Symbolising happiness and hope, yellow will work wonders in the room where you start each day to give you a mood-boosting dose of sunny cheerfulness. Wake up happy every day with this dopamine hue.
Is yellow a good colour for a bedroom?
Yes yellow is a great colour for a bedroom! Bursting with optimism, this shade is found across the natural world. From zesty lemon and springtime daffodils to delicate primroses, there are a wide range of shades to choose from to inform your choice of yellow. Not only do these shades reflect Mother Nature's bounty, but they can also work their magic on your space: choose a shade with warm undertones in a north-facing room to increase the sense of warmth or go for a barely there pastel in a south-facing room to maximise the airiness and natural light.
Yellow is also one of the best bedroom colours for sleep
This optimism hasn't been unnoticed from the design world, either. Pantone named 'Illuminating' ones of its colours of the year for 2021 to signify hope and resilience, and when paired with more muted or darker shades yellow really comes into it own. Grey in particular works well with yellow. From soft dove tones to dark charcoal, grey's depth is heightened by the sunny contrast of yellow while the sugary sweetness of yellow is in turn knocked back by grey.
Read on to discover how to use yellow in your bedroom decor, from wallpaper and sunshine bedding to our favourite yellow accessories.
Love yellow? Then check out our yellow kitchen ideas and yellow bathroom ideas
Yellow bedroom ideas
Pale yellow bedroom decor
If you're a fan of a neutral scheme, why not try swapping cream with pastel yellow for a summery update?
Cheer up a guest room or bedroom-turned-home office with buttermilk-toned walls that are reminiscent of an early spring morning. Layer up the yellow tones to enhance the glow, then add sprays of dried Craspedia and pampas grass to add some natural texture.
Elevate pastel yellow from its nursery connotations with refined pinstripe patterns, stripped-back wood and muted greys. Add lots of knitted and woven texture to add warmth to the scheme.
Take inspiration from the golden sands of a beach break with bedding, warm wood furnishings and prints and posters in sandy beach tones. Ramp up a neutral scheme with linen and soft greys, or lean into the yellow with ochre and terracotta elements for a sun-kissed boudoir.
Sun-baked yellow bedroom
Dial up the temperature with mustard, sunflower and lemon shades in your space, which will sing with gold and orange accessories. Pair with houseplants, real or faux, to create a desert oasis vibe.
Paint a literal sunrise above your bed frame, which will create create a glowing backdrop for your bed styling efforts. Plus, you'll only need a couple of tester pots to create this effect so you can splash out on a statement shade, such as Farrow & Ball's Babouche. Pair with rusty oranges and reds and teak to create the feel of sunbathing beneath the Californian sun.
Create the perfect spot for an afternoon doze by transforming your bedroom into a Mediterranean fruit orchard. Lemon-print wallpaper adds plenty of fun, which you can dial back with terracotta bedding, mango wood and brown glass to add rustic character.
Colour drench your walls and shelving units in one daring shade of marigold or mustard. Leave the ceiling white, as the brightness of the yellow will reflect off the walls and boost the warmth. A deep yellow will maximise the sun's rays in a south-facing room or stoke up the heat in a north-facing attic room.
Yellow bedding ideas
The quickest way to add a joyous hit of colour to your bedroom, here are our favourite picks for yellow bedding.
Set a restful feel in your bedroom with muted yellow, warm creams and soft whites. Sunday mornings have never felt so good!
Add romance to a yellow scheme with a floral print - keep the rest of the scheme neutral to make the print really stand out or introduce other floral pieces and accessories in matching tones for an entire bedroom devoted to wildflowers.
Burnished gold adds luxury to a period room, with the yellow undertones adding an energetic feel to the space. Re-create this look with DIY panelling or panel-effect wallpaper in your home to increase the sense of perspective behind the bed.
Add a pop of yellow with accessories
From cushions and rugs to lighting, add a ray of sunshine with these accessories.
This needle-punched sunshine will truly shine against neutral bedding or popped on a reading chair beside a window.
Add tropical heat to your scheme with a botanical-print cushion in banana tones.
You can't go wrong with the shimmering glow of velvet cushion - the purple fringing adds a super-sweet edge to this cushion, which you can complement with some lilac accessories or bedding.
Illuminate a dark corner in your bedroom with a mustard reading lamp, which will shine bright even when it's not turned on.
Cast a honey-tinged glow throughout your space with an amber glass pendant - use a warm white bulb to boost the yellow tones.
Swap a cream shade for an eccentric print that packs loads of personality - choose a shade with pleats or fringing to add extra texture to the space.
Packed with texture and character, a Turkish rug will add a timeworn feel to your sleeping space.
Take a walk on the wild side (literally!) with an animal-print rug. Yellow flooring sets a warm base for the rest of your room - tuck a bold-patterned rug part way under your bed to add zany fun without overwhelming the room.
Yellow and amber are a match made in heaven. Amber glass will catch the sunbeams and diffuse them in the space for a jewel-toned glow.
Finally, we'd be remiss to leave out the cheeriest of all the blooms, the sunflower. Prop up a sunflower print on a picture shelf or seek out sunflower bedding to laze away upon.
Looking for more colourful inspiration for your bedroom?
Check out these colourful guides:
- Blue bedroom decor for a soothing scheme
- Green bedroom decor for a relaxing scheme
- Teal bedroom decor for an elegant scheme
- Pink bedroom decor for an uplifting scheme