How To Decorate With Yellow And…..Golds

Article written on 30th March, 2017

I was putting together this post on yellows and golds, as my first in the “Decorating With Yellow” series and I was working out how to convince people that yellows really are worth exploring in decorating schemes. But I needed proof, concrete examples where throwing lots of yellows together really works.

On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I happened to bump into a really really old friend. By chancing upon him I found the proof I was looking for and was reminded how vital it is to cement ties with old pals. They have been around for a good few years. They know a lot. They have sound advice to offer. Yet they quietly sit back, watch you do all the work, all the while leading by example.

“How?” I hear you ask. “What a great friend!”, you declare. I know, I know. Well, let me introduce you.

If ever you need proof that yellows, golds, saffrons can all work together, just study the colour palette of an artist you admire and all your worries will fade away. If Frans Hals shows us how to use lots of ‘one’ colour, that is good enough for me. After all, pictures speak a thousand words an all that. See previous post, http://www.theinteriorspy.com/2017/01/26/chat-with-an-artist-2/.

I believe it is a shame to pick just one accent colour and work that into a scheme. In my opinion, that is too ordered and I like a bit of chaos (did I say that?). At the same time you don’t want your surroundings to jar or feel hectic. As my friend illustrates, rich golden tones work beautifully together. Shove them all in the mixing pot and you get a unified relaxing whole. A space in which you could happily mong around for hours. And hopefully a space in which you want to happily mong around for hours.

Soane and De Le Cuona have recently launched new colour ways and designs, the strong yellows of which perfectly illustrate my point in the two similar schemes below. I have used a pale background colour to highlight the fabrics (I didn’t have a mustardy/saffrony paint swatch to hand) but you could easily switch that for something stronger, which would be soooooo warm and sumptuous. And utterly peaceful.

As is shown above, Soane’s new showroom refurb perfectly shows in the flesh, how to add lots of different elements into a scheme: patterned wallpaper sits very happily with a paler yellow chair. Dark furniture, metals, painted mirrors all work harmoniously against a yellow-gold backdrop.

If you are still not convinced, try bringing in the yellows on movable items. Chairs, tables, lamps. I am utterly in love with the leather topped, saffron-coloured table below. The contrast of bashed metal incasing the soft hide is a perfect contradiction.

How To Decorate With Yellow And…..Golds

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