Flikr File - How to use Yellow

I think the key here is accent, accent accent. Sunny as it is, most can find yellow a little harsh as a colour to live with every day. These are some examples of where I think they have got the balance just right.

Love the use of natural materials (the palm is also fantastic and immediately makes you feel like you must be somewhere sunny). Mixing browns and creams with yellow can immediately soften the effect, but just be careful that things don't start to look to 70's. The yellow curtains have a soft check which breaks up the yellow and by only using them half way down the window ensures that they won't be too dominating of a feature. Also a crisp white has been used on the walls (Try something like All White 2005 by Farrow & Ball) which keeps things fresh and balances the muddiness of the browns in the palette.

Here yellow has been used with a bit more bravery, but I think the effect is still incredibly elegant. This is not a jarring, zesty yellow, but rather a colour which gives the feeling and warmth of a yellow, while maintaining that the furniture is the star of the show. I love the grey blue colour of the lamps, with their subtle cream shades. Also natural materials come up again - I see decorative twigs and cane seating and I'm loving it. To achieve this type of colour for the walls try Farrow's Cream No 67 by Farrow & Ball or Cream No 44, to give that subtle glow without feeling like you have to put your sunglasses on when you enter the room.