It is recommended that every house or room has a theme color that you will use to relay the moods or characters. Many people prefer light colors such as white, cream, and grey, but there is no need to avoid bolder choices like yellow. You should consider this color for your house because yellow is related to happiness, enlightenment, and optimism in most cultures. However, you should learn the best colors that go with yellow walls for a warm living space.
Why Should You Use Yellow for Interior Design
According to this article on the psychology of color, different colors can evoke certain positive or negative feelings. In this case, yellow is the most luminous color in the color spectrum and the sun's color. Therefore, it mostly evokes positive feelings of happiness, hopes, new beginnings, radiance, and nobility. In fact, yellow was a common color associated with nobility in ancient cultures. During the times, royals would wear the color and were also depicted with the color to insinuate they were powerful descendants of God.
If you are not sure if you can use the bright color for your interior design, here are a few reasons we advise you to try it;
- It can improve your mood.
- It lights up even the smallest and darkest spaces.
- It is easy to match.
That said, you will need to use the yellow color selectively when improving your interior spaces. This is because yellow can also evoke negative feelings of anxiety, frustration, and fatigue if used excessively. As a very luminous color, yellow is an attention-grabbing and sometimes hard-to-read color. The attention-grabbing qualities of yellow can cause distress and frustration to introverted persons.
Considering you want to use the color inside your house, you will need to consider the mood you want the color to evoke while also avoiding its negative feelings, especially in rooms where you want to host guests. But, not to worry, we will help you understand which colors go with yellow so you can incorporate the color and its shades into your rooms and fabrics. These include blues, purples, reds, oranges, and more.
1. Yellow with Green
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Of the many color combinations, the green-yellow combination is one to use as the colors improve a room or space with no strain. Green, like yellow, is a color associated with nature, and it will help yellow accentuate a natural vibe in a room. On the other hand, yellow is a vibrant color that will enhance the natural liveliness of a green shade.
You can associate any shade of green with as many shades of yellow. One way to match these colors is to use dark green with yellow or to match pale yellow with bright green.
For instance, one can combine dark evergreen colors with bright mustard or pastel yellow. This color combo will generate a vibrant bedroom or living room. However, these colors can be quite strong, so they could be used as accent colors. A yellow wall or drapery paired with a plant can provide the perfect mood.
There is no limit to what you can do if you choose the pale yellow and bright shade of green. For example, you may choose a green sofa and then top it up with a pale yellow carpet or throw pillows.
On the other hand, a pale yellow color should be used for relaxed walls such as those in a bedroom. When choosing to paint your bedroom walls in yellow, it is best to select cool tones so that you are relaxed when you want to sleep.
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You can also use this combo in an exposed area like the dining room. For example, you can line the table with yellow fabric in the dining area and match it to chairs with green accents. Another clever way to add pops of yellow and green to your spaces is to grow indoor evergreen plants in yellow planters.
Yellow and green are colors made for each other to offer you limitless opportunities to improve your rooms. Any of these colors can be a room's theme or the main attraction, and you will surely have the other perfectly complement the mood. However, you still need to be conservative when choosing the hues to avoid creating an extremely busy or frustrating environment.
2. Yellow with Blue Shades
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Blue is one of the top colors to match with yellow. Since blue is a known calming color, you can use it to subdue the aggressiveness of bright yellows. In addition, this color combination is modern and gives you loads of room to showcase your creativity.
You can use bright shades of yellow with navy blue or lighter shades of blue like teal with pale yellow. In the first idea, you can use blue as the main color but then throw in bright yellow accents to light up the room. For the second idea, you cannot go wrong, either way, so you can use the colors in equal measure or use one as the main theme and accentuate with the other.
The yellow and blue combo is ideal for the living room, bedrooms, or bathrooms. It creates a gender-neutral effect, so you can confidently use it in a kid's room. In addition, the combination is good when used on fabrics rather than walls.
3. Yellow with Pink
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The next color combination uses yellow hues with different pink shades. If you love hot pink, it is an electric color that can combine with pale or bold yellows to create a positive room. Hot pink evokes feelings of romance, sensitivity, and femininity in positive settings. Alternatively, it can also evoke aggressive and rebellious notions, so you will need to understand the mood you want to set with your yellow hues.
The best way to capture the more relaxed, sensitive, or feminine mood is to use hot pink with mustard yellow. One way to do this is using mustard yellow as the accent color on mats, curtains, or throw pillows.
Pale pink is a good alternative to the hot pink option. Unlike the first option, the pale pink and yellow combo creates a laid-back, almost retro, or vintage theme for any room. This combination is ideal for most rooms, including sitting rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. You can use pink to cool yellow walls in bedrooms or bold yellow shades to accentuate pale pink walls.
4. Yellow with Red
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Yellow and red are both bright colors that you can incorporate into a room. But, to avoid creating a frustrating room, you may want to tone it down with one color. For instance, you could use yellow bedding and throw hints of red on a wall hanging or use accent pieces with minimal red lines or shapes.
Alternatively, a bold yellow shade, like mustard or golden yellow, would tone down the attention-grabbing quality of a red theme or centerpiece. If you have a red couch, you can choose a yellow wall or fabrics like throw pillows or curtains to welcome more natural light and cheerfulness.
If you want to match other bold shades, you can pair mustard, golden, or pastel yellows with deep shades like burgundy and cinnamon red.
5. Yellow with White
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One of the easiest ways to complement yellow is to use neutral colors. White makes selecting from the color palette easy since you can work with many ideas. In addition, white is a bold yet relaxing color that can tone down the energetic notions of yellow.
This color combination is ideal for any room, including the sitting room, kitchen, bedroom, and more. In most cases, you will be looking to add dashes of bold yellows in white-themed spaces. For instance, you can add a curry or mustard throw pillow to accentuate white linens on a bed. Alternatively, yellow curtains will marry perfectly with white walls, and you can also use yellow accent ideas like wall hangings or vases to add character to plain white walls or floors.
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But, while plain white and yellow are easy to pull off, white can be overbearing, especially when used as a room's theme. Because yellow is a luminous color on its own, you might find more success pairing it with warmer shades. Like other colors, you can also combine yellow with other softer shades of white. For instance, you would require less effort to accentuate off-white walls, fabrics, or furniture with yellow pieces. Also, use yellow to add warmth, character, and natural light to off-white, cream, or even beige themes.
6. Yellow with Brown
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Are you looking for the boldest yet easy to pair colors? We suggest you give yellow hues and brown themes a try. The jovial appearance of yellow paired with brown introduces a calmer, earthy warmth and look that leaves your spaces with a creative ambiance.
You can place a yellow piece of furniture, such as a couch, console table, or shelf, and stand it in front of a brown wall to introduce creativity. You can also accentuate the look with classy red, white, off-white, beige, or black pieces, like paintings or vases.
Alternatively, you might look to pair a yellow couch with wood furniture like tables and side tables. In addition, you can choose a yellow couch with wooden legs and add a dose of brown paint to improve the natural elements. You can also use the yellow-brown combo for your dining area, where you can choose brown wooden chairs with yellow fabrics or line the dining table with a pale yellow cotton or satin liner to create a natural, spring look.
7. Yellow with Gray
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If your mind is not into white or off-white walls, then try gray. And if you do then yellow could be used as a highlighting color. Yellow and gray are two colors that signify happiness, aristocracy, and relaxation and the combo is the perfect complement for bedrooms.
A gray wall in a bedroom will help you fall asleep quickly, but it is a dull color that can also make you feel dull. Even a small amount of yellow, in the form of pillows, paintings, vases, or mats, will brighten up the room. There are many shades of gray or yellow, and the colors go well together.
8. Yellow and Black
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This is a combination to try if you want to create contrast in a gender-neutral room. With yellow being the most luminous color, it welcomes light into a room, a start opposite of what black does. The latter is associated with the absolute absence of light, which is how black walls or accents affect a room.
Pairing yellow with black creates a dramatic and moody look that looks good on walls, fabrics, and furniture. While you might not work with many black shades, you can choose many shades of yellow, including neon yellow and paler shades.
Not sure where to incorporate this combo? Why don't you try the kitchen? You can match black kitchen cabinets and fixtures to yellow walls or islands. To pull off this look perfectly, we'd suggest adding wooden accents to create a natural look.
Alternatively, you can complement a bedroom's yellow paint with black fabric. Since black blocks light, black curtains are the perfect summer choice for a sunshine-yellow bedroom.
9. Yellow with Purple
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Yellow represents happiness and hope while purple shows royalty and class. This color combo should be used in a living room, bedroom, or bathroom as it is suitable for an area where you intend to share your creativity. It is best to use these colors in rooms where you receive guests.
Pale purple can be used on bedroom walls and then yellow curtains added on top of it so as to make the room ever sunny. You can alternatively choose to paint the walls purple and the cabinets yellow to let in more light. The next suggestion is the use of yellow decorations on purple furniture. For example, add mustard or pastel shades of yellow throw pillows on a pale purple sofa.
Finally, you can use this combo in your kitchen to create a spectacular effect. For instance, you can paint your cabinets and shelves in yellow and paint parts of the wall in yellow to create the best contrasting effect.
10. Yellow with Orange
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Orange is a luxurious, natural color that pairs well with yellow. As one of the warm colors that work with yellow, you can use it to create a warm, down-to-earth, and calm place. The combo is especially good when you want to brighten your home in the dark winter season.
That said, the bold combo might require a definite home theme, such as retro or rustic styles. Throw orange accents, like curtains, vases, throw pillows, shelves, and blankets to a room with soft yellow paint. When creating this great combination, you will want to choose the hues carefully to avoid creating a very busy room. So, choose pale yellow hues as the theme color, accentuating the look with bright or dark shades of orange.
Where Can You Use Yellow Interior Decor?
When selecting the color for your home, you want to pick something that will inspire you and your family in the right way. Fortunately, yellow is a bright color that will make all members of your family feel cheerful regardless of the time of the year. But you still have to be careful when selecting the colors as the color can generate a frustrating mood if it is overly used. You may choose pale yellow as a background color when creating a theme or the brightest and boldest accent colors.
The yellow color can be applied to any part of the house, starting with the entryway, living room, dining area, kitchen, bedrooms, hallway, bathrooms, and even study. It is also possible to choose the shade taking into consideration your health goals for certain rooms. For example, use yellow in a study room as it helps cheer up moods and enhances memory. Another option is to use golden yellow in the dining area to improve digestion. Similarly, yellow color can be used in a baby nursery to keep the baby cheerful or calm.
Other places where yellow can be used include your workplace or area because it is an attention-getting color. For instance, put a yellow paint in your retail shop if you want to attract customers or wear yellow clothes if you want to appear confident and assertive.
