From buttercup to gold, discover how to add instant cheer to your home
Written bySunsetJuly 17, 2013
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Thomas J. Story
1 of 16Thomas J. Story
Modernizing a classic look
Going for a slightly bolder shade of yellow paint keeps this antique-filled kitchen feeling fresh.
Andrea M. Gómez
2 of 16Andrea M. Gómez
Bright spot
Turn an under-the-stairs nook into a focal point with a marigold painted chest and a vase filled with green foliage.
Thomas J. Story
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Contemporary glam
Bright yellow is like a vitamin C shot for a room. It makes plain white look modern and crisp. Use it in at least three places so it doesn’t look random. Black makes the yellow-and-white combo sexy.
Thomas J. Story
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Heath-tiled kitchen
Flush-mounted lights on the soffit and under the cabinets show off hand-tooled yellow Heath tiles on this kitchen wall. The soft gray walls and mushroom-colored concrete counters subtly complement the tile.
E. Spencer Toy
5 of 16E. Spencer Toy
Burst of sunshine
A sunny yellow paint, Benjamin Moore’s Soleil (AF-330), paired with white furnishings creates youthful cheer in this girl’s room. Collage art from Petit Collage and curtain fabric from Sunbrella add bold pops of color. White floral decals from BLIK Surface Graphics are easy to apply and remove, allowing you to add instant, affordable art to any wall with vinyl graphics.
Jeffery Cross
6 of 16Jeffery Cross
Quick fix
Add a modern blast of color anywhere in your home with a yellow porcelain stool.
Thomas J. Story
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Cheerful backdrop
A yellow accent wall adds light to this kitchen while serving as a nearly-neutral backdrop for a colorful collection of often-used items grouped together for a visual display on top of an antique cabinet.
Thomas J. Story
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Playing off cool tones
A cool gray paint on the wall—this one has a touch of blue—looks crisp in most lights and serves as a solid base for bolder touches like the yellow elements shown here.
Thomas J. Story
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Turning up the glitzAdd glitz
Use gold leaf over fireplace brick. Metallics make almost any palette more dynamic. Gold leaf, from $10/18 sheets;michaels.com
Thomas J. Story
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Retro chic
In place of a headboard, this room's designer covered the wall with an eco-friendly obeche-zebrawood composite from Brookside Veneers, giving the room a retro--yet hardly kitschy or old-fashioned--feel.
Artwork by Kaypee Soh
11 of 16Artwork by Kaypee Soh
Touch of the tropics
Beautiful artwork can come at a reasonable price, and serves as an easy way to add color to any room. This Plumeria print by Kaypee Soh is a perfect example.
Thomas J. Story
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Cozy patio
Painting this patio overhang a sunny yellow not only draws attention to the architectural feature, it also makes the space feel more intimate.
Thomas J. Story
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Versatile gems
The school-bus yellow metal stools add instant fun. Designed for indoor-outdoor use, these lightweight seats can follow the party wherever it goes.
Thomas J. Story
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Mixing old & new
In a bungalow remodel, the living room kept its original paneling, box beam ceilings, and built-in bookcases, but got a face-lift courtesy of Danish modern furniture and a fresh coat of a cheery yet not overpowering color.
Jennifer Martiné
15 of 16Jennifer Martiné
Harvest gold hues
Orange-striped blades of grass, apricot-tinged leaves with purple undersides, and matching gold containers make for autumn-inspired pots that wake up an entry or yard.
Thomas J. Story
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Autumn jewels
Striped yellow fall pumpkins lend a lighthearted twist to the traditional autumn palette. Combine them with yellow Iceland poppies, kumquats, and grapefruits in a sunlit space; leave citrus leaves and twisted pumpkin stems intact for a just-picked feel.