If you ask a child what is yellow they will probably say “the sun” or a “banana”. Neither answer is the most prepossessing start for an interior motif. However yellow in interior decor is one of the oldest and more enduring of all colours. Having been out of favour for a while recently with new tones being created by paint manufacturers, it has taken its place once again as a colour to be used in any room in the house.

In Chinese culture of the Imperial Court, yellow was the colour of power wealth and prosperity. In Chinese Buddhism the colour represents freedom and the monks wear yellow (saffron) robes. It is no surprise therefore that Paint and Paper Library have named their yellow paint Chinese Emperor. It is a glorious colour but has just enough brown in it to make it feel old and carry the patina of age. Its a good hallway choice as it sits well with antique furniture and is good in the light of several different floors. Also it suits art work displayed against it. In 2021 the Pantone colour of the year is a bright yellow. It invokes the solar power and energy, a very science based take on the shade.

The paint colour which best reflects this space age and futuristic feel is Little Greene’s Lemon Mivi. I like this as I think it is light and bright. The sharpness reminds us of the tartness of a lemon but has the radiant light of the sun.

Yellow does not exist in a vacuum and will look great when contrasted with a grey or a green.

A colour that will always enliven a room, bold but rewarding, it deserves its place in your designs for living.