
All Shades of Yellow
Not every yellow shade is created equal. Some of them are very strong and should only be used in pops as they have a tendency to overstimulate the brain. Gen Z Yellow, Bright Canary Yellow and Acid Yellow are probably the best, and currently most popular examples of this group. They can be such powerful tools for highlighting the details, giving a strong statement and generally pushing interiors to a fearlessly looking direction. But they need to be dealt with caution.
Image credit: Dabito via Domino
The earthy shades we like to call Mustard Yellow have a sophisticated, retro feel to them and are masters of bringing character to the room. Mustard Yellow plays well with both contemporary and traditional settings and is such a breeze to decorate with.
It can be used as an accent colour to spice up natural and holistic colour schemes, but since it is such a workhorse, it can also be a great base for injecting other colours into the space. But more on it later.
Image credit: Architectural Digest
Lucite Leopard Designed By Abraham Palatnik
Golden Yellow is one of the most well-known symbols of Mid-century Modern furniture. It is promised to bring sunshine and a feeling of delight into any room.
And if you prefer the ‘50s over ‘70s colour palettes, light yellow pastels are also in the game!
Image credit: Enter My Attic
1970s “Kroken” Lounge Chair
Best Rooms to Start With
Typically, you would hear advice similar to this – start in a hallway or the dining room to warm things up a notch, use it lightly in the living room and stay away from the bedroom and the office entirely.
But after we show you this image, you will realise that, with the right shade, you can do whatever you please.
Image source: Hunker
Vintage Yellow Pine Sideboard From Gansu With Birds Flowers And Butterflies
Yellow + ? = <3
Yellow + All White Room = Beautifully balanced, bright and serene space
Yellow + Black = Dramatic room with strong contrasts and emphasised dynamic
Yellow + Grey = A match made in heaven as grey tones down yellow without removing its spark
Yellow + Pastels = A unique, sophisticated look. Yellow (especially mustard yellow will prevent the room from looking overly whimsical)
Yellow + Pink = Feminine room designed for happiness
Yellow + Teal = Mature elegance
Yellow + Regal Blue = Opulence and elegance galore
Yellow + Light Blue = A cheerful haven
Yellow + Purple = Exotic contrasting room with a fresh vibe
Yellow + Green + Living Coral = scroll down to see our mix.
Yellow + …. we could do this forever and we still wouldn’t cover all the options.
Image source: sfgirlbybay
Chest Of Drawers/ Hand Painted Chest/ Yellow 5 Drawer Chest/ Retro Dresser/|Mustard
We had a hard time selecting our colour scheme for this piece as yellow inspired us to explore so many ideas, but here is what we went for eventually (all the pieces from the mood board are available for purchase at the links below).
What do you say?
What is your favourite combo?
- Tropicana Ochre
- Sun Shaped Rattan Mirror
- Large Pond Yacht
- Kate #7 #6
- A Pair Of Hans Agne Jakobsson For Markaryd Brass & Taupe Silk ‘Fringe’ Pendants
- Telenorma Studio Extraordinary Wall Clock 12 / 24 Volt Circular Full Brass Body Germany 1970s
- Vintage Large Human Head, Mouth And Throat Anatomical Poster Chart
- Midcentury Wall Lamp Lidokov, Josef Hurka, 1960s
- Fine Quality 19th Century Gustavian Taste Painted Sofa
- Large Vase In Earthenware With Cover From The 19th Century
- Vase Yellow
- Free Shipping Velvet Large Square Throw Cushion, Yellow Sofa, Chair Soft Furnishings
- Fabianne Cushion Coral Sands 50×50 Cm
- Georgia Jacob Athena Lamp 1970
- Casalino Children’s Chair By Alexander Begge For Casala, 1970s
- Large Grape Bunch In Alabaster, Italy, 1950s
- Paracarro Coffee Table By Giovanni Offredi For Saporiti Italia, 1970s
- Art Deco Cushions
- Plastering Mannequin Head Woman
Feature image: Enter My Attic