Brighten Up Where You Sleep: Using Yellow in the Bedroom

By all accounts, 2009 has been the year of yellow. In December of 2008, the color mavens at Pantone decreed the sunny yellow shade "14-0848 Mimosa" the color of 2009. Around the same time, paint purveyors Benjamin Moore chose their St. Elmo's Fire 362, a bright lemony hue, as their breakout color for 2009. Everywhere we looked this year, yellow was the thing.

We've always been partial to yellow, especially in the bedroom. From a psychological perspective, that's no surprise - yellow is associated with optimism and happiness - and physiologically, it's the perfect color to wake up with, since it stimulates the nervous system.

But we mostly love it from a design standpoint. It's one of the most versatile colors out there, with shades ranging from soft and muted to bold and bright, and with undertones of cool green to warm orange and red. A quick look at the variety of shades of yellow available from Alluminare shows off just how wide that range is:

With all of those options, there are tons of ways to make yellow work in your bedroom, no matter what your preferred style. Here, we put together a few looks that showcase shades from different parts of the yellow spectrum:

From Subtle to Strong

Pale, buttery yellows are great for the bedroom, creating a spaces that are soothing and romantic, but not overly feminine. This room looks like a lovely place to fall asleep each night: We'd like it even better if the chandelier was switched out for an oval Ying Yang Paisley pendant in pale buttercup and croissant:

The natural colors complement the rest of the room, while the fussy pattern provides nice contrast to the simple rug.

On the bolder edge of the yellow spectrum, this room (which belongs to Turquoise designer Vanessa de Vargas) plays up yellow accessories for all their worth. We love the bold rug - it would wake us right up - and the modern take on the oh-so-British "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster:We love sitting areas in bedrooms as a general rule, and there's something especially inviting about this one. It begs for a couple of friends, a glass of wine, and a marathon session of dress up in preparation for a big night out. You know what we think would really pull that area together? A two-cylinder Manhattan pendant in Caribbean Sea and white:

Turquoise and bright yellow make a great pair and are ideal for any fun, energetic space.

From Green to Gold

Yellows really show off their undertones, making them even more versatile in home decor. They range from positively lime to deep, rich and gold - and there are a million points in between. We've chosen a few favorite spots along that spectrum to highlight:

Chartreuse can be a hard color to pull off anywhere, but we love how these yellow-green walls work in this preppy bedroom:A fun print on the bed and fantastic pink table lamp give the whole room a burst of energy. We'd make the room even more of a blast with a small Signature Bubbles pendant in Margaritaville, Bright Yellow, White, and Pink Berry: We think that space would be absolutely perfect for an energetic teenage girl, or as an extra room in a lively beach house.

Moving down the undertone spectrum, we've been seeing more and more "true" yellow paired with soothing grays (and even some lavenders). To our eye, this room just begs for a splash of strong yellow color: To get there, we'd replace the clear hanging globes with several small staggered pendants in a somewhat fussy print, such as Traditional Damask in white and Bright Yellow:

Pairing the yellow with white keeps the pendant from overwhelming the gray, and the pattern adds a touch of softness to a fairly masculine space.

Finally, all the way at the opposite end of the spectrum from green, yellows with orange and gold undertones create a beautiful, rich shade that works everywhere from dramatic Parisian apartments to bright San Francisco flats:We'd go a step further with the color in this space, matching the goldenrod bedding with a big pendant in Mimosa and Burnt Orange Signature Leaves: The lamp's strong colors works perfectly with the bold artwork, while the simple pattern of the pendant won't overwhelm the room's whitewashed walls and furniture.

What does yellow make you dream about? What are your favorite shades, or favorite uses? Share them with us in the comments.

[Photo credits: Muted yellow bedroom and gray bedroom from Apartment Therapy. Vanessa de Vargas room and Gold bedroom from Houzz.com. Chartreuse bedroom from Decorate and Renovate. All lamps from Alluminare.com.]