Bright or soft?
Pure, bright yellow is a very visually demanding colour which is difficlult to ignore- in other words, a little goes a long way. Softer yellows work better on walls so save the bright yellows for accents.
Light or dark?
Yellow is a tricky colour because it always looks darker on walls that you expect when you choose it from a colour card. If you have a certain tint or shade of yellow in mind it is a good idea to choose something a little lighter than you think you want.
Walls or accent?
When you choose to put yellow on a wall, it needs some space to shine, therefore, grays and whites provide a perfect foil for it.
Yellow looks great with citrus colours as accents so look for lime greens or oranges if you want a fresh, clean look. that will energize you every time you walk into a room. Yellows work well in north light.
source
This is another room where yellow is used successfully on walls without overwhelming the rest of the decor. Again white provides a perfect accent to keep the yellow in check.
Sometimes people love yellow but are afraid to commit to yellow walls because it can overwhelm a room. For the faint of heart yellow accents can do the trick to warm up an otherwise cool decor.
source
The small splashes of yellow in these two rooms are all the convincing I need to say yes to yellow as an accent colour. Yellow accents with gray are my all time favourite.
Bright yellow, white and black is a fresh colour scheme for a teen's room. In this application no yellow is too bright!
As you can tell from the previous pics I'm obviously attracted to yellows used with white. Let's move on to other combinations.
I always appreciate how touches of yellow will warm up a room that would otherwise be cool. I find an all cool or all warm palette boring ,and I always like to break it up with the addition of the opposite temperature if only in accents.
An orangy yellow and brown have been used to create a soft look in this bedroom. The hint of pink in the pillows and the soft buttery colour of the throw further softens the overall feel of the room. Don't be afraid to mix several yellows in one room.
Jenni Leasia Design
This soft cream and historical green create a perfect combination for a traditional kitchen. There's nothing here to dazzle the eye; it's all about subtlety.
If I could choose to live in any of the rooms shown in this post this would be the one I would like to see when I opened my door after a busy day. It's the essence of sophistication and relaxation.
Which room would you like to see when you opened your door at the end of a long day?