FEBRUARY COLOUR OF THE MONTH: Yellow     

Summer-ise your home. Let the sunshine into your life and space. It’s easy with our colour of the month, yellow.

Why is yellow our colour of the month?
It’s the sunniest colour in the spectrum and one of the most uplifting. Yellow represents warmth, comfort, energy and power. Plus it’s also linked to feelings of hope, faithfulness and devotion. When a loved one is away – a soldier at war for example – a yellow ribbon is traditionally used to remember them and hope for their safe return. Yellow also signifies a desire for a fresh start and hope for a better future. It’s the ideal colour for a new year.

What’s on-trend about yellow?
Yellow is a long-standing colour favourite, but its aesthetic and atmospheric qualities mean it’s not likely to fall from favour any time soon. It’s always trendy in fashion – many designers used it to give their latest collections an energy boost or uplifted mood. Louis Vuitton, Versace and Ralph Lauren all played with pastel, lemony yellows, while Issey Miyake, Elie Saab and D&G used stronger, brighter yellows with very happy results. 

Plascon’s favourite yellows...
Right now, we’re loving these bright and buttery shades:

• Namaqua Daisy (Y4-A2-1)
• Blazing Sun (Y4-A1-4)
• Mellow Glow (Y3-A1-4)
• Julia (Y3-A2-1)
• Lemon Sponge Cake (Y3-A2-1)

Are you a yellow person?
Yellow people have a sunny and optimistic outlook. They make good communicators, great thinkers and have quick reflexes both physically and mentally. They are also likely to be...

• Warm, friendly, and engaging
• Cheerful and energetic
•  Insatiably curious
• Driven – they love a challenge and can be perfectionists, but always have an overall sense of joy
• Imaginative, creative, original, and intuitive, but with a strong need for logic and order. This is why yellow people often express their individuality through thoughts and new ideas.

Is yellow right for you?
If you need a mood boost, shine some yellow into your space. This colour helps to build self-esteem and fire up optimism. Yes, it’s uplifting, energising, but it’s also an inherently thought-provoking colour. Yellow can help promote clear and creative thinking, directed decision making and good memory. Be aware though that it has also be linked to fear and cowardice. So a yellow overdose can bring out weakness and cause loss of confidence in some.  

Is it right for your room?
Yellow makes a perfect choice for homes in cold, rainy climates or seasons. It’s also great for narrow or dark spaces like corridors, as well as for rooms without much natural light. When using yellow in your home, bear the following in mind:

• Softy buttery yellows and golds are the best tones for walls and can be used well in entrance halls, living rooms and bedrooms. 
• Happy, brighter shades also work well in kitchens, as do golden and custard tones that look good enough to eat.
• In general, yellow makes a logical choice for high-activity areas like play rooms, studies and home offices. 
• Because it attracts the eye it can also help to highlight or spotlight a feature piece of furniture or art.

Which colours make it work better?

• PURPLE. It is yellow’s complementary colour, meaning most tones will go together well. That said, pale yellows and lavender make a wonderful combination that will work wonders in just about any space.
• BLUE. It’s the ultimate colour balance as blue will cool and counteract yellow’s warm and sunny disposition.

TIPS on using yellow in your space… 

• In general, pale yellows are gentle and uplifting, warmer amber yellows are comforting, and bright yellows are energetic and energising.
• Beware of yellows that are too acidic or contain touches of green. With too much exposure these can make you feel nauseas.
• Stick to pastel shades and golden yellows which give any room a warm, happy and uplifting mood.
• Because vivid yellow makes quite an impact and stimulates the brain, it’s not ideal for rooms meant for relaxing – in bedrooms it can even interfere with sleep! To get around this, use cheerful yellow accents – even a bunch of daffodils or bowl of lemons will go a long way to give a dull room a lift.