Hello yellow The hot colour in home decor

Take a trip to your favourite fast fashion outlet and you’ll see big, bold trends on offer. On a recent whip around the interior departments of those shops, it was hard to ignore that a full beaming, sunshine yellow and its counterpart motifs were everywhere.

For those of us who remember a time when yellow was considered a neutral, when every room from the kitchen to the bathroom had a daffodil undertone, it was something of a shock.

They say fashion is cyclical, but has it really been so long that sunflowers and their hue have come back around?

Trend alert

Vic Bibby, interior designer at Bibby and Brady, has also seen the signs out on the shop floors.

‘‘I have noticed yellow coming through in fashion,’’ she said, ‘‘and there is often a strong connection between what’s happening in fashion and interiors. We’ve definitely seen warmer colours coming through in fabrics, but more so tones of mustard and dusty gold.’’

Meanwhile interior stylist Janine King thinks it’s about time we caught up.

‘‘Interiors follow fashion trends and I always say that our surroundings are an extension of what we wear or want to wear,’’ said King.

‘‘I have been using accents of yellow/gold and chartreuse in my stagings and stylings for the past couple of years and am inspired by the European trends.

‘‘New Zealand is a tad slow in catching up, but following Milan’s latest colour directions, yes, it is making a comeback but with a difference. More of an earthy yellow is emerging rather than the sunflower gold.’’

Perhaps what we’re looking at is not a 90s trend, but a 2019 does 90s does 70s trend. Wrap your head around that one.

Sunflowers are ‘‘the 70s statement’’, said King.

‘‘We are following a 70s revival, so yes it’s making a comeback.’’

Full colour or feature tone?

Sarah Gregory, Resene colour consultant, said yellow was definitely present as a trend, though it’s perhaps not so fresh when it comes to paint.

‘‘It’s definitely being used for all walls and feature walls,’’ said Gregory.

‘‘Obviously, the lighter tones for all walls as it has a tendency to bounce off itself and cause the colour to look more intense when used on all walls. Darker and more vibrant tones of yellow can be used as a feature colour or on furniture.’’

To keep yellow contemporary, go mustard, using paint colours such as Resene Cleopatra or Resene Thumbs Up. Or if you’re not ready for the commitment of a full yellow wall, try warm whites such as Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta or Resene Rice Cake.

Bibby agrees that warm