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Colour Spotlight: Add Warmth To Your Rooms With This Earthy Yellow

By Chelsea Dolan On

This season, elevate your rooms with a dose of ochre.

The oldest natural pigment, dug from the earth itself, this moody yellow adds a hint of historical pedigree. You will have seen it used in damask wallpapers, velvet drapes and upholstery, and glazed ceramics. At home in both traditional and contemporary spaces, ochre brings a warm, inviting glow. Envelop a powder room for an unexpected hit of color, or add ochre pillows, rugs or vessels to rooms. Off-whites, deep golds, browns and russets are good accents to layer on. “Ochre is elegant in traditional spaces and adds just the right amount of warmth to modern rooms,” says H&H’s Amanda Smith.

Get the look: India Yellow (66), Farrow & Ball

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Soft: Goldfinch (187), Benjamin Moore

Pair It With: January Garnet (HDC-CL-11), Behr

Pair It With: White Chocolate (EX294), Cloverdale Paint

Designed by Alyssa Kapito, this living room in Rockleigh, N.J., has ochre walls anchored by moldings and panelling in off-white. Complemented by leggy mid-mod furniture in various wood tones, the look is earthy and elegant.

  • Photographer Stephen Kent Johnson, Otto
  • Designer Alyssa Kapito

Originally all white, this mudroom now features glossy warm yellow cabinets and walls, allowing the sight line to the powder room to shine.

  • Photographer Nicole Frazen
  • Designer Monica Fried

This kitchen pulls inspiration from the season’s changing leaves, including ochre-hued leather counter stools and a vase of the real thing.

  • Photographer Alex Lukey
  • Designer Monica Fried

Jewel-toned pillows and a gold reading lamp bring a dose of elegance to this principal bedroom.

  • Photographer Gillian Jackson and Lauren Miller
  • Designer Mariam Aboutaam; Architecture: RN Design

Vivid colors and saturated patterns reflect homeowner Jasmeet K. Wahid’s South Asian roots, including the bedding and quilt in her bedroom.

  • Photographer Lauren D. Zbarsky
  • Designer Kate Snyder & Jessica MacDonald

If you’re opting for jungle-inspired wallpaper, elevate the look with a warm, gold-toned print.

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Keep scrolling for some of our favorite ochre-hued finds!

  • Photographer Lauren D. Zbarsky
  • Designer Kate Snyder & Jessica MacDonald

Apelle lounge chair in Ochre, $1,713 Palazzetti

Knowle sofa in Georges 12 Bouton D’or, $24,470 Pierre Frey

Two-tone Smoked Glass vase in Amber by Hübsch, $113 Smallable

Triptych bowl in Crème by Mentze Ottenstein for Menu, $63 Hut K. Macchia Su

Tutsi fabric in Neutral by David Kaihoi, pricing upon request Schumacher

Macchia tumbler set in Ivory/ Amber, $210/pair Ssense

Lobe pendant in Pepper by Lukas Peet, $850 AndLight