Widely viewed by colour therapists as an uplifting, energising and inspiring shade, ochre yellow has been around for centuries. The colour pigment was first made from naturally occurring substances including clay, siliceous materials and the hydrated form of iron oxide known as limonite.

In the last year or two, however, ochre yellow has begun to emerge as a one of the colours du jour, with ever-increasing numbers or searches for this lively hue on trend-driven online platforms such as Etsy and PinterestCould sunny, spicy ochre be the “Gen Z yellow” that turns out to be the new “Millennial pink” – a shade that has dominated interiors for some years now? 

More evidence that yellow is seriously on trend comes from the fashion catwalks – which often serve as an early warning system for decor enthusiasts – where the colour has been spotted everywhere from Proenza Schouler to Jacquemus to Tory Burch. And after the pandemic-ridden past 18 months, it’s really not all that surprising that we are all longing to deck ourselves in a hue that suggests happiness, friendship and some very much-needed optimism.

Some commentators have also suggested that turmeric or saffron yellow shades are part of the resurgence of the boho trend in interiors, pointing to the burgeoning popularity of California-based blogger-turned-author and decorator Justina Blakeney’s “Jungalow” look, for example.

The very good news is that there is more than one way to do this. Of course, you can simply layer up with loads of yellow, but ochre – or turmeric or marigold or saffron – yellow also combines beautifully with other colours.

Bold yellow is brilliant paired with neutral shades of the sort you probably have plenty of in your home already – think greys and white, for example – and what’s more, Pantone, the international colour experts, named the combination of grey and yellow its official Colour of the Year for 2021. You don’t get much more on-trend than that!

As the bedroom pictures above show, ochre yellow also makes for a gorgeous mix with other jewel tones, such as deep blue-green and rich pink.