Contrasting colors for yellow
10 Colors That Go With Yellow for Complementary Decor
Style
Decorating
Ideas & Inspiration
by Sarah Coffey
updated May 11, 2022
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What’s the perfect color for your home? Everyone has a color that’s just right for them (there’s even a color for each astrological sign!). Maybe yours is yellow. If you’ve never thought about decorating your home using yellow, you’re probably not alone. But we’re here to show you this color is seriously underrated. If you know the colors that compliment yellow, you can easily create the perfect look in your home.
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From smooth, sophisticated black to fun, vibrant green and even super-romantic pink, there are lots of ways to incorporate yellow into your home without ending up with, well, a yellow home. Here are ten colors to pair it with.
1. Green
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The bright green of this house plant completely pops next to a cozy bed complete with fluffy white bedding. Bright yellow walls are the perfect complement to this vibrant color scheme.
2. Jewel Tones
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This yellow bedroom is replete with deep, beautiful jewel tones. Seen in the dark purple pillows, aqua bedding, mustard-colored throw blanket, and even the bright pink dog bed, these lovely hues are all colors that go with yellow. To pull off this look, opt for a darker yellow tone, rather than a brighter one.
3. Black
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This zen-like space is decorated in black and yellow. We love the use of such a bold color combination in a space that’s meant for relaxing; and it totally works. There are plenty of ways to use black as a color that goes with yellow without channeling bumblebee vibes.
Simply add a third color (like the green house plants shown here) and keep accents to a minimum.
4. Gray
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This home by @art_code_design is decked in yellow and gray; you’ll get the same vibes as yellow and black, but with a more muted, relaxed feel. Yellow adds a touch of cheer while gray brings in the sophisticated aesthetic.
5. Hot Pink
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Ever thought of hot pink as one of the colors that go with yellow? This eclectic yet wonderful space proves that it does! We love the use of mustard-color pillows (a color that’s totally hot right now!) on the hot pink couch, and the soft yellow of the walls in the background.
6. Pale Pink
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This pretty at-home hair salon by @whats.ontheinside is decorated with a pretty combination of yellow and blush pink, proving this soft hue is totally one of the colors that go with yellow.
We love how the fun cheetah print accents bring the space together.
7. Teal
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If you’re wondering whether teal is one of the colors that go with yellow, the answer is yes as long as you use a bright yellow, like the color shown here.
8. Navy Blue
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All it takes is some accents like throw pillows and florals to prove that navy is one of the best colors that go with yellow. In this room from @homeedecor_222, bright yellow and navy blue work surprisingly well together. Choosing a blue that’s a bit on the somber side keeps your brain from immediately thinking of an IKEA store.
9. White
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The classic color combination of white and yellow is always a favorite. Both colors give a clean, fresh vibe, and it’s totally possible to style this combination in a way that doesn’t look boring and washed out.
Check it out in this room by @misweetcasa.
10. Brown
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This peaceful, pretty kitchen by @plainenglishkitchens totally nails the yellow and brown look, proving that brown should definitely be on the list of colors that go with yellow. Here, they cleverly painted a hutch yellow to make it pop against the brown walls in the background. White and black accents are the perfect finishing touch.
Colors that go with yellow
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Design by @em.gurner of Folds Inside
(Image credit: Anna Yanovski)
Colors that go with yellow are an optimist's secret design weapon. For it’s no secret that this eternally smiley hue will bring an everlasting dose of sunshine into your home, and knowing how to pair with a palette means you're creating a space in which you can always be happy.
When it comes to yellow, tones range from majestic golds to acid brights, the spectrum is vast. Thankfully, wide-ranging translates in decorating terms to versatility, and there are many gorgeous ways to weave this tone into your schemes.
Whether you want to add warmth to a room or freshen it up, our color theory experts offer solid advice on how to play to the strengths of yellow, turning it into a new neutral along the lines of colors that go with grey.
Colors that go with yellow
Ceiling in Flint 236 and Walls in Indian Yellow 335, both Absolute Matt Emulsion. Skirting in Hopper 297 Intelligent Satinwood. All by Little Greene
(Image credit: Little Greene)
WHAT IS A COMPLEMENTARY COLOR TO YELLOW?
Leafy green and serene blue are complementary colors to yellow. Yellow sits at the edge of the warm section of the color wheel, and is certainly a comforting shade. But it’s closeness to cooler tones means it also has much more of an energising quality to it than its neighbouring colours of red and orange.
‘Yellow always creates a feeling of warmth and coziness, and it truly is a splash of sunshine in your home,’ says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene. ‘However, it’s also gently invigorating, especially when paired with cool tones, making it perfect to use as part of your modern kitchen ideas, in hallways and dining rooms with a high level of activity, laughter and fun.’
One way to set about creating a color scheme that includes yellow is to decide if you’re going to go down the avenue of pairing it with it’s cooler neighbouring tones of leafy greens and serene blues, or exploring it’s warmer side with fiery terracottas and rich bronze - either option will make for an aesthetically complementary scheme.
Design by @em.gurner of Folds Inside
(Image credit: Anna Yanovski)
WHAT COLOURS WORK WELL WITH YELLOW?
If you’re drawn towards cooler colour combinations, blue works well with yellow and is a tough partnership to beat. From pale flaxen hues with powdery blues, to brighter canary yellow with cobalt - it’s a scheme beloved of the most esteemed interior designers and sees it ways into many spaces designed to the principles of modern maximalism.
Emma Gurner, founder of Folds Inside, likes to balance bright yellow with softer shades. ‘Despite being a bold choice, yellow can work really well with so many different colours, it’s all about choosing the right tone and using just the right amount,’ she says. ‘I tend to use yellow as an accent colour to pop against calmer, more neutral shades - and I particularly love yellow when paired with pale blue.’
Emma’s masterful design also includes a clever flash of red on the dining chair frames, achieving the best of both worlds by bringing a little heat into this otherwise cool scheme.
Chalk Paint in Old Ochre, Honfleur and Scandinavian Pink, Annie Sloan
(Image credit: Annie Sloan)
WHAT COLOR GOES BEST WITH GOLDEN YELLOW?
Burgundy and earthy pinks go best with golden yellow. As a palette, they create a richer, cozier scheme. Opt for a deeper tone of golden yellow and look to its neighbouring warm hues among the reds and pinks on the color wheel to find a perfect partner.
Annie Sloan explains the color theory behind this gorgeous combination; ‘The warmth of the red pigments in pinks – whether they’re blush, peach or coral tones will emphasise the richness of the yellow,’ she says. ‘The redder the pink, the greater the feeling of heat and comfort the colours will generate together.’
Much like how Emma Gurner of Folds Inside injects a dash of warmth into her cool scheme as part of her yellow living room ideas, Annie Sloan also looks to an opposing cool tone to create contrast in this warming bedroom look. ‘Tiny accents of cool blue help to contrast and emphasize the inherent rich warmth of golden yellow and warm pink,’ she says. ‘However, if you’d rather a more cohesive feel, deep chocolate brown will luxuriously balance.’
Ceiling in Muga Pure Flat Emulsion, Upper wall Paper III and Lower wall Paper V and Far room Morning Room, all Architects’ Matt by Paint & Paper Library
(Image credit: Paint and Paper Library)
DOES YELLOW GO WITH GREY?
Yes, yellow works with grey - it works beautifully with grey in fact.
Let’s be honest - with all the best colour-loving intentions, grey often finds its way into most of our homes. But if you are faced with an all grey interior and are desperate to perk it up, all is not lost! Yellow works in both small and larger doses, as Andy Greenall, Head of Design at Paint & Paper Library, can attest.
'Grey and yellow is a perfect partnership,’ he says. ‘Grey serves to create a cool, soft and sophisticated atmosphere, acting as a canvas and a more calming partner to the vibrant and energetic yellow. Yellow will add warmth and joy to a scheme whilst delivering real design impact. Pairing yellow and grey colours together is a fantastic way to retain an elegant and refined look that’s bursting with personality.’
And you needn’t have to entirely redecorate to introduce a golden ray of sunshine into your room. Instead, Andy says, that when considering grey and yellow living room ideas, ‘consider using the yellow as a highlight colour. Juxtapose existing wide expanses of wall in a neutral or grey with a ceiling, woodwork or door in a sunshine yellow or a warm mustard tone.
’
Norfolk Twist Carpet in Turquoise, Carpetright
(Image credit: Carpetright)
HOW DO YOU MAKE AN IMPACT WITH YELLOW?
Opt for subtle undertones across the palette to make an impact with yellow. Of course you can pair it with contrasting shades for maximum impact, but the trick is to be a bit more clever, as Punam Chada, Carpet Buyer at Carpetright, explains.
‘If you lean towards a maximalist aesthetic and want to incorporate bold color on both your walls and floors, then harmony is key,’ she says. ‘First create a base palette of colors that all contain a common undertone and then choose which surface to apply them to - this will help to give the room structure and coherence.’ For example, yellow is an undertone of teal, and so while the combination offers a striking contrast, there is also a mutual dialogue between the two colors, as witnessed in the modern home office ideas above.
Cream White and Mustard Jar, both easyclean Matt Emulsion, Crown
(Image credit: Crown)
HOW TO USE YELLOW IN SMALL DOSES?
Of course, it has to be noted that yellow also works beautifully with a faithful white scheme - and if you opt for a warmer hue such as marigold, it will work wonders on taking out any harsh or stark tones within a cool white.
Kathryn Lloyd, Colour Consultant at Crown, explains how to instantly refresh a white room with a small, but impactful use of yellow.
‘Yellow will always work to reflect any available sunlight in a room, so for added depth, try a livelier shade of yellow on a wall that is at right angles to a window to bounce extra light into the rest of the space’ she says. ‘Alternatively, go straight to the light source itself, and paint the recess and window frame in a sunny colour. Keep your curtain ideas to a minimum to let in the maximum available light - perhaps opting for a streamlined blind instead of heavy curtains.’
This is particularly effective in spaces where you wish to feel uplifted; reading corners, offices and dressing rooms would all benefit from a sunny dose of yellow.
Interiors stylist and journalist Amy Neason was the Deputy Style and Interiors editor at House Beautiful for years. She is now a freelance props and set stylist, creating work for a range of national publications and brands such as Imogen Heath.
She has previously worked at Established & Sons, and her skills include styling still life and interiors shots for editorial features and sourcing unique products to create inspirational imagery.
She is particularly respected for interpreting seasonal trends into feature ideas and style stories.
Color theory. Contrasting colors. - Beauty inspired by nature - LiveJournal
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Today we will talk about the opposite of related colors - contrasting colors . In another way, they are called complementary ("complementary"). These colors are exactly opposite each other on the color wheel.
The most famous complementary pairs are yellow-violet, red-green and blue-orange. However, more accurate variations can go on and on. For example, blue-green - red-orange, yellow-orange - blue-violet, etc.
Complementary colors enhance each other when placed side by side.
For example, in a pair of green - red, green looks more green, red - more red.
Mixing two complementary colors results in a neutral gray of medium intensity , as already mentioned.
Clothing often uses the property of complementary colors to enhance each other, however, in equal proportion bright complementary colors look quite defiant . (look at the picture with bright red and green), you need to be very careful with them.
With more complex and soft colors a little easier - the picture looks more harmonious, the colors enhance each other. 9. more relaxed Arabic decors. Such color combinations require considerable skill, however, the result is impressive.
However, in casual style it is better to use complementary colors in small quantities in accessories. Such accessories will emphasize the color of the main outfit and make the image livelier, more energetic and more interesting.
photo credit http://fitsoffashion.blogspot.com/2011/12/great-new-color-combination-poppy-and.html
http://shutterstitch.blogspot.com/2011/09/what- to-wear-blue-and-orange.html
Complementary colors can also be soft:
com
Upload a picture there, the program determines its predominant color and secondary colors and makes a complimentary page background.
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Cool color combination cheat sheet
- Design
- 2 min to read
- 526561
The right combination of colors is one of the important components of any work that claims to be "quality". That's why we decided to share a cheat sheet that you definitely can't miss when choosing a color palette for your next project.
Scheme No. 1. Complementary combination
Complementary, or additional, contrasting, are colors that are located on opposite sides of the Itten color wheel. Their combination looks very lively and energetic, especially with maximum color saturation.
Scheme No. 2. Triad - a combination of 3 colors
A combination of 3 colors lying at the same distance from each other.
Provides high contrast while maintaining harmony. Such a composition looks quite lively even when using pale and desaturated colors.
Scheme No. 3. Similar combination
A combination of 2 to 5 colors located next to each other on the color wheel (ideally 2-3 colors). Impression: calm, relaxing. An example of a combination of similar muted colors: yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, blue-green.
Scheme No. 4. Separate-complimentary combination
A variant of a complementary combination of colors, but instead of the opposite color, adjacent colors are used for it. The combination of the main color and two additional. This scheme looks almost as contrasting, but not so tense. If you are not sure that you can use complimentary combinations correctly, use separate-complementary ones.
Scheme No. 5. Tetrad - a combination of 4 colors
A color scheme where one color is the main one, two are complementary, and another highlights the accents.
Example: blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange.
Scheme No. 6. Square
A combination of 4 colors equidistant from each other. The colors here are dissimilar in tone, but also complementary. Due to this, the image will be dynamic, playful and bright. Example: purple, red-orange, yellow, blue-green.
Single color combinations
- White: goes with everything. The best combination with blue, red and black.
- Beige: with blue, brown, emerald, black, red, white.
- Grey: with fuchsia, red, purple, pink, blue.
- Pink: with brown, white, mint green, olive, grey, turquoise, baby blue.
- Fuchsia (deep pink): grey, tan, lime, mint green, brown.
- Red: with yellow, white, brown, green, blue and black.
- Tomato Red: Blue, Mint Green, Sandy, Creamy White, Grey.
- Cherry Red: Azure, Grey, Light Orange, Sandy, Pale Yellow, Beige.
- Raspberry red: white, black, damask rose.
- Brown: bright blue, cream, pink, fawn, green, beige.
- Light brown: pale yellow, creamy white, blue, green, purple, red.
- Dark Brown: Lemon Yellow, Blue, Mint Green, Purple Pink, Lime.
- Tan: pink, dark brown, blue, green, purple.
- Orange: sky blue, blue, purple, violet, white, black.
- Light orange: grey, brown, olive.
- Dark orange: pale yellow, olive, brown, cherry.
- Yellow: blue, mauve, light blue, violet, grey, black.
- Lemon yellow: cherry red, brown, blue, grey.
- Pale yellow: fuchsia, grey, brown, shades of red, tan, blue, purple.
- Golden yellow: grey, brown, azure, red, black.
- Olive: orange, light brown, brown.
- Green: golden brown, orange, salad, yellow, brown, gray, cream, black, cream white.
- Light green: brown, tan, fawn, grey, navy blue, red, grey.
- Turquoise: fuchsia, cherry red, yellow, brown, cream, dark purple.
- Electrician is beautiful in combination with golden yellow, brown, light brown, gray or silver.
- Blue: red, grey, brown, orange, pink, white, yellow.
- Dark blue: light purple, sky blue, yellowish green, brown, grey, pale yellow, orange, green, red, white.
- Purple: orange, pink, dark purple, olive, grey, yellow, white.
- Dark Violet: Golden Brown, Pale Yellow, Gray, Turquoise, Mint Green, Light Orange.
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