Selling our house and having to find a rental in just a few months left me running crazy to find something , anything  in the right school zone that had enough space for my family and all our stuff. We found something none to soon, just a week before we had to move.

The house was great and worked perfect for our short term needs, but imagine the thrill when I found it to be freshly painted throughout with several different shades of yellow.  Typically yellow represents joy, happiness, hope, sunshine, & inspiration. In Asia yellow is sacred and imperial. I am sure that is what most people are going for when they choose yellow for their walls.

It is my experience, more than not, yellow rooms induce illness, hazard, betrayal, jealousy, dishonesty, and anger. These would be the alternative reactions to yellow. What makes the difference? Well several things, but mostly the shade of yellow in relation to it's surrounding. The yellows chosen to grace my rental's walls screamed the opposite of warm and fuzzy. Friendly yellow, one paint selection in my rental, did not live up to it's name's intention if you know what I mean.

No, I haven't repainted the whole house, yet, but I was inspired to share some tips on yellow paint so that others don’t innocently think they are painting a beautiful buttery yellow only to find the shade of their child’s school bus painted on the walls.

Tip 1:
Remember to take your existing fabrics and wood tones into consideration. Yellows have several different undertones from red/orange to green, even brown sometimes. When collecting your samples get some of each undertone. If you tend to have a lot of cooler tones such as blues or grays go with the green/yellow. If your rooms has warm tones with reds or browns choose  the orange/yellow.  HINT: if you are looking at a paint strip, look at the most intense, darkest color at the bottom. Undertones are easier to read in dark colors.

Warm Orange undertones

Cool Green Undertones


Tip 2:
Please invest in paint samples! Sherwin williams has $5 samples, Lowes has $3 samples. It is better to spend $20 even $30 dollars more on samples than to rebuy three gallons of paint and block off yet another weekend of your life. Paint large swatches in different places of your room that get different light patterns. Then wait it out.

Tip 3:
Lighting can change everything. Check your swatches throughout the day. You might leave in the a.m. to a beautiful cool yellow and come home at night to Crayola yellow. Most incandescent bulbs have a yellow cast as well so this will intensify your walls at night.

Adding  neutrals is a great way to make yellow work. I love the splash of orange just to give the room pop.

Alternative idea to your walls being yellow is to bring the yellow in your room with fabrics.

If your afraid to go with 4 walls of yellow try accents. I love the splash of bold yellow on the ceiling!

I think this is what most people have in mind when looking for that butter color. Very cozy cottage.

Bold yellow- Laura Ashley ( Lowes) Ultra Premium Golden Treasure 3004-1A
Shabby Chick - Laura Ashley ( Lowes) Pale Gold 2 and 3
Bold with green undertones (good for children's rooms) - Sherwin Williams Lively Yellow SW 6702
Cool pale -  Sherwin Williams Daybreak SW 6700

Interior Motives
Charleston, SC

I was struck by a quote I ran across today
... our objects, bibelots, whatnots, and knickknacks-say the most about who we are. They are as honest as a diary. Charlotte Moss, A Passion for Details

Wow, that says it all. I have never been one to journal or keep my thoughts on paper. I think I am just to lazy, my hands get tired after about 2 minutes of cursive writing.  But stuff, now I got some stuff. I particularly like the word "Bibelots" this is a French word which means :

2. a miniature book

We all have these little miniature books of ourselves around us on our bookshelves. The first thing clients talk to me about is  their "bibelots." Usually it is something special obtained from a vacation or honeymoon.  Sometimes it is something passed down through generations, or a symbol of education or other achievements. Most of the time these items don't really fit into the future design scheme, but our "bibelots" are are our stories.

My clients are often surprised when they renter their new space and there is that little piece of them still a part of their new atmosphere. You see our knicknacks or bibelots are really diaries we keep without wearing out our writing hand. They are more fun and more interesting than words usually are and make your home or office truly you.

Interior Motives
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Mt. Pleasant, SC
843-200-4323