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Yellow. Again.

by | May 3, 2011 | Color, Decorating Inspiration

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Yellow. Again.

House Beautiful

I’m in a yellow mood.

 

Again. Maybe because it was dark and rainy and the clouds were closing in. I guess I needed a little spot of sun. You might live where the sun always shines, so indulge me while I soak in some rays and yellow decorating inspiration. And then I’ll tell you what I’m thinking.

Yellow. Again.

 

HGTV 2008 dream home

Yellow. Again.

HGTV

Yellow. Again.

Country Living

Yellow. Again.

House Beautiful

 

Yellow. Again.

Martha Stewart

Yellow. Again.

Martha Stewart

 

Yellow. Again.

House Beautiful


Yellow. Again.

That yellow chair, again, via House Beautiful


Yellow. Again.

And even a cute yellow house, covered snow, sent to me a couple of years back by my old blogging friend Patti Friday

Yellow. Again.

I have yellow at my house, because yellow just makes me happy.

I want to add even more yellow! I have visions of yellow mirrors too.

Yellow. Again.

I am pretty convinced I am going to paint at least part of my upstairs yellow. I’ve been thinking this over for quite a few weeks. Originally I was going to paint my lower floor a soft golden yellow but as my house evolved, I ended up using other paint colors. Once I had lived in the house for awhile, the right colors for the lower level began to become more clear to me.

But I think my upstairs is going to need yellow. Yes. It just feels like the right choice. I like my home to FEEL a certain way, and it takes me awhile to know just HOW it needs to feel.

If I could have hired a painter earlier on, my whole house would be painted by now. But I suppose that inability to move quickly was a blessing in disguise. I’ve had more time to ponder how my home feels to me.

Taking my time is allowing my home to evolve in a way that is natural and right for our family.

Yes, if I am quiet long enough and don’t charge ahead too fast, my house talks to me just like my furniture does. And like my chair, my upstairs keeps saying it wants to be yellow. Ha. ALRIGHT ALREADY with the yellow! I hear you, house. I hear you, chair. Yellow is on its way.

How about you?

Do you have yellow at your house?

77 Comments

  1. Amelia

    I’ve always wanted to paint my house (at least a part of it) with yellow. It’s a refreshing and sunny color. It also gives energy.

    At present, I only have 1 yellow furniture set – that is my coffee table at my patio. I’m planning to buy next week a yellow wall mirror for my bedroom.

    Reply
  2. Kathy

    I have several rooms in my house that are yellow, Melissa. It does seem to keep things brighter in those rooms. In one bedroom yellow was specifically chosen because it is a north facing room and even with two windows it always seemed a bit on the dark side to me. It had been a purple/lavendar color when my daughter was home and it was amazing the difference the yellow made. On the other hand, I’ve been thinking of repainting my yellow living room {if my house doesn’t sell this time around and we wind up staying through another winter}.

    Reply
  3. jennie w.

    I have that same yellow linen cupboard in your blog post. I also have a yellow bathroom. It is the perfect yellow, I think: soft and sunny. I liked it so much that when my dark staircase at the back of my house needed to be painted I went with the same color. It looks awful! It is definitely a color that needs natural light. Without it, yellow looks dingy and anemic.

    Reply
  4. kelly

    I love sunshiney yellow! It is here in the office in the accessories – an old collection of yellow national geographics, yellow pencils, baskets, and even on the screensavers of our 3 computers! It’s in my boys’ bedroom in the form of quilts at the foot of their beds and a pillow. It’s in the kitchen in a painted plate rack and lemondrops in a jar. But I have no yellow walls…it just wouldn’t contrast work with my old wooden doors and trim. Now if my trim were white….I’d be doing me some painting!

    Reply
  5. Trish

    I still have a yellow den – it cheers me up! Love all those photos. A ‘touch’ of yellow can brighten an entire room, can’t it?!
    -Trish

    Reply
  6. Kara

    Oh, I love to decorate with yellow! It’s the main accent color throughout my house. I love that I can add browns, whites, blues, etc. to it and it compliments it so nicely! And I live in the sunshine state…there’s just never enough sunshine inside without yellow!

    Reply
  7. Carol-Anne: Use the Good Dishes!

    I have just painted my kitchen a colour from Benjamin Moore called ‘Lotus Yellow’ and I just love it! I live in Toronto Canada, and we need all the ‘sun’ we can get!

    Reply
  8. Jen (Balancing Beauty and Bedlam)

    I have had 2 yellow walls with white cabinet kitchen for lots of years. I still love it, but just feel like a change. The bad thing is that when I think of what I want to change it to, it’s just another shade of yellow, so I keep procrastinating (cough, cough). It’s a brighter yellow now, but thinking a softer pale is in order. I’ll let you know what I decide (in another year or two. ;)) xoxo

    Reply
  9. bridget {bake at 350}

    I {{heart}} yellow! I just posted some pictures of yellow in my house yesterday! Great minds think alike! ;)

    Reply
  10. janet

    The exterior of my house is yellow and most of the downstairs is yellow, my favorite color :)

    Reply
  11. Carolyn

    I have several yellow walls in my house. I was thinking it might be time for a change, but your post made me look at them with new appreciation. Thanks for saving me from a lot of work… for now :)

    Reply
  12. E

    Hi Melissa! I have been following you for awhile, but have never commented. Love your blog and your decorating :-)

    I love yellow and just painted my bathroom yellow – it took me about 6 weeks to do it since I have lots of other things to take care of (and who really wants to paint at 8pm???)!

    Reply
  13. Andrea Cseh

    YES! Yellow is my love. It makes me feel warm, happy, cheerful, centered. We painted our master bedroom, master bath, foyer/library combo, formal dining room…all yellow when we built our house 10 years ago. And I still love them as much today if not more. In fact, when we built I had this brilliant idea that I also wanted green (but sage-y green) in my kitchen, breakfast area & family room. Proof that not all my ideas are brilliant – lol. I “liked” it (but not “loved” it) for several years and then I wanted those rooms yellow too but hubby dug in his heels (since he’s the painter) because he didn’t want to paint that giant room (14″ ceilings). Finally this past January he offered to do it. It was SUCH a dramatic transformation and the room felt warm & happy.

    Reply
  14. Ange

    I always wanted a yellow kitchen with white cabinets. I also did the same yellow color in my front entryway going upstairs and into the back hallway. I love it and am so glad I did it, it looks great with white and black. :) Thank you for the sunny pictures this morning, tired of rain here and needing some “sun.”

    Reply
  15. Astrid

    I was trying and trying to think if I had anything yellow in my house. I honestly didn’t think I had any yellow…but then it dawned on me that my kitchen cabinets are YELLOW (they’re natural unstained maple but very much yellow). LOL!

    Reply
  16. laura

    When we moved into our house I painted the entry, living room, and hallway yellow. At first I loved it because it really did brighten the space, but, after 4 years I’ve yet to find a color to paint our kitchen that the yellow doesn’t wash out or turn super dark. I think I’ll be repainting soon to a pale cream & bringing yellow in for an accent :)

    Reply
  17. Penny

    Yes, my house has a lot of yellow. Most of the walls are painted yellow and in my master bath that is all white and black, I just added some yellow towels.
    Hugs,
    Penny

    Reply
  18. Vee

    Yellow makes me happy, too, which is why it’s been my favorite color all my life. I used to think that for loving yellow, I had precious little of it around. Now I realize that this honey wood going on is satisfying my need for yellow. I have one painted yellow wall, one yellow front door, and I just placed a vintage yellow creamer out. Makes me smile every time I see it.

    I can’t wait to see what color yellow you select. There are so many. (And I still loved the color of the Queen’s yellow suit at the Royal Wedding.)

    Reply
  19. Jenny W (The Housewife Project)

    I do love yellow! Looking at those beautiful pictures makes me think I should add more. I painted the upstairs kids’ bathroom pale yellow. And our living room is a kind of dull yellowish/tan…now I’m thinking I could repaint it a brighter hue. Oh no, just what I need, more painting project ideas!

    Reply
  20. Amy B

    You’ll love yellow! Yellow walls in my kitchen along with the mudroom that leads into the kitchen. White cabinets and black counters. Our yellow is very similar to the yellow in your first picture.

    Reply
  21. Amy

    I LOVE yellow. It’s everywhere in my home. More golden yellow, but I like the banana yellow in these photos. I need to add some of that.

    Reply
  22. Imperfect

    I don’t have any yellow in my house at the moment. I was thinking out putting some cream, yellow and gray in one of our guest bedrooms.

    Reply
    • Shannon

      I LOVE yellow with gray! That’s such a fresh combination of colors – exciting and also calming. Sounds wonderful!

      Reply
  23. Rachel

    The exterior of our house is yellow, Hardie plank, and most of the inside is yellow, Sherwin Williams/Martha Stewart, Bentwood. We love yellow.

    Reply
  24. Shauntelle

    In our old place, I was pretty sure I needed some high gloss yellow bedside tables. The fire kinda took that idea away. In the new place, the layout is so different that I’m not sure what colors will work. I did get a great vintage bamboo table and 4 chairs… and I’m thinking the chairs are asking to be red. Don’t know though, we’ve only been there a week so the place is still whispering to me! Glad to know I’m not the only one that hears the house talking!

    Reply
  25. Kaye

    Over the years I have had yellow rooms in two different houses. I NEVER regretted painting them that color. They invariably made me happy, and I still remember them fondly.

    Reply
  26. Shannon

    Beautiful photos! I agree with you – yellow is so cheerful! I fell in love with a hundred year old, curry-yellow velvet sofa a couple years ago at an antique shop, and it’s actually comfortable as well as (garishly)chipper. My whole entire house has been re-decorated slowly to compliment this crazy sofa I love! Our house is a late-1800’s Victorian, so it’s “at home” here, and now we’re playing with adding really graphic, modern elements to de-grannify the whole thing :) What fun! All because of yellow!

    Reply
  27. Julie

    I definitely love yellow, too. It’s my neutral. I have SW’s Morning Sun in about 70% of my house!

    Reply
  28. Susan

    Melissa, you are definitely playing my song. :) Love, love, love sunny yellow. That lamp is adorable!

    Reply
  29. Jennifer Talley

    Great timing on the yellow thoughts! I have loved my Benjamin Moore “Vellum” walls in my kitchen and living area. With all the blues and greys lately, I have questioned my yellow and actually have a small section of wall test-painted in BM’s “Prescott Green.” I think I’ll do the opposite of you, and take my Blue’s upstairs! You’ve convinced me everything looks better in yellow! (Even the Queen last week!)

    Reply
  30. Laura

    While reading through the comments, I saw the word “yellow” so many times that it started looking misspelled to me! I have the yellow linen press from the Country Living picture in our bedroom. It adds a ray of sunshine (and quite a bit of storage) to our room! The exterior of our house is painted yellow with blue trim. Nothing like the colors of the Swedish flag for a 1/2 Swedish girl!

    Reply
  31. Franki Parde

    Y E S to yellow!!! franki

    Reply
  32. KimH

    I am right in the middle of painting my upstairs yellow! :D
    Mine too screamed yellow & sunlight!!!
    I live in a cottage so it isnt huge up there but I have one middle room Im turning into an exercise room and another little area that will be my craft nook.

    After painting the exercise room, I realized its a little darker than I was originally envisioning and I still have over a half gallon left, so I may paint the craft nook with the same yellow then put a faux finish or whitewash over it to lighten it up.. Still havent decided yet.. Im mulling it over My houses speak to me as well. :D

    Funny thing.. I’ve always been a total muted earth tone kinda gal.. the yellow is sooo different but Im loving it. :D

    Reply
  33. Diane

    Yaaaay for yellow!
    I *love* the HB Yellow Kitchen, the 2008 Dream Home Dining Room, and that cute yellow house (though it’s a bit mustardy for me). It’s been really gray and rainy here in the N.East too. Regardless of the season….yellow evokes a happy, optimistic feeling in me. With all the ‘greige’ out there I’m so glad to hear you’re going to inspire us with yellow! I can’t wait to see what shade you will choose. I confess that as much as I like it…it’s truly difficult to select the perfect color for the wall.
    Thanks Melissa! My day is sunnier already!

    Reply
  34. Lindsay

    In my old house, I painted our dining room a lovely mix of apricotty-buttercup. As our dining room faced the morning sun, when I came downstairs on a sunny morning, I was faced with all this glorious ‘happy’ light bouncing around from the sunny walls. I’d definitely do this again in a future house where the light was right.

    Reply
  35. IAMSNWFLAKE

    I really like a touch of yellow here and there. Right now my living room and study walls are painted a very light yellow with white trims. Now that autumn is here, the sun comes right in and they actually glow with warmth and light.

    Reply
  36. sarah

    yellow is our main accent color in our family room and our kitchen is yellow. head over to my blog for some family room pics. :)

    Reply
  37. shari

    I love the photos in this post! Adore yellow! I’ve got much of it in my cottage. The walls in the living room are the perfect shade! Slipcovers of yellow & white stripes are part of my summer decor. I’m with you – I do believe I have furniture telling me to buy some sunshine colored paint!

    Reply
  38. Sandy

    Great kitchen picture. I love the contrast of the yellow, white cabinets and wood floors. I think the trick with yellow is to have lots of white trim. My kitchen and living room are painted yellow. Like you, it makes me happy and because I live in the Pacific Northwest, I think it lifts my spirits a bit.

    Reply
  39. Jennifer Creviston

    Yellow kitchen… reminds me of my Great Grandma… the yummy butter yellow..

    Reply
  40. Jenny

    Ever since the first time you posted a pic of that yellow chair, I have been obsessing over painting my island stools yellow! I just can’t get that yellow chair out of head! So off to Home Depot I go today to buy some yellow spray paint. I can’t wait to see to the rooms you paint yellow.

    Reply
  41. Karen

    This sunny post made everything feel better this morning, thank you. What great images. Hope you receive your recommended dose of sunshine this week.
    karen

    Reply
  42. Mindy

    I have a yellow street-find chair in my garden with a potted plant on it. I have a yellow dining room. I have yellow in my couch pillows. And I covet that yellow cabinet from Ikea that’s in your photo from Country Living, but alas, it’s too wide for my bathroom. I also dream of someday living in a yellow farmhouse. And while we’re dreaming, it will have a white wrap around porch of course. :)

    Reply
  43. Rae

    Our living/dining/kitchen is all a soft butter yellow. I saw it in Big Fish- you know the scene with Helena Bonham Carter as the piano teacher, after they’ve fixed her crooked house- and fell in love with it. It’s evolved to almost have a muted primary color theme, which I’m proud to say hasn’t become childish, but cheerful. I’m also in the pacific northwest, so I understand how important that can be- especially with this anti-spring we’re having.

    Reply
  44. JoAnne

    I love yellow too Melissa! I don’t have any in my house right now and I kind of miss it. I think I miss the cheerfulness of it. I am very slowly working on our grungy basement laundry room so I’m thinking that might be a perfect place to ad some sunshine with yellow!

    Reply
  45. Kacey

    I’m with you, Melissa – I’m so in love with yellow right now. It just makes me happy. I’m not brave enough to commit to yellow walls (except in my sunny yellow laundry room), but I’ve been thinking I need more pops of yellow around the house. A yellow chair sounds lovely! I’ve been very tempted to do a yellow piece for our furniture refinishing business – I’m just worried it will take awhile to sell!

    Kacey

    Reply
  46. Missy June

    Just last year I painted the main living spaces (living room, dining, kitchen and hallway in “Farmer’s Almanac.” It’s a soft, relaxing yellow that provides a great and surprisingly neutral backdrop while remaining bright. I’ve been so happy and received many compliments. There is one wall that achetecturally differs, so it is painted “Silent Fog.” I’m thrilled with the outcome.

    Reply
  47. maggie

    I love that yellow kitchen! I have Benjamin Moore ‘Man on the Moon’ in my living and dining rooms. While it isn’t a true ‘yellow’ it changes with the light and sometimes looks yellow.
    Last year I painted our downstairs family room a nice lemony yellow thinking it would warm the room up but it looks TERRIBLE. We have grey tile flooring and a blue ticking sofa and chair, plus a blue painted cabinet so I thought yellow would be great. No. I really dislike it with the flooring. Even with an area rug. The yellow has to go. I think I’ll just stick with yellow accents.

    Reply
  48. Danielle

    I have a secretary desk that wants to be yellow! And a kitchen that’s in need of some yellow accents!

    Reply
  49. Screaming Meme

    Yellow is a GREAT color and one that seems to stay in style…:) You forgot to add a photo of Kim’s home @ Dear Daisy Cottage…:) That is YELLOW! :) Fun stuff!

    If you get the chance come and look at my french VINTAGE bird cage and read my hilarious confession! ha! Sure to make you laugh! :)

    Xo, Meme

    BTW, I am having a HUGE giveaway series!

    Reply
  50. Genevieve

    I do love yellow, especially as an accent color. A heavy white stoneware plate piled with yellow lemons is one of my favorite table centerpieces.
    xo,
    Genevieve

    Reply
  51. Gina

    Yes, I do have spots of yellow here and there. I just painted a bunch of empty frames sunny yellow and hung them in my powder room. I love the cheery look it makes!

    Reply
  52. Erin

    My poor house is depressingly white we have had a hard time deciding how to paint our open flowing floor plan. Great spaces but not very easy to have each room a different color.

    Reply
  53. domestosgoddess

    Are you reading my mind? Yesterday I made a moodboard for the master bedroom, lots of cool white, a snazzy 50s style grey and white wallpaper for one feature wall, and a white fabric with black, grey and chrome yellow flowers! I am also thinking about a yellow silk quilted throw for the bed. Most of the products I’m looking at are from Harlequin, do you have that in USA?

    Reply
  54. Becky K.

    I love yellow in powder rooms that don’t have windows. I have done this in two houses now and it just feels more open, spacious and friendlier than any other color.

    I also have a cream, that kind of looks like a pale butter yellow on just one wall in the living room. It is directly across from the large picture window and it reflects the daylight beautifully. The other walls are a very pale sage green. Might sound strange but it works.

    Reply
  55. Jamie

    As I get older I find my tastes have changed. Yellow used to be my LEAST favorite color, but it’s moving up the list. I’m not sure I could do an all yellow room, but I LOVE the yellow accents.

    Reply
  56. Faye

    Being we live in the northern midwest the winters can be long and dark, therefore I have yellow in every room of our house. My entrance doors are yellow. Do I like yellow? You bet I do!

    Reply
  57. Heidi Milton

    How funny, I’ve been living with yellow in my house for 12 years and am ready for a change! I do like yellow accents, though, so I’ll probably do a few fun ones, but the overall yellow– on the chopping block this summer!

    Reply
  58. Noelle

    I like yellow too! It just feels good! I prefer pale yellow in bigger doses, such as wall color! I have a very pale yellow cream color in my living room and dining room. Love your inspiration rooms!!!

    Reply
  59. susan

    Not yet. But it’s in the plan :) Lotsa goodies stashed to go with my to-be bicycle yellow kitchen (lotsa copper,too); Tuscan yellow/orange center hall&up stairwell (walnut armoire,honey oak orig hardwds) and probably some shade of yellow in the bathroom. Can’t wait to figure out where my 50’s yellow&chrome table will go-snaggd@a yard sale for$20! &planned as a cutting table for crafting. But I keep moving it in my head. Yes, I love yellow,too. And forest green, and aubergine, and coral, and barn red. (sigh) I had it all figured out till I fell in love with deep hi-gloss aubergine&oak with aqua&teal accents. That knda threw off the flow I’d envisioned with my stashed tickings&vintage florals&Hungarian linen. Even a gorgeous red/cream/yellow/green French hemp print. I’ll think of something but there will be yellow! :)

    Reply
  60. Glenda Childers

    Alexandra Stoddard says ~ “every room needs a little yellow.” My past two homes were a creamy buttery yellow that I love – Benjamin Moore/Straw. A beautiful color.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

    Reply
  61. catherine

    i totally agree. i have to live in a space for a while, really get a feel for it, then it seems easy to pick a color.
    we live in a 1927 cottage in the south. the eaves are so deep the inside seems dark because, i suppose, thats how they kept it cool before air conditioning. i have a beautiful soft yellow in our bedroom/ sitting room. it just makes it feel more sunny.

    Reply
  62. Tammy aka

    We repainted our office/bonus room to a glorious yellow in the house we just sold. I did bring the curtains with me to our new rental but I haven’t hung them yet. I’m looking forward to it, I miss the warmth that color brings.

    Reply
  63. Donna McBroom-Theriot

    My library is yellow and the outside of my cottage is yellow. Actually there is yellow in every room of my house whether it is a pillow, in the curtains, a dish, etc.

    Reply
  64. Irma

    We’ve just had one of the longest winters here in Ontario,Canada(they are calling for some snow in a nearby area tonite) and I am glad that my kitchen is a sunny yellow,and my bedroom is a pale, golden yellow. We have a small craftsman style home that can get rather dark,(my livingroom is a med.sage green color with dark wood trim)in the winter. So the kitchen, where I spend most of my time anyway, is so sunny with a nice,south facing picture window above the sink.

    Reply
  65. summer roughton

    oh my goodness me too! i am so in a yellow mood. i just went and bought yellow paint. i have no idea what i want to paint, but i do want to paint something yellow! it is the lack of sunshine… the yellow makes you happy & think of summertime.

    Reply
  66. Heathahlee

    If we EVER paint our dining area and kitchen (PLEASE let it be this year!) I want a pale yellow on the walls. Our dining area has VERY little natural light and yellow would be just the thing to brighten it up!

    Reply
  67. FairfieldHouse

    Melissa,

    Do I have yellow? The exterior of he Fairfield House is yellow! The interior walls I haven’t painted yet are somewhat yellow — an ugly primitive mustard yellow not a sunshine sort of yellow.

    Your Friend,
    Deborah

    Reply
  68. Crystal

    My house is yellow stucco on the exterior. It makes me happy every time I drive up the driveway :)

    Reply
  69. Paula

    The entry, family room & main hallway of our home is Blonde… the kitchen is Chestertown Buff – I love a warm, rich, and neutral tone of yellow. It’s very inviting & cozy – and not too formal!

    Reply
  70. Marilyn Holeman

    My bathroom is yellow, because even though it’s a small room, it makes it appear sunny and bright. I used to walk by my friend’s bathroom and think the light was on, but no, it was just the yellow walls. AND I love in Southern California! (But in the mountains, so it’s NOT always sunny. :-)

    Blessings,Melissa,
    Marilyn

    Reply
  71. Erica Cooper

    I agree… yellow is a fabulous color. Completely classic, yet trendy, happy yet sophisticated. A chameleon of a color. One of my new favorites. We should all have a bit of yellow in our homes to remind us to not be too serious.

    Reply
  72. Jenn

    This is the second home that I have painted the kitchen yellow. In the evening it looks soft and mellow, but in the early morning it is cheerful and bright! Just what I need to start my day. We also painted the exterior yellow (it’s colonial style two story) with black shutters and a red door. Lovely!

    Reply
  73. Angie

    We just painted our daughter’s room yellow to match her daisy bedspread. My hubby and father-in-law built a beautiful window seat under her window, and we framed the window with breezy white curtains tied back with bright yellow ribbons, and our artist friend is painting a gorgeous tree with swing mural on the opposite wall. Now I want to kick my daughter out and make it my room!(Okay, not really. But I do spend a lot of time on her window seat.) It’s so sunshiny and happy and warm. I love yellow!

    Reply
  74. Tracy O

    I love yellow! I recently painted my kitchen cabinets yellow…now onto the rest of the room (not yellow) to really make the cabinets pop!

    Reply
  75. Amanda Brengle

    I love yellow! I just moved into a new home and the kitchen needs a little makeover. This sealed the deal, yellow it is!

    Thanks!

    Reply

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