New Reasons to Love and Decorate With Yellow

Do you love yellow or hate it? Most people would probably answer, “A little bit of both.”

Yellow has always been a color full of contradictions. In Chinese culture, it is the color of nobility. The Greek gods are depicted with golden hair. Yet during the Spanish Inquisition, the accused were forced to wear yellow, and it was considered the color of outcasts.

Yellow is a color that many of us consider happy and bright, but also one that we don’t use very often. Here you’ll discover how it can fit into your home — and you might just change your mind about using it.

Ocher yellow was once made from clays and was used in prehistoric times for cave paintings. It can give a space a sense of history even in modern applications, as in this home.


Yellow has a natural association with its close cousin, gold. Yellow was often used in ancient Egyptian tombs depicting human forms, in part because Egyptians believed the bodies of the gods were made of gold.

Chinese emperors wore yellow, adding to the royal history of the color. The company Koh-I-Noor started painting its pencils yellow in the late 19th century to connote quality as well as the Orient, where the best graphite was produced.

Some of those connotations still stand today. Just look at how a few touches of gold add a regal atmosphere to this small bathroom.


Gold and yellow are also closely linked with wisdom and knowledge. Caps and gowns for university science and research students are typically yellow. Try blonde woods or a pale yellow wall color to add some brilliance to a library.


Art played an important role in connecting the color yellow with sunshine and happiness. One example of this is Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings, done in the late 1880s, when colors were taking on a more important role in art.

To add some sunshine to your room, surround yourself in soft yellows — and you won’t even care whether it’s raining or snowing outside.


Historically, some shades of yellow were made of arsenic. But thankfully, synthetic pigments in the 18th and 19th centuries made yellows safer.

Need a little edge in your room? Yellow can be a daring color to throw into an otherwise neutral palette. It’s fun and, when used sparingly, is a safe bet.


Yellow has also been used to communicate caution. (Think traffic lights and barricade tape.) If you’re cautious about using yellow, try just a splash of it. A little can go a long way.


School buses and taxicabs are yellow because the color is so visible from a distance. The yellow chair in the background here catches your attention right away. Use the color to connect two distance spaces, or on its own to simply make a splash.


Since it is derived from clay, yellow often shows up in stones. Use yellow-toned stone for the exterior of your home, as a low wall in your landscape or for a fireplace (indoor or outdoor) to add contrasting warmth if other stones you’re using have typical cool blue and gray tones.


Yellow woods instantly add warmth to a room. Even if you prefer a neutral space, wood furniture and a wood ceiling can give you a hint of natural color.


The 20th-century painter Piet Mondrian used primary colors, such as yellow, in very geometric forms, similar to this rectangular front door. The look here is sharp and clean.


Yellow is a popular color for neon lights. (Las Vegas immediately comes to mind.) Paint a floor yellow to make it an instant attraction.


The Aztec diet was based on corn, so the Aztecs used yellow to symbolize food. And the founders of McDonald’s obviously knew what they were doing when they chose the color for their arches.

The next time you’re cooking, try turning on The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine or Donovan’s Mellow Yellow to celebrate this sunny hue.

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