Roundup: Sunny Yellow Walls

Right now, it's gray outside our window, so we thought we'd look indoors for some color. Yellow is one of our favorite hues for a kitchen or a sunroom. The trick is to...

... avoid those dull yellow tones that don't reflect light (you know, the dirty yellowish off-white that you often see in rental apartments that haven't been painted in a few years) and go for a yellow that's a little bit brighter. Even pale yellows can have a bright, lemony undertone. For general tips on choosing paint colors, click here.

A few examples, shown above:
• Teresa, Colin & Lauren's Family Home
• Susan and Michael's Artistic Aerie
• Paula and Brian's Cambridge Condo Rehab
• East Hampton Farmhouse by Jamie Drake
• Katherine's Sunny Studio

Photos: Sarah Coffey, Janel Laban, Abby Stone, Kyle Freeman, Wouter Vandrtol, Katherine

Comments (5)

Oooh! We just moved into a new house and the one room I knew immediately I was leaving the same color was the library/sunroom! It's a bright, sunny yellow and is so cheerful and fun :) ...and since it's grey outside here too, I can appreciate it even more!
http://cozylittlecave.blogspot.com

posted by CozyLittleCave on August 28th 2009 at 9:23am
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We painted our kitchen yellow because I want it to be a cheerful & fun place. The color is Highlighter Yellow from Benjamin Moore. We don't have a whole lot of wall space exposed (not taken up by cabinets) so the vibrant yellow is not all over the place.

However, I read somewhere that yellow makes people irritable after prolonged exposure...does anyone know if that's true? I haven't feel particularly irritable, but I guess I can always blame the paint if I happen to be in a bad mood???

http://www.donkeehouse.com

posted by bitdot on August 28th 2009 at 10:49am
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I've had very light yellow walls in most of my home for a few years now. It's just restful. I don't know about a really vivid yellow though.

posted by kuroneko on August 28th 2009 at 11:31am
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JRT cuteness alert

posted by LoriSF on August 28th 2009 at 12:41pm
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Yellow is the color of sunshine and happiness. You simply cannot go wrong with it, esp. in the kitchen! I agree, though: don't pick a wishy-washy yellow. I currently have Martha Stewart's *plantain* in my kitchen.

posted by mirandabee on August 28th 2009 at 4:44pm
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