These 13 Iconic Rooms Prove Yellow Is Exactly the Color We Need Right Now

Is it possible to paint our way to a more sunnier outlook? Perhaps—especially with some of the most iconic rooms in history as our guide.

For centuries, world leaders, cultural cognoscenti, and designers alike have turned to the color yellow to enliven rooms, thanks to its glow as a backdrop for candlelight and its power to re-create the atmosphere of sunnier climes inside. Today, the color—with its mood-altering qualities and just a tinge of nostalgia—feels as fresh, relevant, and necessary as ever as we're spending more time at home than we have for decades.

The hue has a surprising range in tone, depending on the amount of black or white mixed in, and shade, based on the whether the yellow skews more orange or green. And its brightening potential is just as potent for a living room color scheme as it is in a dining room, entry hall, bedroom, or kitchen.

Find your ideal shade of yellow right here, from pale butter and bold citrus to more unexpected colors like warm ochre and mustard.