Trending Color Alert: Citron Yellow Is Hot Stuff

Integrate this happy, happening color into your home design scheme.

By: Jeanine Hays
Related To:
Design 101 Color Yellow

Photo By: Melanie Acevedo

Photo By: Seth Caplan

Photo By: Patrick Cline

Photo By: Seth Caplan

Photo By: Patrick Cline

Photo By: Seth Caplan

Photo By: Genevieve Garruppo

Photo By: Chinasa Cooper

Stay on the Citron Side of the Street

Yellow is the perfect color for spring; especially citron—a warm, smile-inducing shade that evokes sunny skies and bright, cheery flowers. This year citron yellow is one of the most popular choices in design and decor. The shade is having an incredible moment, being spotted in everything from bright and cheery textiles to colorful wallpaper. You likely even spotted it at the royal wedding, a la Amal Clooney’s stunning dress. While yellow is immediately stunning when you’re wearing it, designing with it at home can be a little tricky. But don’t get discouraged; with just a little work it can be one of the most beautiful colors in your space. Here are just a few of the ways that citron yellow can brighten up your home.

In a Busy Space

For a more advanced use of a bold color like citron yellow, try using it to break up the activity in a busy space that mixes lots of elements. In this living room, the bright yellow coffee table at the center of it all gives the eye a place to rest amidst the patterns, paintings and stylish furnishings.

Try it With Pattern

Yellow is a strong color, and part of what can make it a challenge to work with in the home is how easily it can overwhelm the other colors in a space. One simple solution is to break up the color yellow by using it in a patterned piece. On this bed, the simple infusion of white in the bright, citron yellow of this pillow creates a beautiful pattern that fits perfectly into this minimalist bedscape. The Haze pillow is a modern take on ikat in today’s latest color.

In the Bathroom

Usually, bathrooms are a study in functional furnishings and neutral color palettes. But there is an easy way to liven up the landscape of your powder room without a big investment. Add a single accessory to take the color palette in a new and exciting direction. For this bathroom a bright shades enters with the addition of this Chinese garden stool painted in a stunning citron hue.

Blend It With Neutrals

Citron yellow is the perfect pick-me-up for a neutral-heavy space in need of some visual interest. In this room shades of brown, black and white all come together to create a sophisticated and serene backdrop. A sudden note of yellow creates a nice moment in the space; a bit of sunshine that immediately creates a smile-inducing focal point in an otherwise neutral space.

Vintage DIY

Sometimes a little paint is all it takes to give a vintage piece a new look and new life as the centerpiece of a beautiful space. Case in point, a citron makeover turned this mid-sized dresser into the focus of a room that already has plenty going on. The natural mix of green and yellow along with the juxtaposition of patterns and solids gives this kid’s room a colorful sense of whimsy.

As a Wallpaper Accent

After paint, wallpaper is one of the best ways to make a big color statement in your home. But wallpaper isn’t just for walls. With a bit of creativity you can use this longtime favorite home decoration to create some truly eye-catching moments. Here, citron-colored pineapples in Rifle Paper Company’s Pineapple wallpaper conjure up visions of warm beaches and tropical paradises. A traditional symbol of hospitality, the pineapples are a special treat because you can only see them when going up the stairs, not down. And the bright shade of citron yellow creates one cool contrast against a dark, black backdrop.

Try it in Art

Finally, one of the easiest and best ways to bring a pop of citron yellow to your space is through art. In this room, the splash of yellow in the painting offers a warm counterpoint to the cool blues and purples found in the sofa and area rug. The unexpected pop of yellow shows that this versatile color can fit into just about any space, and any color palette.

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