OCTOBER 2007 ISSUE

Living in Color:
Yellow
"How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun."

Vincent Van Gogh
Dutch post-Impressionist painter
1853-1890

BRUCE KNOTT, CMG
WFCP EXPERT

Happy yellow, the harbinger of spring, the warm sunshine of summer. Joyous, optimistic, warm, and cheerful, yellow promotes anticipation and communication. It makes us feel warm and welcome, especially in the softer variations of the color. Yellow enhances our concentration, which is one reason legal pads are a soft, light yellow. But watch out! Yellow has a dark side as well. Historically, this color was trouble with a capital T. In tenth-century France, the doors of the homes of criminals and traitors were washed in a bright yellow to indicate the type of person dwelling there. Yellow was the color of jealousy and deceit. During the Spanish Inquisition, when people were accused of being heretics and were burned at the stake, accused people were dressed in yellow robes as they were lead to their deaths.

In the Middle Ages, actors on stage portraying a dead person were dressed in yellow. Yellow journalism refers to irresponsible and alarmist reporting. Someone having a “yellow streak” is thought of as a coward. Sort of gruesome news for what we consider a happy color, yes? Yellow does have its brighter sides, as well. In India, Hindus use yellow to celebrate the festival of spring. In China and Southeast Asia, yellow is associated with royalty. In Japan, during the 1300s, warriors wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a pledge of courage to their leader. A yellow ribbon in the United States today is a sign of support for the troops. Yellow has good visibility and is often used as a color for warning; take road signs, for example. Yellow is also a difficult color for our eyes to take in, so it can become overpowering if overused. While people generally feel comfortable in a soft yellow room, a highly saturated, bright yellow can make people irritated. Use the bright yellows for accent items, not for your basic theme color in large quantities or on large surfaces.


Four versions of yellow are forecast for 2008, and two new versions for 2009. Yellow is going very soft and creamy, and, at the same time, will be present in a bright egg-yolk color, found in consumer goods (think kitchen gadgets) and also used by the communications industry. Yellow also will be present in two soft golds—one a traditional Flemish gold and the other a lighter version of the traditional Flemish gold that acts as a new neutral and combines well with other colors. For 2009, a spicy, earthy version of yellow is predicted to be in the marketplace, taking its inspiration from the many cultures of India, along with a very light, sparkly gold-champagne color that again will act as a neutral.

The GMI Trend Unit has identified two yellow versions for the 2008 trend themes. Caution Tape is a warm sunny yellow that’s somewhat saturated but not too sharp, found in our SimpliCity color palette, and Massicot is a saffron-tinged orange/yellow present in our Alchemy color palette. Go ahead and play with yellow—but play carefully.

However companies are responding to industry challenges, one thing remains constant—the continued production of new collections of gorgeous, high quality decorative drapery hardware. Read on for more about the latest products in the industry and to view the latest collections from some of the leading companies in the industry.