27 Butter Yellow Decor Ideas To Try In Your Home For An Instant Mood Boost
Cheerful but subdued, butter yellow is the perfect color to incorporate into your decor if you want a pop of yellow that isn't too bright. It's not really a single color but refers to a group of similar hues. Butter yellow colors are lighter than mustard yellow, paler than canary yellow, and yellower than beige. Sitting somewhere amongst the three, butter yellows are reminiscent of a fresh pat of butter. They're decadent and warm and can make any space feel a little happier and cozier.
It's possible to embrace butter yellow decor in a number of ways, anywhere from painting an entire room to adding a few decor accent pieces. To start, consider the style of your home. If you're working with a modern or Scandinavian room, a few simple butter yellow accent pieces can bring some color without overwhelming an otherwise neutral space. You have more flexibility with eclectic and traditional homes — butter yellow works beautifully as a soft background shade or a light accent color in ornately decorated rooms. Butter yellow looks particularly quaint in farmhouse- and English country-style homes, bringing a ton of warmth. Ultimately, you can use this timeless color in any way you wish. We've rounded up some ideas for inspiration.
Butter yellow cabinets are just plain gorgeous
With its rich and indulgent feel, a deep, butter yellow shade is perfect for a cozy kitchen. One charming fixture to paint butter yellow is your cabinets. If you have traditional wood cabinets, this color can give them a farmhouse feel. Classic decorative molding makes the color feel even more homey, and gold or bronze hardware keeps with the warm theme. If you're a renter, you don't need to use paint to get this look. Butter yellow peel-and-stick wallpaper is an option, too.
Butter yellow accents work in modern kitchens too
Yellow isn't a neutral color, but butter yellow comes fairly close. It can do the job of a neutral in ornately-decorated rooms or accompany true neutrals in a sleek modern space. This kitchen has modern touches, angular lines, open shelving, and a contemporary cabinet design. However, it also incorporates bits of vintage decor, like a wicker lamp and ornate candle holders. Butter yellow is the perfect shade for this kitchen — it's close enough to a modern neutral, but it's much warmer and has a vintage vibe that perfectly complements this room's decor style.
Butter yellow upper cabinets bring the bright color eye-level
Between the two, colorful lower cabinets are more subtle, while bright upper cabinets are in your face. Since upper cabinets sit right at eye level, it makes sense that they'll be more noticeable. If you want your butter yellow cabinets to be the star of this room, place the color on top cabinets. Of course, if you want to go all-out, you can also use butter yellow shades for both lower and upper cabinets.
Pair shades of butter yellow with a colorful pattern
Some people may view butter yellow as a bold color — it is yellow, after all. If you're hesitant to pair butter yellow with a bold pattern, think again. With the right color palette, it can look gorgeous. Pair it with warm-toned patterns to prevent visual clashing, creating a muted look like in this photo from @wiltshirewonderland. However, this doesn't mean you can't pair it with cool and bright colors! Butter yellow also goes nicely with pastel shades like blue and pink. With the latter idea, the end result is bright rather than subdued.
Paint an entire room butter yellow
If you choose the right shade, an entirely butter yellow room can feel so unbelievably cozy. When it comes to butter yellow, there's a fine line between a warm background shade and one that screams yellow. Make sure to choose carefully and make use of paint samples before committing to an entire wall or room. Since butter yellow isn't a standardized color, paint options may fall under off-white, beige, gold, or ivory shades. Lean towards muted and warm yellow tones to get the desired buttery effect. Some excellent options include Butter Yellow from Behr, Hawthorne Yellow from Benjamin Moore, Limitless from Glidden, Dayroom Yellow from Farrow & Ball, and Butter Up from Sherwin Williams.
Butter yellow complements the cheer of a sunny bedroom
Looking for an optimistic bedroom color that's not too bright? Butter yellow may be the answer. The hue in this photo from @thehousethatcolourbuilt is more vivid, but you can opt for options that are closer to beige or white if you want to tone it down. It would be hard not to wake up happy in a room this color, especially when the sunshine is streaming in. Great for any age, it's mature enough for an adult's bedroom, bright enough for kids, and can even work as a non-traditional nursery room shade.
Showcase an ornate traditional dining room with butter yellow
The smooth decadence of butter yellow walls looks lovely in a formal dining room. This type of decor, with warm yellow as a base and covered in ornate patterns, makes it feel like you're dining in another time period. Butter yellow is a lovely background color for this type of design since it adds a lot of warmth — stark white just wouldn't have the same effect, no matter how many designs are painted on top. It will look all the more cozier by candlelight.
Butter yellow is a gorgeous ceiling color (if white feels too plain)
There are lots of colors you can paint your ceilings, although most people opt for various shades of white. But if white feels a bit boring. Butter yellow is a beautiful alternative. It's great if you have warm, patterned walls when a white ceiling may feel too stark. For example, with the nature-inspired wallpaper in this photo from @our_casa_flamingo, a bright white ceiling might contrast too much with the pattern, whereas a muted yellow ties the room together and makes it feel like trees are basking in a sunset.
A butter yellow rug adds instant warmth to a room
The previous projects on this list are more extensive jobs requiring butter yellow paint or peel-and-stick wallpaper. Instead, try yellow decor for a low-effort way to play with the color. One of the easiest ways to add a pop of this shade to a room is with an accent rug. Along with the rich hue, the texture of a rug brings tons of coziness to a living room or bedroom. You can opt for a plain or patterned option. The Carmine Handwoven Wool Rug for $479 from The Pottery Barn is a stunning, intricate choice.
Curtains are another option to bring yellow warmth to a space
More involved than putting down a rug but still easy to install, you can use butter yellow curtains to bring this hue to your home. It's not the most common color, so it might take a bit of searching to find the right shade. Keep in mind that butter yellow curtains might fall under a range of other color names, such as gold, off-white, beige, and wheat. We love the Sorrel Toile Linen Cotton Curtain (pictured), which costs $159 from Pottery Barn. Alternatively, a plain option is the 2-pack Blackout Curtain Panels for $129 from H&M.
Butter yellow is a happy color for a child's bedroom
Bright colors are lovely for a young child's room. There's much more to choose from than the almost-neon blues, pinks, and greens of bedrooms past. Butter yellow is a more subtle shade that can appeal to kids of any age. If your child is a fan of the color, consider painting the entire room (or just an accent wall if you prefer the room a bit less bright). Another way to incorporate the color is with yellow furniture, and it's more low-commitment in case your little one changes their mind.
Create an inviting entryway with a butter yellow foyer table
The cheery nature of butter yellow makes it a wonderful color for an entryway. It's warm and welcoming, perfect for inviting people into your home. It can feel like a big commitment to paint it on the walls; it may feel like too much color for simpler entryways. Instead, you can add a piece of yellow statement furniture. A foyer table is the perfect pick, and it provides a fashionable spot to place your keys, umbrellas, and other items to grab as you leave home.
Butter yellow pairs beautifully with other paint colors
We hope you've already noticed that butter yellow looks beautiful with a range of other colors. It acts much more like a neutral compared to bright yellow, pairing with both warm and cool colors. Choose a color pairing depending on what type of aesthetic you are going for; with warm shades, butter yellow can give rooms a rich and warm feel. Cool shades provide more contrast and make the overall effect more striking and vivid. In this photo from @thehousethatcolourbuilt, the butter yellow stripes fit right in with the deeper orange, sky blue, and sage green — the color combination sounds surprising, but it works.
Combine shades of butter yellow tones throughout a room if you absolutely love the color
As mentioned above, butter yellow doesn't refer to a single color. Instead, picture all the shades of yellow that butter can come in, from almost white to deeper gold, covering the many hues of butter yellow. They're all somewhat similar, with a warm yellow-like finish, so they all work together. So, if you absolutely love this color, consider painting a room in different buttery shades — with the same undertone, they will never clash. The finished look can't help but feel cozy.
Brighten up a space with butter yellow trim
Sunshine streaming through a window is enough to lift even the lowest of moods. Recreate the warm feeling by painting your window trims butter yellow. On sunny days, it will make the room look even more homey. On cloudy days, it can remind you of sunnier days ahead. Painting your window trim is a great way to get the butter yellow color on your walls without needing to commit to an entire wall. It's noticeable and is a small enough area for most DIYers to paint themselves (especially if they follow the right trim painting technique).
Butter yellow is neutral enough to pair with busy or colorful wall papers
It's hard to picture yellow as a "neutral" color until you see it in action. This photo from @kitandco_ shows how butter yellow can perform as a subdued background shade. On their own, the butter yellow cabinets would be the star of the kitchen. However, the leafy wallpaper and gingham curtain end up stealing the show with their striking patterns. Butter yellow's proximity to beige makes the cabinets fade more into the background, something that neon yellow cabinets just can't accomplish.
Butter yellow bead board is stunning
Beadboard and cozy decor styles go hand-in-hand. With its warm and inviting feel, it's probably no surprise that butter yellow is the perfect color to add to that mix. The color can make any wood wall detailing (like beadboard, wainscotting, shiplap, and more) look extra cheerful. It's an excellent choice for hallways and small spaces, particularly if you want to stay away from white but still want a light color. Unlike dark colors, which can make a space feel cramped, a pale butter yellow can make the area feel open without having to resort to boring white shades.
This pale yellow color is also an option for bathroom tiles
White tile is the go-to for bathrooms, but if you want a space with more character, try a colorful tile instead. Tiles come in all types of colors, so it can be overwhelming to choose your perfect pick. Again, since most bathrooms are small, a light yellow can help maintain the appearance of more space. There's nothing wrong with a dark bathroom, though, if you're after a moody look, and you'll always have the chance to add butter yellow accents (perhaps a yellow shower curtain?).
Butter yellow furniture makes a bold statement
Butter yellow furniture is just plain charming, especially when it's adorned with vintage detailing. If you're not sold on this color, try it in your home with a statement piece of furniture. It's an impermanent way to trial the color in a room, and it can be a cheaper option, too. If you can grab a secondhand wood cupboard (or upcycle one of your old pieces), you can repaint it butter yellow to give your chosen shade a try.
Create an extra cozy living room with butter yellow furnishings
We love the idea of placing a butter yellow statement piece in the living room. Since the color is so cozy, it can make a room feel all the more inviting — an essential feature if you use your living room to relax and entertain! A yellow coffee table is a great way to use this color in this space — it's impossible to miss. But you can also opt for butter yellow side tables, storage shelves, or even pops of the color in your wall decor for a subtler option.
A yellow vanity is another way to bring the hue to your bathroom
Bathrooms are often small and no-frills compared to other rooms, so bringing a lot of color into this space can feel counterproductive if it's already crowded. As shown above, yellow tile is one option. But if you've already committed to another tile color, you can opt for a butter yellow vanity to still use this eye-catching hue. This photo from @karenanita really highlights why this buttery shade is so adored. It compliments so many other colors, including the salmon pink, black, and white in this bathroom.
Butter yellow accents work nicely in minimalist rooms
Many of the examples on this list show butter yellow incorporated into more ornately decorated rooms, often in traditional, eclectic, farmhouse, and English or French cottage styles. The color looks particularly lovely in these cozier homes, but it can also bring a touch of warmth to sterner, minimalist rooms. A more vivid alternative to white, black, or beige, it won't disrupt sleek rooms when it's used as an accent color through decor pieces. Add it in the form of butter yellow trays, vases, containers, boxes, candles, and more.
Incorporate practical butter yellow accessories into your decor
By this point, we've shown that butter yellow accents can work in pretty much any style of room, and the easiest way to add it is with decor. There are also plenty of practical decor pieces that come in pale yellow colors so that you can add function as well as style to a room. Products like lamps, planters, and home textiles are some examples. Some options include the Butter Up Toby Brass Accents Table Lamp ($189.99 from Lamps Plus), Altman Cachepot ($99 from Pottery Barn), or the Sorrel Toile Duvet Cover (starting at $135 from Pottery Barn).
Butter yellow shelves are decorative and practical
Butter yellow shelves are another way to use the color on your walls without needing to paint them. It's a little more subtle than having a yellow wall; once the shelves are decorated with items, the yellow color feels less in-your-face. Generally, yellow isn't a particularly common shelf color, so this might be another option you have to DIY. The simplest way is with plain wood shelves, which you can then sand and paint to your chosen shade.
Butter yellow cubbies are a fun option
If you prefer the boxy look of cubbies, opt for butter yellow cubbies instead of open shelving. As this photo from @victoirexmatilda shows, it can also make the yellow color more obvious on your wall — with more panels, cubbies simply have more surface area to display the shade. Due to the rarity of this color, it's another one you might need to DIY by painting wood cubbies. This project is an adorable idea for a child's storage area and is an extra happy color for a playroom.
A butter yellow mantel is so distinctive
Want to update your fireplace area but not sure what to do? Painting the mantel is one option that can give the space (and, depending on the color, even the entire room) a whole new look! Butter yellow is a distinctive hue to paint a mantel and is more striking than the usual white or black. Fireplaces are supposed to be cozy, and this warm yellow color can make it even more so, especially if you have one with a traditional decorated design.
Give your outdoor space a creamy pop with butter yellow
Butter yellow looks just as beautiful outdoors as indoors. You can use the color in all the same ways outdoors, for example, by painting an exterior area, using yellow decor, or adding yellow outdoor furniture. The Folding Iron Bistro Set ($383 from Anthropologie) is one example of the latter. The ability for butter yellow to mesh with other colors is a benefit in outdoor spaces. It will look lovely in front of a backdrop of lush green leaves or all manner of colorful flowers.