The color yellow does some amazing things in the brain. According to Precision Intermedia, it encourages the release of serotonin and is associated with optimism, laughter and good times. Adding a generous dose of yellow paint to your home helps you incorporate the benefits of this sunny color into your living space. Although it's possible to coat the walls in yellow paint, the savvy decorator knows how to use the color throughout the house to gain maximum coverage and effect.
1 Paint with different shades of yellow or pair it with shades of gray for a vintage look. Paint the walls in a room yellow and accent with shades of gray paint, or introduce a gray-patterned wallpaper on the lower half of the wall.
2 Paint the entryway door bright yellow to make a bold statement. Play up the yellow further by adding decorative elements such as a seasonal wreath that features contrasting colors like red or cobalt blue in the summer, and analogous colors like orange and brown in the fall.
3 Pair your yellow walls with decorative accessories in dramatic patterns like zebra stripes, paisleys or checkers in black.
4 Add bursts of yellow to some out-of-the-way places like the inside walls of a window seat. Paint the walls inside the window's alcove a deep yellow, like mustard, and add a coat of burgundy or Chinese red paint to the walls surrounding the window seat. Many homes have out-of-the-way nooks like this. Also try a spot of yellow color in the space below the stairs, on the inside of the entryway arch, or in the recessed shelves of a built-in bookcase.
5 Paint stencil designs in yellow in places like the stairs or above the doorway. These spots of color add visual interest to spaces that may be overlooked for their decorative potential. In addition, techniques like stenciling allow you to continue a color motif throughout the house without having to paint everything yellow.
6 Paint a focal wall yellow. A focal wall helps the eye as it navigates through the interior decor. To play up a yellow focal wall, paint the surrounding walls a different color, then hang items on the focal wall that contrast with the yellow -- like photos in red frames, silver-framed mirrors or black wall sconces.
7 Paint wooden furniture to provide visual continuity if you're decorating in a country style that embraces painted furniture. Good pieces to paint include the old coffee table, the mismatched wooden chairs you found at an auction, or the kitchen table you salvaged from your uncle's farmhouse.
