Fashion and interior style indeed have a symbiotic relationship, and this autumn, the colour butter yellow has been inescapable. It turns out butter yellow might not just be hanging in your wardrobe, but also the feature colour in your home. Style director Louise Hilsz shares this desirable shade for any room.
The sweet spot between warmth, softness, and versatility, butter yellow is a light, airy interior shade that sits somewhere between beige and a zesty lemon. It offers a sense of sophistication that brightens any space or infuses it with nostalgia. A proven mood booster, yellow is psychologically linked to optimism and energy. Great for kitchens, lounges, or even bedrooms, it’s become the go-to shade for interior designers for its ability to bounce natural light around a room, especially in small spaces.
If you have never considered this divine hue, it complements natural materials like wood, linen, and stone, and works with both modern and vintage dècor styles. It's also one of the easiest shades to layer, adding a soft glow to walls with paint or making a statement with sofas, cushions, and curtains.
Here’s how to style butter yellow in any room of your home.
Living Room
Almost all tones of yellow, from soft buttery or mustard yellow, help create a sophisticated edge, while bright lemon or sunflower shades feel playful and bold. If your room gets a lot of natural light, deeper yellows like ochre or mustard can make the space feel smaller. In darker rooms, lighter yellows can help lift the mood. If you’re scared to commit to painting every wall, try a yellow feature wall with sunny yellow tones rather than neon yellow. Colour pairing is easy with this shade, yellow complements grey, navy, white, green and even black accents to add a sharp, contemporary contrast.
Chalantevo mid-century modern yellow armchair, $407 from Ezza Home. Eleonora Alchemilla embroidered cotton cushion, $714, from Designer Guild. Resene Butter paint available from Resene Colour Shops. Scandinavian Designs large glass lamp in amber, $179.
Kitchen
For a subtle nod to this buttery shade, use yellow as an accent colour. Add yellow bar stools, a kettle, or even a backsplash with small yellow tiles. This adds brightness without locking you into a big commitment. It’s especially effective in modern kitchens with predominantly white or grey cabinetry. Consider a yellow kitchen island as a focal point, a pantry door or open shelving painted in a warm yellow. If you want yellow to age well, choose mustard or ochre; these shades add warm, earthy tones and bring a vintage vibe. Buttery yellow is a country-style classic, while bright lemon is fresh and modern.
Resene Sidecar paint available from Resene Colour Shops. Savoir Faire tiles in emerald, at Tile Depot. Feuille crackled glazed leaf platter from The Joneses. DeLonghi Icona Capitals kettle New York yellow, $150.
Bedroom
To create a buttery sanctuary, start with the right shade. Skip very bright, neon yellows—they can feel too energising for a place meant for sleep. Choose pale buttery yellow to create a soft, airy, and relaxing vibe. Muted mustard gives the room a cocooning feel, while dusty yellow is elegant and feminine. Then decide how much yellow layering you want in the room. Or for a low-risk approach, use it as an accent on a duvet cover, throw, pillows, curtains, or a soft lemon rug. If you want it to stand out, try a feature element, like a yellow upholstered headboard, a painted accent wall behind the bed, or an armchair in cheerful yellow linen fabric.
Resene Yellow Moon paint available from Resene Colour Shops. Ava Rattan Bedhead, $1,490 from IDO Home. Floris Mimosa roller blind, $74 from Tuiss. SÖRBYSKOGEN throw, $60 from IKEA.
Bathroom
Yellow is a stunning bathroom shade. It adds warmth and makes the space feel clean and uplifting. But the shade you choose really matters because bathrooms have tricky lighting and lots of reflective surfaces. To create a calm, spa-like bathroom, opt for soft, pale yellow in buttery or pastel tones.
These gently reflect light, making small bathrooms feel bigger and brighter. To give warmth, pair with shades of ochre; these colours complement wood, brass fixtures, or stone tiles, and offer a boutique-hotel bathroom vibe. For a fresh, energetic look, go for lemon tiles or accessories that bring sunshine to the room first thing in the morning. When using this shade, consider the lighting in your bathroom: Warm lighting makes yellow feel soft and golden, while cool white lighting can make some yellow tones look slightly green. The place to start is always with a Resene Test Pot paint sample. Make sure you paint the shades you are considering on the wall and check them at different times of day and with lights on at night.
Bed Threads crème & turmeric two-toned bath towel bundle, $320. Resene Buttercup paint available from Resene Colour Shops. Mico Clearlite Luna wall-hung vanity, $1590. Frankie basin sink in matte white, $533 from ABI Interiors.
The trend taking over interior style.