Popular yellows

Add sunshine and happiness with these favourite yellows!

Note: Click on the testpot or colour name for full colour information. Click on the buy links to purchase a testpot from the online Resene ColorShop.

Hello yellow

From palest lemon, sunshine dappled corn silk, bright saffron, rich egg yolk, earthy ochre and through to rich opulent gold, yellow embraces a wide range of hues. Because it is such a naturally bright colour it can startle and surprise the unwary. It may prove difficult to find the right shade for a particular room but it pays to persevere until you find the exact tone or tint you require.

Yellow mixes well with many other colours – all blues from pale through sapphire to navy, bold reds, crisp whites and sea greens – to create vibrant schemes redolent of summer in the Mediterranean. It is equally well suited to use with greys, aquas, leaf green and violet mauves for softer spring influenced themes. The winter scheme is deeper and warmer with rich gold or mustard ochre teamed with the deepest creams, charcoals, dark greens and all types of red – especially those that have violet or magenta in their makeup.

Yellow speeds the metabolism; aids recall and sharpens the memory. It can stimulate circulation and digestion and creates a social ambiance. If it is highly saturated it can increase irritability and hostility. In daylight, yellow is a colour that is seen first, its position at the top of the colour wheel indicates its dominance in the colour world. It is used extensively in advertising; check out company logos, product displays and hoardings.

Yellow is most successful when modified with orange, ochre or cream to create a warm restful atmosphere.

Decorating with yellow...

• Learn more about decorating with yellow
• Get inspired by other decorators who have used yellow in their projects
• View the latest looks in yellow

Always try out your colours using a Resene testpot in the area you plan to paint before you start your painting project – that’s the best way to confirm the colour looks right before you start painting. You can also can order drawdowns online.

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Resene has changed the way it measures and creates electronic colours – read more