Decorating in Yellow

Yellow is a tricky color to decorate with, and requires that you know what you're doing. It is however, very useful when used judiciously, and can be a great asset to the decoratively wise.

Yellow is the color that corresponds to the third chakra, in the Indian view of the spiritual body. The third chakra is the center of the personal power that one exerts in conflicts and struggles, for better of for worse. This is both the storage battery for the courage to follow your values and intuition rather than submit to authority like a sheep or to give up when the chips are down, as well as the source of pushy or manipulative power trips that control freaks engage in. It is all a matter of keeping the third chakra balanced. Decorating carefully with yellow can help you to do that.

In the same way that the positive aspects of will power can be engulfed by the negative, we must not overwhelm our homes with too much yellow. Used as an accent color, yellow is an important ally; it's just a matter of degree. Painting all the walls of a room lemon yellow has been shown to make babies cry more and longer, yet having sheer yellow curtains can make the room feel kissed with sunshine, and may help you to break out of a paralyzing depression or stagnating indecision.

Using a pastel yellow or a buttery yellow as a trim can be uplifting, but upholstering all your furniture in those colors may be unsettling as well as difficult to keep clean. A very sunny warm yellow (containing a touch of orange) looks fabulous as a table cloth, and may look lovely on throw pillows and lamp shades, but you wouldn't want to tile your floor in that color. In the same way that you love sunshine, but need to look away from the sun, your eye needs a break from yellow, so keep it to a smaller surface area.v

Yellow flowers printed on a white background with a touch of sage green is a pretty way to bring in a yellow accent, without overdoing it. Yellow and white gingham is cheerful and innocent, while bright yellow ribbons tied or wound around bed posts, lamps, and curtain rods can be romantic as well as serve as reminders about striving towards goals. The new fluorescent light bulbs are available in an improved version that throws a yellow warm toned light.

In Feng Shui, yellow is associated with the earth element. The earth element is the foundation of the health zone in the center of your home or room. So, to enhance the influx of health supporting Chi, the use of a yellow accent in the decor at the center of your space is a good idea. This can be accomplished with a yellow vase, or yellow glazed pot or bowl, especially if it is placed on a stone or ceramic surface. Since fire supports earth in the traditional Chinese view (think of the way that lava creates new land), having yellow candles in the center of your space is an especially good way to bring the healing Chi into your life, as well as symbolizing a bit of the sun's power, harnessed to your third chakra, and strengthening your resolve to do what you know is right for you.

With a bit of careful placement, creative combination, and a light touch, you can use yellow to empower your life through home decor.