Yellow color in interior design and rules of combination

Yellow evokes pleasant associations for many – it is the color of sunlight, tropical fruits, a companion of good mood. However, in the interior it does not take root at all, it is perceived as something bright, catchy and difficult to combine. We will try to dispel this prejudice about yellow and tell you how to combine it with other colors and make it a guarantor of positive emotions.

Psychology and features of yellow in interiors

To understand this color, you need to familiarize yourself with its “psychological portrait”. Yellow color reminds of the sun, life-giving light, helps to improve mood.

It is preferred by extroverts who lead an active lifestyle, people without problems with self-esteem, funny people, intellectuals and slightly frivolous natures.

According to clinical studies of the effect of color on a person, it invigorates, excites the central nervous system, has a therapeutic effect and helps with diseases of the liver, stomach and intestines. This color stimulates the memorization of more information and improves memory. Depression, a tendency to pessimism and low self–esteem are a reason to add shades of yellow to your life, which facilitate such negative states.

Advantages and disadvantages of interior design in yellow tones

The use of yellow shades for residential premises is quite specific from the point of view of psychology. They are demanding and self-sufficient, bold and defiant, and some shades are very aggressive. In order not to overload the room and it was comfortable in it, some nuances should be taken into account.

The yellow color is easy to perceive, is able to give cheerfulness and improves mood, visually enlarges the space, makes it light and airy, fills with sunlight and creates a favorable atmosphere. But bright shades can quickly get bored, it is better not to use them in rooms with a lot of sunlight, to avoid increasing the feeling of heat and stuffiness, and they can also increase headache and dizziness.

Based on the psychophysiological characteristics, there are several main advantages and disadvantages of color that should be taken into account when designing a yellow interior.

Let’s start with the advantages:

• it is easy to perceive, adjusts to a positive mood;
• promotes the appearance of interest, curiosity, therefore it is suitable for premises where educational activities are carried out;
• adds heat to the room, visually warms;
• ideal for placing accents, focuses attention on selected subjects;
• visually enlarges the space.

Disadvantages of yellow:

• Use in large quantities provokes a feeling of anxiety, irritation and can even make you angry.
• Bright acid shades are hard to perceive and quickly get bored.
• It is not recommended for use in rooms located on the sunny side, because it provokes a feeling of stuffiness.

Actual shades of yellow used in interiors

Yellow is the base. Along with blue and red, it acts as the main one in the Itten color circle. In order not to beat around the bush, it’s easier to say this: yellow cannot be “brought out” by mixing several other colors. Thanks to this property, it is universal and harmonious in all possible combinations.

When combining yellow with additional colors, it is important to choose the appropriate shade, and he has 136 of them. Among such a variety, some representatives of the Pantone palette still stand out: Neapolitan yellow, sand, buttercup, gold, vanilla, lemon, amber, wheat, honey, curry and others.

The tones of yellow, although they replace the sun in the rooms, can also be cold. It depends on the direction of the shift in the color circle: yellow either slowly fills with the brightness and sultry orange, or goes into a calm cool green.

The best color combinations

People who decided to add yellow to the interior of their home can be called daredevils. Some are wary of this color, consider it difficult, and there is definitely some truth in this.

Yellow is really a capricious and ambiguous color, but after learning how to work with it, everyone will discover a world of original, juicy and incredibly stylish designs that transform any, even the most nondescript room.

Now we will talk not only about color combinations, but also about textures, materials potentially comparable to yellow.

Yellow and white

The color of the sun’s rays really needs some neutral neighbor, and white successfully gets this role. In addition to the freshness and lightness born in this union, there is also a festive atmosphere.

White and yellow get along perfectly in a small area, without accentuating its tightness.

If you want to distract attention from the size of the room as much as possible, it is often recommended to stop at pastel colors. So, the border with white will be washed away and the room will become airy like a biscuit.

Yellow and Black

A risky, contrasting combination. Yellow paired with black can cause a subconscious feeling of anxiety. Such a reaction of the psyche is not accidental, because nature gives bright alternating colors to what poses a threat, is poisonous.

In the absence of experience in the design business, it is not recommended to experiment with this nuclear mixture, otherwise there is a chance to make the room heavier, make it unsafe mentally.

Yellow, black and white on the same territory look balanced and unusual.

Yellow and Purple

From the company of standard and familiar colors for the interior – black and white – let’s move on to the extraordinary, controversial purple.

Purple color harmoniously combines with yellow, because its location on the color wheel obliges it. They are located exactly opposite.

For fans of everything bohemian, chic, out of the general mass, the tandem of purple and yellow will be perfect.

Yellow and Green

We move into a calmer channel and meet yellow and green colors. This combination cannot be ignored, as it is very popular and helps to revive pleasant memories of relaxing in the bosom of nature, of the summer sun and soft grass.

Here, too, it is necessary to maintain a balance: herbal and canary shades, for example, will provoke tension or irritation due to their saturation. Pistachio will look much nicer in combination with pale yellow, pear with light lime.

Green and yellow will play most successfully in accessories, textiles and decorative items, and the most organic place for this combination is a country house. An interesting way to combine yellow and green in the interior without buying contrasting furniture and paints is to add live plants to the room. Both flowering and decorative options are acceptable. The main condition is the presence of green leaves or shoots.

Yellow and Blue

These colors may have a conflict in terms of temperature: blue is perceived as cold and fresh, and yellow is often as warm, sultry.

Leaving them alone with each other is not recommended, so do not be afraid of admixtures of white, pink or gray in individual details.

A combination of pastel yellow and a deep shade of blue (cornflower blue, blueberry, ultramarine, indigo) is relevant. For the most daring, a technique called “color block” is suitable. It involves applying contrasting colors to vast planes, which creates an incredible graphic design.

Yellow and beige

Beige color is suitable as a substrate for more saturated and catchy colors, which include yellow. An elegant and sophisticated cream shade can be combined with lemon or banana to get an informal and delicate result.

Light tones of yellow and beige do not look at all, merging into an incomprehensible spot, so stop your choice on canary, saffron and shades of ripe fruit.

Yellow and grey

An interesting and for some dubious mix of gray and yellow has been wildly popular lately. The dark color is most often responsible for the background in the interior, and its companion lies on top with warm spots. Thus, yellow dilutes the gloom and unfriendliness of gray.

Having occupied a good part of the room, these colors are happy to let others in: white, pink, beige and even black.

To prevent the interior from turning from stylish to unattractive and dirty, you need to remember the proportions in which shades of gray and yellow are combined. One tone should balance the other.

Yellow and graphite

A very daring combination, appropriate for workrooms, emphasizes the extravagance and originality of the owner of such an interior.

Yellow and Red

When trying on these colors for one room, it is important to understand that equally bright shades will conflict with each other, cause confusion and strain the eyes of anyone who enters.

Choosing raspberry, bordeaux or wine, take a dusty yellow as a pair for him, if you want to go further, using scarlet, amber or honey will be the best companion for him.

Yellow and Metal

It’s time to talk about the materials with which yellow fits perfectly. One of them is metal. For greater compatibility, you need to select metal elements with a yellow sheen or in shades of the same yellow.

It turns out a sharp contrast of textures: matte and metallic. This gives the room a special chic, brings high cost and aristocracy.

Yellow and wood

When bright yellow shades are present in the interior, the accompanying light wood makes the interior uniform and very natural.

The wood is presented in beige, ivory with an admixture of yellow, barely red variants: they complement the base color with a noble pattern, without creating sharp transitions.

Failed combinations with yellow in the interior

If it is difficult to enter the room without squinting your eyes, after a long stay in the room, there is a feeling of anxiety or fatigue, then we can conclude that yellow conflicts with its color neighbor.

Shades not recommended for combination with yellow:

• Numerous tones of yellow. Designers are calling for a reasonable arrangement of shades of yellow among themselves. It is possible to use 2 or 3 colors as accents, but grouping several yellow counterparts is not applicable for a background or large planes.
• Neon. Yellow does not go well with neon shades, together they form a visual overload and provoke negative mental states: stress, tension and nervous excitement.

Yellow in the interiors of various rooms

In order for the combinations, disassembled above, to be appropriate in the interior, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the room in which this color is planned to be introduced. Let’s consider each separately, adhering to the advice of designers regarding the location, number and shades of yellow for certain areas of an apartment or house.

Kitchen

The psychophysical feature of yellow is its ability to stimulate nerve centers and excite appetite. This property allows him to rightfully occupy the kitchen space and favor the assimilation of food.

Yellow facades of a kitchen set are a good idea, but not everyone will be able to decide on it. For those who are neat and at the same time dreaming of a spectacular interior, experts advise buying interior items that can be placed around the perimeter of the kitchen: vases, dishes, towels, chairs, ceiling lamps, curtains.

Living room

The living room is a room where people relax and unwind. Yellow has a completely opposite effect on the body, so its amount here should be minimized or given preference to a light shade.

The ideal option would be additions in the form of patterned yellow pillows, lampshades or vases with sunflowers, mimosa and other living sunny flowers.

In the living room, the tones should be dim, it is important to observe a pattern here, the more yellow, the paler it is, and vice versa.

It is important to choose tones that will create harmony and additional comfort.

Calm, gentle pale yellow tones contribute to the creation of a calm, relaxed atmosphere, and bright saturated colors are better used as a decor. Such tones give the room solidity and individuality.

Bedroom

The same story is relevant in this room as in the living room: try to avoid extensive yellow areas. To allow yourself a calm and sound sleep, you should abandon the excessive saturation of this color, which attracts attention every minute. A few accessories, a carpet or curtains will be quite enough to emphasize warm accents.

Designers often resort to concentrating colors on one wall, such a technique looks modern and involuntarily attracts the eye. In the bedroom, you can create a similar yellow zone, but the shade should be pastel and muted.

The use of yellow-tone furniture in interiors

A set of such a color solution creates a unique relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen, sets the mood, gives additional comfort. Gentle, pale tones are suitable for sleeping areas, because bright colors do not contribute to relaxation and restful rest.

They are better used for spot decoration. Paintings, textiles, pillows of juicy tones will be a great addition in the sleeping area.

The use of vertical yellow stripes will visually increase the height of the room. Suitable for living rooms, hallways and bedrooms.

A well-chosen combination will help transform and fill the room with sunlight. Ideal for poorly lit spaces.

The use of yellow chairs will complement the monochrome, boring space, will avoid the use of yellow as the main color. Such chairs are the decoration of any room, besides they are easy to replace if they start to tire, it is cheaper and easier than repainting the walls.

In the sleeping and guest areas, sunny colors are more common than in other rooms. If there is no desire to design as the main color, you can add brightness to the room with upholstered furniture, textiles, decor.

Textiles in yellow tones are most common in most interior designs. Pillows will become an affordable and inexpensive solution, whether they are finished products or custom-made. They will be appropriate in living rooms and children’s rooms, as well as in workrooms and libraries. The use of home textiles of this color is appropriate in all rooms, because it is combined with all decorative solutions.

Live plants give the room naturalness, attract the eyes, it’s nice to be in such a room. They contribute to the creation of beauty, a welcoming and warm atmosphere. Plants can be both decorative and potted, and artificial plants can be used for allergy sufferers. Sleeping areas in this design are the most harmonious, but it is also appropriate in the design of other rooms.

The choice of stylistic solutions and shades is always left to the owners of the premises, but by choosing bright, fresh, sunny tones you will create a unique, warm, noteworthy interior.

Let your imagination run wild and get an excellent, comfortable and cozy interior design, which will be pleasant to be in and it will please the eye. Such a design does not require additional investments and even a novice master can cope with it.

Before starting work, create a layout of the room, for clarity and thinking through important details, because it’s easier to foresee everything in advance than to repaint too bright walls or drag, or even buy a new sofa, instead of an unsuitable style.

Interior Design Styles

For which interior styles yellow color is well suited?

The room is always made in some style, whether it is one direction or several. Continuing the conversation about yellow, I would like to note those interiors in the design of which this color would be organic.

Country style

This style cannot exist without a spectrum of natural shades that make up its native, rural composition. There is a lot of wood and other natural materials in country, which means that shades of yellow should also be close to natural.

You can safely use honey, wheat, straw and sand color.

Moroccan style

The colors in this style are very deep, saturated and the whole interior is shrouded in mystery like a scarf. Yellow can be used as an accent wall by placing dark contrasting accessories on it. It is best to use shades of tarnished gold, turmeric, mustard and curry.

Eco-style

In the philosophy of this style, the value is everything natural, environmentally friendly and that which helps people to live in harmony with the surrounding world, to understand and protect it. Yellow will always find a use inside an eco-interior, because it is a very natural and “fertile” color.

Rocks, soil, sun, plants, inflorescences and fruits are colored yellow. It is combined with many tones found in the natural environment, which makes it easier to integrate it into this style.

Provence style

Romantic French style welcomes neutral and even dull colors that seem to fade under the southern sun. To complement the exquisite Provence, you need to turn to the pastel palette and choose from there the following shades: chapman, apricot, fawn, straw. They are in harmony with the old tree, plant ornaments of pinkish, blue and pale green.

Mediterranean style

This style forms a clear and almost tangible beach landscape in front of your eyes. Blue and blue shades of upholstered furniture textiles, white carpets are a reflection of the sea, sand and neat shells.

The Mediterranean style loves geometric prints, so several pillows or a plaid may have bright yellow prints on them.

Classic style

Classic style is synonymous with the word restraint, and it should not have canary and lemon shades. You should choose shades with a calm and unperturbed mood, in addition, focusing on compatibility with natural wood, stone, embroidered fabrics.

In all respects, sand, honey, and gold are suitable, the latter is used to give luxury and status to the entire interior.

Hi-tech style

A style in which there are always a lot of cold and “inanimate” materials: plastic, glass, metal. For such interiors, yellow is suitable without admixture of orange and red, turning more into whitish. In the high-tech style, the already described complex combination with black is extremely relevant, it is also allowed to dilute the contrast with white and gray.

General recommendations for use in the interior of yellow

To better consolidate the information, read a brief extract from the material presented above. This can competently apply knowledge in practice and not be afraid to create the interior of your dreams in a life-giving yellow color.

What you need to know about Yellow:

• This is one of the three main colors in the palette. With it, it is easy to compose a composition, change the proportions of the room, expanding the space or adding heat and light.
• The use of complex numerous prints in the interior decoration, in which there is a yellow color, is not the best move. 1-2 patterns or ornaments are enough.
• Choosing shades of yellow for the interior of the room, it is worth limiting yourself to a maximum of 2 variations. The presence of diluting colors is mandatory if you value your stable emotional state.
• Monochrome yellow interiors are the exception rather than the rule. In each room, the amount of this color is individual, for example, the bedroom and living room should not be heavily “flavored” with a bright color – there will be enough accent inclusions. The kitchen, on the contrary, is a wide field for experimenting with shades, but do not forget about other colors, without which you will not get a beautiful balanced interior design.
• This is not quite a standard color for painting the floor and ceiling, but this way of accentuation looks very original.

There are days when there is absolutely not enough solar heat, and joyful saturated colors are very difficult to find if the window is gray, rain or snow. It is at such moments that the interior in sunny colors comes to the rescue. By organizing your accommodation in this way, you provide yourself with an individual summer resort and a warm atmosphere all year round.

At first it is difficult to work with this color because of the fear of overdoing it with brightness, but then the actions with color become intuitive, and the interiors are warm, cozy and unusual.