Designer faves: Yellow

"Like a delicious lunch in Tuscany, CHAMOIS 9-25 by PRATT & LAMBERT is the perfect Italian yellow. All things look good with it. It brings me to a happy place, and I use it with clients who are happy, as well as those who don't appear to be! There's nothing halfway about it. I'd paint an entire room in an eggshell finish and use Pratt & Lambert's Balsa 9-32 for trim. It's so easy to live with and shines with everything from jewel tones to black."
Paul Lavoie, designer, Calgary



"I love yellows that remind me of lemon zest or sorbet and have cool undertones and a complexity about them. I don't like yellows that look like taxicabs or raincoats! You can't be depressed in a room done in yellow. I like HOUND LEMON 2 by FARROW & BALL for a den, a baby's room, an entryway, or as a backdrop for black-and-white photography on a feature wall. But yellow is tricky: if it's too intense, it can overpower a room; if it's too pale, it can look anemic, especially in a north-facing room. This one looks great with black and white accents, grey taupes for a sophisticated feel, and corals and pinks for a fun resort-like mood."
Elle Jungkind, designer, Toronto



"I like SUNDANCE 2022-50 by BENJAMIN MOORE, it's a crisp canary yellow that is sophisticated. I don't like muddy yellows. My parents had a yellow kitchen I found overwhelming, so maybe that's why I wouldn't use this in a kitchen! I see it in a family room that gets lots of light, so it would be very fresh. I'd style the room with palms or ferns for a bit of natural green, then add pale grey furniture with bold white-and-grey striped upholstery and yellow cushions – a chic version of a Florida room."
Lynn Spence, style expert, Toronto



"The Old Port in Nice, France, is what I think of when I see DORSET CREAM 68 by FARROW & BALL. It makes me feel warm and content. Its versatility is beautiful, timeless – it can look totally contemporary or classical. I like to mix it with shades of alabaster white, and it looks especially sharp with charcoal grey. It may be a big colour for spring, but it also has classical endurance.”
Mitchell Freedland, interior designer, Vancouver



"Yellow is difficult because it can end up looking like a lemon. PALE CELERY 2150-60 by BENJAMIN MOORE reminds me of sunshine. I see it as a more feminine colour and would use it in a young girl's bedroom in a flat finish. I'd paint the trim white. I'd mix it with Wedgwood blue accents and finish the room with velvet drapes the colour of Benjamin Moore's Summer Shower 2135-60."
Brian Gluckstein, designer, Toronto
 

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