Color Theory

The purple reign of fall and winter is over and hope springs eternal in yellow. It's far from mellow. The color gurus at Pantone chose Mimosa, a bright and warm yellow, as the "it” color of 2009. QVC buyers have responded with jewelry, fashion and home decor in similar sunny shades.

Yellow is an optimistic color said to stimulate communication. Maybe that’s why my living room holds so many lively conversations.

It stands to reason we’d need a happy hue during this time of economic doom and gloom. There may be deeper political reasons at play in yellow's sudden popularity. It's the color of liberalism in many countries, according to color expert Kate Smith. Are we now painting the U.S. “yellow dog democrat?” Hmmm. I’ll stick with decorating theories.

Warm yellows work well with other bright colors and also when grounded with neutrals. Try it out with inexpensive accessories such as throws, pillows and pottery. Other popular colors blooming in spring’s palette include: fuchsias, grays, greens and roses.

Go get some color.