Bring Me Sunshine! How to Decorate With the Happiest Colour

Ever wondered what the ‘happiest colour’ is? Well, wonder no longer! An experiment carried out by Manchester University has revealed that yellow is the colour most associated with a ‘happy mood’ and conversely, grey was the colour most associated with a ‘depressed or anxious’ mood.

That sounds about right doesn’t it? The happiest colour brings to mind images of sunshine and warmth, while the unhappiest colour is redolent of rain clouds and chilly weather. But when it comes to your home yellow is a notoriously tricky colour to decorate with. Get it wrong and it can overwhelm a space (and make you feel a bit queasy), but get it right and you can create a little mood boost every time you walk into your home.

Here are a few smart ways to decorate with yellow at home and if you’d like to read more there’s an entire chapter on colour in my book Happy by Design (hint hint!) available now from Amazon.

Cast a warm light

A classic decorating trick to bring a warm, yellow glow to a room is to line the inside of a lampshade with a heat-resistant fabric in a warm shade of yellow, or to choose a shade pre-lined in a burnished gold (like this one from LoveFrankie.com.) This will have the effect of casting a warm pool of golden light, especially when teamed with a yellow-toned lightbulb. Try doing this above a dining table to bathe your guests in a golden light and in hallways too, as a glow of yellow light spilling out across the front step is a very welcome sight to return home to.

Mimic a sunny day

Using yellow on or around windows will help to mimic a sunny day and help to create a sense of warmth, even on a dull day. Want a top tip? Try painting the inside trim of wooden window frames yellow to mimic the effect of golden sunshine, choose a brightly coloured window blind with yellow tones, or go all out with painted yellow shutters like these from California Shutters to bring a sense of summer into your home.

Add a flash of the unexpected

Yellow is a powerful shade and it can have a real impact if you add a dash of zesty colour where it is least expected. This could be the lining of a curtain, around a doorframe, or even along the edge of a door, so a small sliver of sunshine yellow is revealed every time you open it. Here it has been used to highlight the hairpin legs on this beautiful wooden side table by Lycan Design

Walk on sunshine

We often forget what’s directly under our feet, but dark floors can be quickly and easily updated with a cheerful coloured rug, and choosing a brightly patterned rug with yellow tones will add a burst of sunshine every time you walk on it, so it’s a good idea for a high-traffic area in your home such as a hallway. Geometric patterns work really well with bright colours and yellow and white are a great combination for cheering up a gloomy hallways or adding a sense of fun to a children’s playroom.

Liked these ideas and want some more?

These ideas are all taken from my book Happy by Design, £12.99, Aster, which is packed with design tips to create a home that boosts your health and happiness. Click here to buy.