Bright yellow walls why did I think this was a good idea

August 9, 2023 8:01 AM

So I picked a really intense butter yellow for my dark long hallways over my family’s objections and two months later - they were right. Are there any alternatives to a total repaint job to lightening the colour? The hallway has lots of doors and little natural light. Please help me think outside the box. The rest of the house is mostly green and white.
posted by dorothyisunderwood to Home & Garden (22 answers total)

You could put up a lot of artwork. But as for the color itself you’ll need to paint. If you pick something similar but more white then you’ll probably only need one solid coat plus some touchups with a good quality paint.

In the future always get a sample. I paint it on at least an 8x10 piece of paper so I can put it around the room in different lighting. You can also paint a larger sample like on a poster board. (I don’t sample on my walls because I like to move the sample and I don’t always know when I’m getting to painting.)
posted by Crystalinne at 8:09 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Maybe a translucent glaze...but that would still in olive painting the whole area
..
posted by Czjewel at 8:11 AM on August 9, 2023

I have brightened dark hallways in the following ways: a lot of decorative mirrors on the walls (these can be relatively inexpensive if you buy smaller ones in multipacks rather than large mirrors singly), a bigger light fixture, brighter bulbs in the existing light fixture, light colored rugs on the floor.

Doing any or all of these things might change the perceived color of the walls, so if you really don't want to paint, my advice is to try these things first. You can always still paint afterward.
posted by BlueJae at 8:13 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]

You also might want to experiment with bulbs with different color temperatures and see if that changes the appearance of the color to your liking.
posted by BlueJae at 8:15 AM on August 9, 2023 [15 favorites]

I'm wondering if adding strategic color accents might subdue the overall effect, so that you'd only have to paint the baseboards or something rather than the entire hallway.
posted by praemunire at 8:32 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Lean into it with deep coral curtains and accents? I like photo 04 from this list. Richer corals are beautiful with green and white as well.
posted by mochapickle at 8:33 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

LED strip lighting with a custom color setting? I have some facing downward from the ceiling in a dark staircase, and the correct shade actually makes a significant difference in my perception of the dubious paint situation.
posted by teremala at 8:39 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

A stage prop trick , uses a bristle brush or broom to flick tiny drops of color on areas that need brightening.
posted by hortense at 8:43 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Overlay another, brighter color using a large sponge / crumpled up paper...possibly using a metallic or fluorescent paint.
posted by Bron at 9:09 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Paint a white strip just along the top of the walls, as broad as you feel like bothering with? A plain stripe like the bit above an old-fashioned picture rail, or if you can blend it in with the yellow at the edge, maybe artily, you might get a nice sense of space.
posted by Phanx at 9:18 AM on August 9, 2023 [4 favorites]

wall decals/temporary wall tiles?
posted by bq at 9:20 AM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

if you like the yellow but just find it way too bright, you can have the paint store mix you a color that's the same as what you used cut 50:50 (or even more dilute) with white. So yeah you'll need to paint, but it should only take one coat because you won't be able to see if some show-through, unlike if you were trying to get rid of the yellow.

you could also find white peel n stick wallpaper and put it up horizontally along the top edge of the wall, so that whatever light there is gets bounced along the top white strip.
posted by fingersandtoes at 9:31 AM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

Another option is to just wait.

When I was around 12, my mom let me pick out a color for an office/art room we both used. I picked out a bright purple. When we finished painting, even I felt it was a mistake - it was so bright! I don't recall how long it took, but eventually we both came not just to not mind it, but to actually enjoy the color for what it was.

So, it's possible you'll grow to not mind it. Otherwise, I agree with the idea to get light carpets.
posted by coffeecat at 10:56 AM on August 9, 2023 [5 favorites]

One of the most fun wall art projects I ever did was to hang rope or string of some kind between doorways and then use little hooks (maybe clothespins?) to attach kid art to the string, so it became a gallery of kid art (I had two young kids at the time, so there was a lot of art coming in the house).

If you don't have kid art to hang, how about something similar, but use the string and little hooks or clothespins to hang a few different large scarves? Nothing too heavy, but something light and bright might be a nice way of changing up the walls. You could even buy some light, gauzy scarves or pieces of fabric if you don't have anything already.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:16 AM on August 9, 2023

Attach lightweight vases (test tubes, tumblers) to wall; display fern fronds, monstera, and similar "sculptural" greenery (fresh, preserved, or faux).
Paint a winding mural.
Draw a family tree and place photos as illustration. This example uses a decal.
Seconding art, including pieces with yellows, greens, & whites to 'blend' the walls and adjacent rooms -- part of the reason the hall paint looks off is the sharp contrast.
Seconding different light bulbs, and/or a new lighting arrangement.
Some houseplants grow in low-light conditions; hang tiered pots with ferns, or put up sections of trellis and train ivies.
Tone down the yellow by 'antiquing' paint with a sponge-applied tea stain.
posted by Iris Gambol at 3:33 PM on August 9, 2023

Absolutely seconding a gentle re-sponging with a paler, duller version of the same color.

Tape off the door frames. Throw a drop cloth on the floor/carpet. Move any knickknacks.
Experiment with sponges, crumpled paper, stamping, etc.
Less is more. Make a contest out of it.
Rinse or toss the tools, give it some time to see the effect, come back and add more.
Do not leave painters tape in place more than a week.

I like playing with a pint of semi-gloss over the same or one step darker color in matte/flat. The reverse also works.
If you have leftover base paint, you can start over.
Don't let the dog rub against the wall and track it into other places.
Good luck!
posted by TrishaU at 4:31 PM on August 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Tape it off and paint a very thick white stripe, at head & chest height. The stripe should be about 18 inches wide, and run the whole length of the hall. This makes a huge difference - I saved a deep teal kitchen by painting it white only at eye level, in a fraction of the time and hassle.
(Seal the tape with a bit of yellow paint first)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:19 PM on August 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

I really like nouvelle-personne's suggestion.

Now I am a huge fan of yellow walls, but I combine them with white ceilings and trimmings and also have stripes of white everywhere the walls meet other stuff, like doors, the ceiling, the floor.

Yellow walls go very well with black and white art, which is one reason I love them. It could be photographs, antique prints, line art. Use black or gold frames, or a mix. It doesn't have to be fancy, just consistently B/W.

Mirrors are always good in hallways, because they spread light, and we want that. And good lighting is paramount. I think maybe IKEA can help you with light consultancy for free? My local electrician is actually very good at this, but I wouldn't take for granted that any electrician could do this. You want a warm light, I think.

I feel there are some very beautiful examples of yellow rooms out there that have inspired me, but I need to think a bit about that. Will return.
posted by mumimor at 10:55 AM on August 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

Sponge or whitewash with thinned white paint. You can add LED string or other lights for brightness. I'd look for a number of light prints, framed uniformly, to reduce the effect of the yellow. Framed B&W photos look great against a more intense color. Or, live with it for a while. It may not be ideal, but I suspect your reaction is larger because you went against advice, and the paint is reminding you every time you see it. It's probably fine.
posted by theora55 at 11:03 AM on August 10, 2023

The Most Modern 18th-Century Room You’ve Ever Seen WSJ, but I can read it.

Faaborg Museum (sorry, this is from TripAdvisor, you may have to scroll through the images).

I couldn't find the other things I have looked at online. But seeing these pictures, I was reminded that it might be interesting to look at your floor covering. An oriental rug or a black linoleum or both combined may make a huge difference. It may be counterintuitive to use a dark floor covering in a dark room, but if you have bright colors above, those will draw the eye up, and the contrast will make you perceive the whole as bright and sunny.

I didn't mention it above, but I feel that if you haven't done it already, all your doors and their frames should be painted bright white. Yellow does not work well with wooden doors in most cases (there are exceptions to everything).
posted by mumimor at 11:40 AM on August 10, 2023

You could whitewash over it - basically thin white or cream water-based paint with water and brush or rub it over the yellow.
posted by summerstorm at 1:27 PM on August 10, 2023

Response by poster: These are such good answers all of them! I am going to do the big white stripe, and I am getting some cute wallpaper to cover the doors facing the hallway (they are a grey laminate which is good on the inside of the rooms but dreary outside), and most of all have bookmarked some more mirrors and lamps to try, and ordered white touch up paint pens so I can draw a mural in white above the white stripe where it's still too dark - I've freehand painted murals before so I feel confident about that. I realise I love the intense yellow in parts, it just needs to be framed in white and not everywhere.

Thank you all so much - the range of ideas knocked something loose in my head staring at the hallway with regret and I'm excited about the possibilities now.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 12:20 AM on August 11, 2023 [3 favorites]