Let's talk about the color yellow!
When I think of the color yellow, it immediately brings me back to my childhood. My Mom and Dad had this bonkers 70's large scale floral wallpaper in shades of yellow, green, and bright orange, and it dominated the kitchen! She also made my school clothes back then (we weren't allowed to wear denim!) I had a pair of bright yellow gabardine pants which quickly became my favorite pair.
Dad in our kitchen circa 1983
Yellow can be a challenging color to get right. Part of the reason is that it has a surprisingly narrow range of colors that still feel like yellow. If you play around with a digital color picker, you'll see what I mean. Push yellow darker or more muted and it quickly starts heading toward brown or gray. It doesn't behave quite the same way that blue or green does, where you can keep darkening or desaturating it and still have a recognizable version of the original color.
And yet, I think yellow deserves a little more attention in our homes. I'm on a mission to bring a wider spectrum of color into our interiors. If you'd like to add a little yellow to yours, here are three easy ways to do it.
Number 1: Cheat with mustard!
If you're not ready for full on yellow, choose a deeper shade instead. A warm amber, ochre, or honey can be the spark. These Kindly Woven blankets are the perfect shade of amber, and can be a gateway into the sunlight!
Addy Blanket by Kindly Woven in Ochre
Number 2: Pair yellow with a color friend
My favorite color palettes that include yellow usually have some kind of green or blue. Think sunshine yellow and cornflower, yellow and dark olive, and the unexpected amber with deep eggplant.
Number 3: Allow yellow to be the unexpected
Is your room mostly muted grays, tans, or blues? Allow yellow to change the conversation. In other words, move over neutrals, I'm amping things up! Imagine your cool gray room with a shot of yellow in a bookcase, a striking piece of pottery on a side table, or a pair of pillows on the sofa. Let yellow bring your eye around the room without letting it dominate.
I brought yellow into our guest room with lampshades, painted picture frames, and bedding when it desperately needed a re-think and I couldn't be happier with the result. If you're feeling inspired to bring a little yellow into your own home, I've pulled together a few of my favorite designs below.
