by Simon Temprell

Created on: April 26, 2008   Last Updated: April 30, 2008

What is your favourite color? This is a trick question because how can anyone choose just one color from the vast spectrum available to us? If we reduce that spectrum to primary colors we are left with red, yellow, blue and green and in my experience the most popular color in class is usually yellow.

People think they like yellow because it is unabashedly cheerful. It is the color of sunshine and daffodils, of school buses and buttercups. Yellow is reputed to lift the spirits of those it surrounds, but when you use yellow in your home it can be one of the most difficult and deceiving shades to use successfully. For those of you who have attempted to achieve a sunny disposition in your family room or guest bedroom the truth about yellow may already been known. Like all colors, yellow comes in a myriad shades and hues and when applied to the walls of a room not only does it change its mood but it also takes its energy from the available light, whether natural or otherwise.

I would say, without a shadow of a doubt, that yellow is the color that most people get wrong when they attempt to use it in their home. What looked like a pleasing, muted mustard on the paint sample can become a muddy, depressing shade of baby poop once it is on your walls and nobody wants a room the color of baby poop unless they have a very dubious grasp on reality! And even the brightest, cheeriest citrus lemon can change its mind once it is rolled out across your wall. Suddenly you are assailed by a color so insistent that it will keep you awake for weeks.

So how do you choose the right shade of yellow for your room? Well, my advice is to first find a fabric that will be used in the particular room you are decorating and take your lead from that. Sometimes it may be necessary to tone down the shade if it is too bright but as long as you keep it within the same tonal range (that's the sequence of shades you see on a paint chart; from light to dark) you will create an harmonious blend. Beware of yellows that have too much green in them because they can look bilious and cold. In fact, if you want to create warmth with yellow you are best gravitating towards something with a little red in its hue, turning it slightly more ochre like the color of an egg yolk. Sherwin Williams produce a color called Friendly Yellow (SW6680) which lives up to its name.

And if it's mustard you're after (as opposed to baby poop) then proceed with caution or call in a professional to help you make the final choice.

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