Warning. Somewhere our feature blogger Brian Patrick Flynn is feeling the urge to “punch an angel.” That’s what he said in February when he ixnayed this color in favor of tangerine. Then in March, you, our Design Happens readers championed aqua over this hue in a runoff vote. But for those of you who described it as the color of happiness… for TaraLovesHGTV, Jolie, Leslie, @paintedroom, Amy PureHome, CplusE, Cynthia, time for a big smiley face. Kayla made a persuasive pitch to our color team, and HGTV.com’s August Color of the Month is…
…Chrome Yellow. The perfect color to take us from the scorching sun of August into the cooler temperatures of fall and the anticipated bright yellow shade of leaves on elm, aspen and ginko trees. But for now, it’s the free wheeling days of cruising around on a retro banana-seat bicycle or, even better, in a convertible Chevy Camaro painted chrome yellow.
Kayla joined me in writing this post. She picked three rooms that use this hue in unexpected color combinations. And I’ve included shopping picks for introducing chrome yellow into your home design, including some fun color combos, as well.
THREE ROOMS WITH CHROME YELLOW from Kayla
When I imagine the perfect color buddies for chrome yellow, I immediately think of gray and black or white and turquoise or lime. One color I never really considered is creamy beige, and yet these colors are so refreshing and perfect together. Designer Wendi Young started with a neutral palette, and then spiced it up with punches of yellow. The beauty of this pairing is the obvious balance and flow all around. The yellow accents in the lamps and upholstery fabric don’t jump out at you, but without these few energizing pieces, a room like this could feel ho hum.
Massucco Warner Miller Interior Design and Decoration
When you look at the photo on the left, what’s the first thing your eyes catch? The vibrant yellow pillow on the sofa, right? That’s the point of the beloved gray and yellow color combination. The gray sits back (sophisticated, subdued), while yellow creeps in and steals all the spotlight… with just one pillow. In this living space by Julie Massucco Kleiner, this popular color combo is taken to a whole new level with the hints of sage and the strong presence of yellow’s color wheel opposite — purple. Yet, it’s the few yellow pieces that emit the most exuberance and liveliness.
If you thought you couldn’t bring a bright yellow into winter, designer AnnBritt Wallmen definitely proves you can. The chrome-yellow sofa is instantly warmed up by its wool exterior as well as the navy wallpapered walls and accents that surround it. The yellow, fuchsia and metallics are energizing, while the art, the patterns and the deep blues and greens hint of mystery.
SHOPPING FOR CHROME YELLOW from Anna
Anthropologie vintage rotary phone; Bauer Pottery Company coffee pot; Urban Outfitters GiGi nightstand; Anthropologie lemonade urn
J Schatz Egg planter; Bungalow 5 beveled glass petal mirror
ETSY GizmoandHooHa vintage metal file box; Candelabra Oggetti Luce Belle pendant
CHROME YELLOW PAINT OPTIONS: Mythic Paint Sunny at Heart, Sherwin Williams Daisy, Benjamin Moore Bright Yellow, Valspar Buttered Toffee.
So, what do you think of our August Color of the Month? Big smiley face? A color you can love in your home year round?
Tell us in the comments below.
You ALL are so interesting and candid. I love design and color – but based on your comments you folks are way more talented than I. Yup, I need a decorator!
Already have this color in my kitchen, I have always thought that it makes a room warm and inviting
Love the color! Have always been a fan of yellow. The nice feature with Chrome Yellow is that a little goes a long way. I would use it with any grayed down color on the wheel to give it better contrast. When in High School, my bedroom was cream, orange and brown with a chrome yellow desk, side table and accents. It was always a happy place to do my homework.
I DO NOT LIKE ORANGESHADES OR YELLOW, AQUA THESE COLORS REMINED ME OFF DAYS YEARS AGO,
NO I DO NOT LIKE YELLOW IN A ROOM AQUA OR ORANGES SHADES I LIKE THE BROWN TONES CAN PUT SO MANY COLORS WITH THAT. HAVE A BATH ROOM IN RED LOVE IT.
Fresh yellow roses or daffodils, and kids room yellow are fine but anywhere else no no. I do not push the perverbial envelope toward trendy design in my home, instead make it soothing and pleasureable to the eye, and one that will sustain over time. Oh gosh, maybe I'm showing my age… LOL I found that I got tired of screaming colors very quickly because they demanded attention the moment I walked in. To me I enjoy the overall comfort a room affords me without a canary yellow sofa jumping out at me saying here I am, aren't I cute? I'm sorry but yellow, as beautiful as it is, is a color that I would tire of all too fast in my home decor. Surprisingly after all that, reds and even shades of green, moving into blue tones are much more sustaining to me. But then I'm a traditional gal and may explain my rambling! LOL
i hate yellow in house not for me
I love yellow, especially as an accent color. We are building a new home and I plan to use a pale teal/tourquoise, with off white trim, throughout, and have yellow as an accent in one room, terra cotta as an accent in another room, and some red in another room. This is a lake home, so I hope these colors will give us a fresh "lakey" feel. We will also have flooring and furniture in browns to pull it all together.
Nancy
Love room #3 and the bedroom is wonderful. I could picture that in my own home.
I love the chrome yellow as an accent to grey…everything goes with grey which is why I have used it ( in varying shades) as the primary color for all the walls in my new home. I really love the Ikea sofa (the Kramfors) in the last picture and am so unhappy that Ikea has discontinued it. It looks great in the chrome yellow!
Yellow is the color of summer sun and we get lots of that here in Florida!
I would definitely use it. I love it with soft grays and white!
yellow is great,grow up with yellow in my mom,s kitchen was always bright an it made u feel happy
Love this yellow! So bright and emotionally uplifting–should certainly alleviate the winter blahs that will be here all too soon.
Yellow with cream or white is great. I just don't like it with brown and lime green and never orange.
I prefer cooler colors and not those 70s colors.
I've always called it my "happy" color & use it whenever and wherever I can-
What is this? The 78th time yellow has been touted as the next color trent? And in August??? It's 98 degrees and 103% humidity where I live. All I want to be in is something cool, cool, cool. Green is the warmest color I can take now knowing September will be just as hot and probably include a drought.
I like the softer yellow on the walls of the 1st room. The bolder chrome yellow is much too harsh. Don't like.
Love it. Love It. Before my son was born, I painted his room a sunny yellow. The room was facing the north and had one small window. However, the room was always bright and cheery.
Don't Like the yellow! It is really too in my face!
Chrome Yellow definitely doesn't do it for me. It is not a shade that I can live with – but the rooms shown are vibrant and some quite beautiful. Throughout my life I never "liked" yellow"– and I have never even considered using yellow in any of my decorating until this year. After sampling 9 different shades, I found Sherwin-Williams "Ambitious Amber" to be one I can live with and love! It has transformed my breakfast room and kitchen into an area the whole family loves! I can showcase my cobalt blue accents and a dab here and there of a rich red make the space stand out.
i love yellow just not as a wall color but love the idea of a punch of yellow in a room
room #2 is Fabulous….love the use of yellow in the space!
Oh no, No yellow. Sorry but never have liked yellow… Just painted mine tan .
Boots
I am getting ready to tear down wallpaper and start painting our bedroom. Picking a color is the hardest part. I want something both my husband and I can feel comfortable with. I don't know if I could pull off yellow, but I like the idea presented of doing like gray on the walls and complimenting it with color throughout the room. My problem is I have an oak chair rail on every wall. So do I paint one color top and bottom, or two different ones? Suggestions?
http://www.loungingluxury.com
[...] week, Anna blogged about decorating with chrome yellow, HGTV’s August Color of Month. So, as I prepared my post on entertaining with chrome yellow, it dawned on me that I must have a [...]
[...] color of the month, but maybe that’s a good thing? Here come the smiles and giggles, because for August it’s ‘Chrome Yellow’! Like the HGTV writer says, it’s a great transitional color from hot summer days to the cooler [...]
Love it!! Makes you feel good just looking at it.
i like the yellow when it is in hits of color, one chair, one accent piece, it definitely catches your eye and is very trendy right now. West Elm has a fantastic wrap side chair in the color Tumeric I've been wanting to add to space, it's inexpensive and very fun…
For more design inspiration:
check out: http://aretedesign.blogspot.com
Cheers!
arete design
Never liked yellow, am a fan of opposite side of colorwheel, purples & maroons, etc. A tiny bit of yellow in a print could be a nice "pop" but that's the only way it would find it's way into my home. Aqua is as close as any "yellowblend" parts of the spectrum get here. No green, no orange either.
[...] it’s because yellow just so happens to be HGTV’s “Color of the Month” but boy has it really been grabbing my attention lately! Is it because I’m grabbing onto [...]
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