Yellow energizes interiors. Plus: Gray-tinted basecoats make deep color visions a reality.

Yellow energizes interiors. Plus: Gray-tinted basecoats make deep color visions a reality.

On the flip side, yellow is warm, sunny and inviting. And according to Becky Ralich Spak, senior designer with Sherwin-Williams' Color Marketing department, this energetic, "feel-good" side of yellow makes it a popular hue in new residential homes.

"Safety alerts come in a strong, bold yellow hue – overly saturated yellows can even cause agitation," Ralich Spak says. "But yellow can also be considered a fun, youthful color – think VW Beetles, SpongeBob, cell phones and cameras. The retro smiley face has also made a comeback – it gives us the energy and lightness we are looking for in a hectic, high-tech world."

Yellows are seen frequently in New England and the Pacific Northwest, where they are used to balance an abundance of blues and greens in the natural environment. Yellow suggests warmth and the illusion of sunshine where few or no windows exist, and a feeling of energy and movement within a space.

Expect to see more saturated forms of yellow in public rooms: kitchens, sun porches, bathrooms and great rooms, says Ralich Spak. The softer, creamier shades are showing up in more private quarters, such as bedrooms.

Looking for deeper shades and lush finishes for your client's interiors? The gray-tinted basecoat technology of the Sherwin-Williams Color Prime® System and the ColorAccents® Interior Latex Flat paint line help you make your vision a reality.

• An accurate color match in fewer coats

• Better touch-up and superior coverage of surface imperfections

• Uniform colors with less streaking.

"Our Color Prime gray basecoat technology helps designers achieve the look their clients want without guesswork, because topcoat colors are matched with the appropriate gray primer shade," says Steve Revnew, director of residential marketing at Sherwin-Williams. "Topcoat colors appear more vivid and true with the proper gray basecoat shade underneath - so the right basecoat is every bit as important as the right topcoat."

What's in Your Toolbox?

Make your job easier with the best in professional color selection tools from Sherwin-Williams.

The Sherwin-Williams COLOR Specifier fan deck is user-friendly and designed to put the entire COLOR palette in the palm of your hand - more than 1,000 hues, arranged by saturation level inside an ergonomically designed protective cover.

The Sherwin-Williams Professional Color File arranges color from essential blacks and whites to warm and cool neutrals to six color families, followed by the Preservation Palette® (both interior and exterior finishes), Wood Classics® stains over pine, oak and birch, and finish selectors showing Sherwin-Williams sheens in light and deep hues. The Professional Color File comes in a portable hard case that's easily carried from studio to project site.

Individual 4 1/2-by-3 5/8-inch and 8 1/2-by-11-inch color samples are available upon request.

You can order Sherwin-Williams color tools online, or call (800) 382-6567, fax (216) 566-1660 or e-mail color@sherwin.com. Whatever your preference, we've got your color.