Ask someone what emotion the colour yellow represents, and almost invariably the answer comes back as “happines” or something similar. Yellow has long been associated with feelings of sunshine, positivity and cheerfulness. It evokes childhood memories of hazy summer days.
But yellow does have some negative meanings, including being a coward. Just ask Marty McFly in ‘Back to the Future’! Interestingly, though, in Egypt it’s often used for mourning. The Japanese associate it with courage, and Indians with merchants.
Overall, though, using yellow in an interior space will encourage visitors to associate it with something positive. It can also be used to brighten up a dull corner. But beware – yellow at full strength is a very bright, energizing colour, and can become overwhelming.
One of the advantages of yellow is that using different hues can create quite different effects. One example of this is a soft, pastel yellow, which has a calming effect and is often used for babies and nurseries as a gender-neutral option.
If you want to achieve an opulent, almost antique feel in a room, then move towards darker or golden-hued yellows. It helps establish a feeling of timelessness and permanence.
Yellow is also great if you have a lot of neutral tones and want to add a strong pop of colour. This can be done on a larger scale, with a yellow sofa, or with smaller details such as flowers or artwork.
I’ve always found yellow to be one of the more versatile colours to work with, so put your imagination to work and see how you can use it to transform a space.