With the right choice and combination of shades of grey and yellow, and adjusting the relationship between them, you can create different moods and styles. The contrast of cool, calm greys on one side and strong, vibrant yellows on the other, produces a bold and dramatic effect. This combination will be popular with fans of industrial style, which intertwines muted tones, raw materials and bright accents. Yellow can also be tempered easily with the use of lighter, almost pastel shades, or a dirty, ochre yellow. Subdued shades of yellow are best combined with lighter, warm greys or dirty shades of white, which bring an entirely different, gentler and more rustic feel to the space. These combinations will be favoured by lovers of modern and eclectic style.

When it comes to colour trends, it is important to know how to adapt them to your wishes and taste, and to your space. Lighter colours are better suited to smaller spaces with less natural light, such as pastel yellow or light grey, which further open them up. Larger and brighter rooms can work with even the darkest of shades, which create a sophisticated and glamorous feel.

A space can be somewhat optically transformed with the use of a suitable colour combination. As a general rule, darker, stronger colours make a space smaller, while light colours open it up. For very narrow rooms and hallways, we recommend using lighter shades on the longer sides to widen the space, and using darker, vibrant shades on shorter walls, to close it in length. This way, you will get the best of both worlds without having to choose between lighter or darker colours.

The use of two contrasting colours allows you to optically divide a room in two. It is worth remembering that greys tend to smooth and foster relaxation, while a light yellow brightens the space and helps to energise and invigorate. This allows you to divide a children’s room into a sleeping area and a play area, or to create a slightly separate study corner in a common space. This way, each area provides exactly what you need, plus the room will feel larger.

Choosing a shade of grey poses another unique challenge. Greys often have an undertone, which might be yellowish, bluish or pinkish. This works well when the undertone is intentional, but it can often catch you by surprise, so we recommend a degree of caution. Especially when choosing a grey to combine with a pure, strong yellow, be sure to go for a neutral shade. In our HGMIX colour chart, you will find such shades under NEUTRAL, e.g. shades N07-3 or N07-5. Select a shade with similar RGB values, so that none of the primary colours dominate and the shade appears neutral. When choosing more opaque yellows like a gold or ochre, you can go for a warmer grey.

An additional challenge with interior design is that we rarely start with a blank canvas; a completely empty, white room. Usually, it is a case of refreshing an existing space, which means that when it comes to selecting the paint, you need to consider the furniture and other elements. Yellow is great for redirecting attention, as long as you are not diverting attention from the wrong elements! If you have interesting pieces of art on your walls, and especially if these are painted in strong colours, we recommend choosing a white or very neutral grey for the wall, to keep the focus on the art. On the other hand, a vibrant yellow can spice up a wall with bookshelves or black-and-white photographs. For the more daring among you, use yellow to highlight other more interesting surfaces, such as window frames, doors or a fireplace.

Remember that even the smallest of changes can create a completely fresh feel for your home. View colour trends simply as a source of inspiration that you adapt to your own wishes, taste and space.