Decorating with yellow: 6 room ideas

last updated 13 June 2022

Whether you like contemporary or classic style, there's a place for yellow in your home. Check out these looks that show off the versatility of this warm colour...

1. This country-style living room

This scheme's sunny yellow palette and streamlined furniture can bring calm to a compact, north-facing room. Start with a fresh yellow on walls, then add white flooring and furniture. Patterns with mid-century style, such as geometrics, chevrons and graphic florals, position this look halfway between contemporary and country.

living room with yellow walls and white flooring

2. This traditional living room

Say hello to spring with a combination of sunny yellows, large-scale floral prints and rustic, hand-crafted pieces. Mix different shades of yellow and cream to give a traditional living room a fresh look.

traditional living room with wooden furniture and floral walls

3. This modern bedroomContrast a soft yellow backdrop with cool grey upholstery and pale wooden furniture for a contemporary look. Break up walls with grey prints or pieces of wallpaper pasted on the back of open shelving. With these calm colours, a bedroom can double as an office space.

living room with blond wood coffee tables and statement lighting

4. This mid-century-style family room

Create a Fifties scheme in your living room with blond wood coffee tables, statement lighting, smart seating and modern accessories in bright yellow. No mid-century scheme is complete without a signature pattern – choose a wallpaper that features a bold flower or leaf design in a soothing colourway of neutrals and pale yellow.

living room with sofa set and wooden table

5. This contemporary living room

If you don't feel comfortable painting or papering walls yellow, play it safe with cool and contemporary pale grey, then add in accents of vibrant yellow with seating, cushion covers and accessories. Mix up graphic prints and wirework finishing touches for a mid-century vibe.

living room with geometric artwork and grey sofa

6. This classic living room

Ths elegant yellow living room has an Oriental feel thanks to a sumptuous blossom-print wallpaper. Team a mellow shade of yellow with oatmeal-painted furniture for timeless style that you can live with for years to come. Loosen up this formal look by mixing and matching seating in different colours from your palette.