Decorating with Yellow
Extolling the virtues of colours synonymous with spring and early summer…today’s colour, YELLOW. Next up, Greens…
Reliable, reassuring and restoring, spring is not far away…
Unsurprisingly, the spring season gets its name from the verb “spring”. It’s a nod to the flowers and plants springing up and bursting open into full blossom. The word itself derives from the Old English word “springan”, which means “to leap, burst forth, fly up; spread, grow.” It, in turn, developed from the Proto-Germanic “sprengan”. During the 14th century, the word came to describe the spring season instead of Lent, indicating the time when plants rise from their winter dormancy and bloom. An apt name, don’t you think?
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Yellow is the colour which makes me think of flowers, lemons, and sunshine. It offers fresh appeal in each of its many variations. What could be more inviting than a bright coloured curtain fabric and a scattering of yellow cushions to welcome you home? The colour of eternal summer, we can’t think of any shade we would rather come home to on a bleak winter’s day – or better, a warm spring evening.
For scientists who study the planets, stars and other not-so-earthy objects, the first day of spring is determined by the vernal equinox, when the amount of daylight and darkness are almost equal. This typically occurs on March 20th or 21st in the Northern Hemisphere.
Left: Galanthus nivalis – ‘milk flower of the snow’. This common snowdrop is small, has three white outer petals and three inner ones that overlap slightly. These inner petals each have a green marking in the shape of an inverted ‘V’ / Right: Narcissus pseudonarcissus – wild daffodils have a more delicate beauty than their cultivated cousins: smaller and more subtle, their trumpets are lemon hued, with petals the colour of clotted cream.
Nature’s own colour palette
The first colours seen in our gardens and hedgerows in the late winter and early spring are soft whites, creams, yellows and greens.
Plants that sing during the winter should be treasured far more than those that are part of the chorus of high summer: Snowdrops have to be the most exciting and welcome flowers of the year, followed by other bulbs such as daffodils, narcissi and then of course early clematis, viburnums, hellebores and more…
The hues and shapes of all these flowers and their foliage have inspired my designs and colours.
Yellow is a joyful colour, synonymous with feelings of happiness and spontaneity, it is perhaps the most energetic of the warm colours and is associated with laughter and hope.
Accents of yellow inject energy into your home and will make the occupants and visitors feel optimistic and cheerful.
Yellow Wall Coverings
Saffron, Hay, Sand, Straw & Buttercup are the names I have given to my different shades of yellow.
Saffron
A stunning shade of ochre yellow is fresh and strong enough to make beautiful curtains and blinds; it loves to be linked with darker shades of grey such as Winter, Charcoal and Scree. This colour combination looks superb in living rooms in particular.
The following designs encompass Saffron: Gypsy Garland, Origami, Shibori, Stockholm Stripe, Pretty Maids, Cow Parsley, For the Love Of Rose, Japonica, Leaf Dance, and French Ticking.
Pretty Maids – Winter
Hay
This is my softest yellow, beautiful for an elegant sitting room or bedroom and comes in Fern and Dragonfly, Herbaceous Border Detail, Dainty Daisy, Down To Earth, French Ticking and Lapland Stripe.
Pretty Maids – Winter
Plain Linen Union – Smoke and Charcoal
Gypsy Garland – Smoke
Sand
It reflects the colour of sandy beaches; it is a little more sophisticated than the others and looks elegant in a sitting room or dining room, adding warmth without the brightness. This shade was inspired by the colour of brown paper envelopes!
You can see my Sand in the designs Cow Parsley, coordinating Stripe and Dash and in a useful Plain Linen Union.
Stripe and Dash – Cornflower and Forget-me-not
Plain Linen Union – Cornflower
Straw
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
May Blossom – Pigeon, Charcoal
Little Fern – Charcoal and Soft Cornflower
Sepals & Petals – Pigeon
Up the Garden Path – Pigeon
Buttercup
A perfect partner for the gentler blue-grey Clay with accents of Charcoal, this combination of yellow and grey is very pretty in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, exemplified in my designs Song Birds, Fruit Garde, and French Ticking. The counter balance between the warmth and cheerfulness of the yellow and the cool grey is perfect. These colours create happiness and are spectacular in the evening when the sun is going down and the fire is lit.
Suggested coordinating fabrics:
Pretty Maids – Winter
May Blossom – Pigeon, Charcoal
Plain Linen Union – Clay and Charcoal
Ochre
Decorating Tips, Advice, Styles and Inspiration
Get even more styling tips and design advice with our other guides which examine specific styles and colours for your home:
We sell fabrics exclusively designed by Vanessa Arbuthnott, along side small, bespoke collection of Made to Measure items which includes curtains, blinds, sofas, footstools, chairs, headboards, and quilts, all handmade specially for you by master crafts people.
