It’s the Marmite of colours – you either love it or hate it. But yellow is definitely having a moment right now. Depending on the room, and used alongside complementary shades, it can add a little bit of magic. And there are so many variations – from moody mellow yellows to full on hot and spirited mustard. And like the well known spread, a little can go a long way. Yellow is great for lifting a room from its dreary monotones or transforming a dark and gloomy corner.
A Shade too Brave?
Choosing furniture or fabric in a shade of yellow can feel like a brave step. But the results can be spectacular. Placed against a slate grey wall for example (and see our Vibieffe Hi-Story range below) the impact is stunning. So why not give it a go? Be courageous – embark on your own yellow adventure, or to borrow a well-known 90s song: ‘Spice up Your Life…’.
Our pick of some of the best of the trending shades
Vibieffe’s Hi Story range was covered for this shoot in a beautiful mustard velvet, finished with contrasting blanket stitching. What really gives it the wow factor as mentioned is placing it against dark grey/pewter walls. Because it positively glows. It’s so dramatic – and who doesn’t like a bit of drama now and then.
Yellow can be an emotional colour; it’s often associated with happiness and sunshine or in contrast, at the other end of the scale, with anxiety and irritation. So it’s all a bit personal really. Too much might be a tad overwhelming but a small amount here and there could bring a little cheer.
If you’re choosing yellow for your walls, there are lots of well known paint companies, such as Farrow & Ball or Little Greene, offering truckloads of expert advice and examples as to which kind of room (north facing, south facing etc.) a particular shade might work best in.
A great example here are Mogg’s Metrica bookshelves which look spectacular set against this deep yellow wall. They come in burnished bronze or titanium finishes, with glass shelves in bronze or green.
Mustard – love it or hate it?
Talented French designer Fabrice Burrux’s latest seating range for Bonaldo is the Panorama collection. It’s got a striking hexagonal shape and as it’s modular it can also be used to create larger seating areas. And there are lots of fab fabrics on offer including velvets, chenilles, cottons and eco-leathers in some very zingy colours. Bonaldo’s stylist has paired the mustard velvet upholstery here with blue and turquoise carpets and walls, and a dark blue sideboard. Which we think is très magnifique!
Two more noteworthy examples using shades of yellow to create some drama and energy in a room are the Cleo cabinet, and the Reverse sideboard both from Novamobili.
For the shoot the walls were painted in moody shades of blue/grey and sage/grey and they act as the perfect foil, along with neutral floors and some complementing and black and white accessories. Either of these two designs are perfect for drawing the eye – and if we’ve failed to take you with us so far on our yellow brick road odyssey, each of these storage pieces is also offered in 27 other matt lacquers.
Now sometimes we like to throw a little cat among the pigeons. Yellow for your bedroom anyone? Guaranteed to make you wake up with a headache or fill you with a warm happy glow each morning? We like to think the latter will produce the desired effect.
Yellow for the bedroom?
The Hugg bed from Mogg was designed by Claudio Bitetti and it’s pretty unique, with a frame that can be moulded almost like clay (although it’s very soft and huggable). It’s removable covers come in tons of different fabrics and colours including the bold gold seen here. The stylist has teamed it with lots of neutrals, including terracotta floor tiles, natural cork side tables and putty coloured walls, plus black and white art. We think it’s a winner and it lifts what could be a fairly dull room to another level.
Metallic Yellow
Yellow doesn’t have to come in the form of fabric or wall paint. Metallic accessories have been an interiors trend for quite a while now and don’t seem to be on their way out just yet. Think brass, bronze, gold and copper – all fabulous at reflecting ambient light and as a consequence adding a subtly glamorous touch.
Metal is also great for creating sinuous sculptural shapes and Italian glass specialists Tonelli Design delighted us last year with their over-sized City Life mirrors by Francesca Arrigh. The largest of these has an impressive diameter of 180cm. The mirrors outer decoration features repeating rhombuses in smoke, bronze or the fabulous gold effect seen here.
And talking of sculptural metal shapes, Mogg’s metallic Musa shelves have been a huge hit with the press and our customers alike. They were designed by Alessandro D’Angeli who describes them as a ‘graphic sign suspended at a precise moment’. It’s our little bit of ‘furniture meets poetry’.
The Musa is an amazing design which can be used horizontally or vertically and grouped however you want. This version is in matt gold lacquered metal and would look superb against a dark wall. But if this really is a shade too far for you, there’s an equally impressive matt black version.
So finally, be bold with your choices is our advice. Check out the useful filter on our new website that allows you to chose items in any colour of your choice.