Bedroom Yellow Color: Shades Measured From Paintings
The best yellow for most bedroom walls is a light, soft one with an LRV above 60, which keeps the room bright without glare. Deeper yellows work better on one accent wall or in fabric and wood. Each color below was measured from a public-domain painting, with the closest commercial paints listed.
Quick answer
Use Soft Lemon (LRV 67) on all four walls, Warm Straw (LRV 63) on large furniture, and Dusty Gold (LRV 38) for textiles or a feature wall behind the bed.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of yellow
#DED98BLRV 67
Soft Lemon
Use it on all four bedroom walls. At LRV 67 it reads light and bounces daylight, and its warm yellow undertone has a slight green lean. Measured from The Essex Canal by Albert Pinkham Ryder, c. 1896.
A good choice for a dresser, wardrobe or other main furniture, or for walls if you want a buttery, sandy glow. At LRV 63 it stays light. Measured from Vétheuil by Claude Monet, 1901.
Best for textiles such as a bedspread, curtains or a headboard, or for a yellow feature wall behind the bed. At LRV 38 it is a mid-tone and absorbs more light than the pale yellows. Measured from Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) by George Romney, 1781.
A cool companion for curtains, a rug or a second wall color. Its blue undertone offsets the warmth of the yellows, and at LRV 62 it stays light. Measured from The Customs House at Varengeville by Claude Monet, 1897.
Use it on wood such as a bed frame, nightstands or picture frames. At LRV 7 it is very dark, so a little goes a long way, and its warm undertone sits well with the yellows. Measured from Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emily Bertie Pott (died 1782) by George Romney, 1781.
Choose it for one bold piece, such as an armchair, a bench or a painted nightstand. At LRV 23 it is a deep mid-tone with a warm yellow undertone. Measured from The Essex Canal by Albert Pinkham Ryder, c. 1896, the same painting as Soft Lemon.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft Lemon
Warm Straw
Dusty Gold
Soft Periwinkle
Moss Olive
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is The Essex Canal.
How do I choose between these yellows for bedroom walls?
Start with the job the yellow has to do. The lightest, Soft Lemon (#DED98B, LRV 67), is the one for all four walls. It reads light, bounces daylight around and keeps a small bedroom from feeling closed in. Its slight green lean keeps it fresh. The closest match measured is Sherwin-Williams SW 6709 Gleeful.
Warm Straw (#E7CCA1, LRV 63) is nearly as light but sits closer to cream and sand. Use it where you want a softer, buttery glow, or on a large piece of furniture such as a dresser or wardrobe. Behr PPU7-19 Crepe is a near-identical match.
Dusty Gold (#B9A377, LRV 38) is a mid-tone. On four walls it will make a bedroom feel snug and low-lit. It works better as a yellow accent wall behind the bed, or as a bedspread, curtains or a headboard. Valspar 3005-9C Caraway Seed is a near-identical match.
What colors go with yellow in a bedroom, including trim, ceiling and floor?
Colors taken from the same paintings already sit well together. Moss Olive (#8A8843, LRV 23) comes from the same Ryder canvas as Soft Lemon. Use it on one bold piece, such as an armchair or a bench. Dark Umber (#54483A, LRV 7) comes from the same Romney portrait as Dusty Gold. It suits a wood bed frame, a dresser or picture frames.
For a cooler yellow color combination, add Soft Periwinkle (#C9CEDC, LRV 62) on curtains, a rug or a second wall color. It tempers the warmth and keeps the room calm.
Keep the ceiling and trim lighter than the walls. A soft, warm white usually sits more gently beside yellow than a very stark one, so check them side by side. For flooring, mid to dark wood grounds light yellow walls well. A rug in Warm Straw or Dusty Gold ties the floor to the walls.
How does yellow look in different bedroom light?
Yellow shifts with light more than most colors, so look at your room before you commit. In a bedroom with strong morning sun, Soft Lemon can look brighter and a little greener. Its LRV of 67 means it will not go dull by afternoon, but it can feel vivid in direct sun. Warm Straw is the calmer choice there.
In a room with little daylight, a light yellow above LRV 60 does the most work. Soft Lemon and Warm Straw both clear that mark and bounce what light there is. Dusty Gold, at LRV 38, absorbs more light, so keep it to an accent wall or textiles in a dim room.
Evening matters in a bedroom. Warm bulbs make yellows look cozier and deeper. Cool white bulbs make them look paler. Judge your sample under the bulbs you actually use at night.
How do I test yellow samples before painting?
Paint a large sample, not a small chip. Put two coats on a board about two feet square, so the edge of the board does not mislead your eye. Yellow looks different in a small patch than across a whole wall.
Move the board around. Tape it behind the bed, then on the window wall, then on the wall that gets the least light. Check it in the morning, at midday and at night with the bedside lamps on. Yellow can change a lot between these moments.
Hold the board next to what will stay in the room: bedding, flooring, trim and curtains. The paint matches listed here are the closest measured, not exact copies, so test the actual paint you plan to buy. If you are torn between two yellows in a small room, take the one with the higher LRV.
FAQ
What is the best yellow paint color for a bedroom?
For walls, Soft Lemon (LRV 67) is the best fit here. It is light, bright and slightly green. The closest match measured is Sherwin-Williams SW 6709 Gleeful, and Behr 390D-4 Honey Beige is very close.
Which wall should be the yellow accent wall in a bedroom?
Choose the wall behind the bed, since it is the one you face most often from the doorway. Dusty Gold (LRV 38) suits a feature wall because it is a mid-tone that adds warmth without taking over.
What is a good yellow two-color combination for bedroom walls?
Try Soft Lemon on three walls with Soft Periwinkle on the fourth, or Warm Straw with Dusty Gold behind the bed. Both pairs come from the paintings listed on this page, and the yellow and blue pair gives the clearest contrast.
Can I use a lemon color in a bedroom?
Yes, if you keep it soft. Soft Lemon is the closest here, and its LRV of 67 keeps it light. A brighter, more saturated lemon can feel strong at night, so test it under your bedside lamps.
What trim color goes with pale yellow bedroom walls?
A soft, warm white on trim and ceiling is a safe choice because it stays lighter than the walls without a sharp contrast. Hold a trim sample against your pale yellow sample in the room's light before you decide.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From The Essex Canal, Albert Pinkham Ryder
