Photo gallery: Brighten your home with a hint of yellow

Lighten your decor with touches of yellow

There's something about the different seasons that calls to mind different colours. Spring is often associated with green, while fall is often associated with dark, rich browns and burgundies. Likewise, summer is the perfect time of year to incorporate yellow in to your decor. Bright and cheerful, yellow brings a sense of calm and happiness into the home.

So how do you work this colour into your already existing decor scheme? We checked in with Brett Walther, Associate Design Editor at Style at Home magazine (and author of popular blog Style Sleuth), for his advice on the matter. Here are his dos and don'ts for decorating with yellow.

6 dos and don'ts for decorating with yellow
Don't overdo it. Yellow can still be scary to some people, especially those who painted their walls in the burnt, sunflower yellow of the late 90s. Although the yellow we're seeing now is much cleaner, accessorizing with hits of yellow is a great solution for those who don't want to make a commitment to this hue. A pretty serving bowl, filled with lemons is a great way to start out.

Do go soft in large applications. If entire walls are getting the yellow treatment, opt for gentle, butter or straw shades rather than in-your-face electric lemon.

Don't pair yellow with black. In the late 90s, a lot of people had the urge to frame black and white photography in stark black frames against yellow walls and the effect is taxi-cab garish: the contrast between the yellow and black is just too much.

Do marry yellow with a soft grey. This is a hotter-than-hot double act! Just think of all the historically inspired yellow-and-grey floral upholstery fabrics that have flooded the market, or how pretty it would be to pair solid yellow cushions on white and grey striped upholstered furnishings. Casual, comfy white always works as a neutral backdrop for yellow accents, too, especially for summer.

Don't paint the bathroom yellow. Ladies, yellow can seriously alter your skin's appearance during your morning maquillage and can make for some whacked-out makeup when you get out into the actual daylight.

Do let nature inform your yellow pairings. A lemony yellow works well with its citrusy sisters, lime and orange, and yellow rooms are dying for natural greenery – palms and ferns.

10 yellow products we love!

Tonal stripe organic duvet cover and sham (Pictured above)
Fresh and summery, this duvet and sham set injects a sense of cheer into a bedroom. Woven from pure organic cotton, these stripes look smashing flying solo or paired with other patterns.
Available at: Pottery Barn
Price: $24 - $149