DECORATING | ROOMS & GARDENS | WORLD OF CABANA

From the soft shade of buttercream walls to the bold drama of saffron silk, yellow has long been the color of warmth, optimism, and a certain unapologetic grandeur. Whether drenching an entire room or appearing as a single flourish, its presence transforms. Read on for inspirational yellow rooms from the World of Cabana, and beyond.

WORDS BY EMMA BECQUE | ROOMS & GARDENS | 21 MARCH 2025

Interior designer Alidad’s signature layering meets the brilliance of yellow in this London drawing room, with gilded tones and chinoiserie walls © James McDonald.

A Tuscan Bedroom Draped in History

A four-poster at Villa Cetinale, where "Indian fabrics, lots of stripes, and beautiful elaborate beds" define the Lambtons' vision, writes Ashley Hicks © Simon Upton; Rizzoli.

In Villa Cetinale: Memoir of a House in Tuscany, Ashley Hicks describes how Ned and Marina Lambton, together with decorator Camilla Guinness, have "transformed the place" with layers of fabric, painted furniture, and beautiful elaborate beds. This yellow four-poster, enveloped in opulent textiles, embodies their approach, an engaging restoration that brings a modern yellow touch to centuries-old grandeur. 

An Artist's Bathroom in Norfolk

A buttery yellow bathroom at North Runcton Lodge, where "the idea was always to keep as much of its history with as little intervention as possible" © Mark Luscombe-Whyte.

Rose Cholmondeley explores North Runcton Lodge, where Kate Giles and Tim Ellis have imbued their home with "a considered and light-handed approach" to restoration. The bathroom is a perfect example where "much of the old paintwork remains, and patches of aged wallpaper, discovered when removing a piece of furniture, have been purposefully left intact". The reclaimed cast iron bath, salvaged antiques, and sun-warmed drapery create a space where "every room tells multiple stories".

A Sunlit Sitting Room in Lombardy

A vision in yellow, the sitting room of Anna Gastel’s Lombardy retreat exudes warmth and eclectic charm © Guido Taroni, Cabana Issue 12.

Anna Gastel’s 18th-century Lombardy tower is a masterclass in instinctive decorating. As Aimee Farrell writes in Cabana Magazine Issue 12: “Possessions… have found a compelling new life, transforming the space into a supremely comfortable, elegant and eclectic family hideaway.” In the sitting room, walls bathed in striking yellow set the stage for Gastel’s signature mix of antiques, curiosities, color, light and joy.

A Buttercup Bathroom in Baltimore

At Ulysses Hotel in Baltimore, designer Will Cooper added a yellow tiles and a yellow free-standing bath within one of the hotel's suites © Brett Wood. 

Will Cooper, the visionary designer behind some of Cabana’s favourite interiors and hotels, brings his signature fusion of old-world opulence and contemporary calm to Ulysses Hotel in Baltimore. Here, a pale yellow clawfoot bath takes centre stage, framed by hand-painted pastel tiles, bordered with yellow, in a nod to traditional mosaic craftsmanship, reinterpreted through Will’s playful, theatrical lens.

A Secret Kitchen in Amsterdam

The miniature kitchen inside Amsterdam's secret museum is highlighted by mustard yellow walls and pictorial Delft tiles © Isabel Bronts.

Tucked away in the eaves at Our Lord in the Attic, this mustard-yellow kitchen tells a spiritual and domestic decor tale. Delft tiles depicting scenes of 17th-century life form a storybook backdrop to the well-worn cast-iron stove and ochre-painted cabinetry. 

Velvet Accents in County Sligo, Ireland

A room from The Irish Country House: A New Vision, featuring golden upholstery, ruby-toned rugs, and rococo embellishments © Luke White; Rizzoli.

As featured in The Irish Country House: A New Vision by Robert O’Byrne, this spirited country house revels in grandeur with a playful edge. Golden velvet sofas lounge beneath gilded cornices while swags of ochre drapery soften the untouched neoclassical interior. 

A Canary Striped Nursery 

Hand-painted canary-yellow stripes and nautical frescoes transform this nursery in the Belgian countryside © Miguel Flores-Vianna.

Upstairs in her Belgium villa, Aimelie de Belder weaves practicality with imagination. In her daughter's nursery, hand-painted yellow stripes traverse the walls with a painterly precision, offering a bespoke alternative to wallpaper. Italian artist Noemi Zavoli's nautical-themed paintings bring aquamarine hues a splash of the surreal. 

An Antique Yellow Retreat in Bali 

A small room with palatially high ceilings is wrapped in antique yellow, evoking the grandeur of Bali’s royal past © Iker Zuñiga.

Writer Adi Hong-Tan describes the private quarters of the Karangasem dynasty as places where "the past still lingers." This bedroom, painted in antique yellow, complements the soft glow of the morning light. The practical mosquito netting "veils the four-poster bed," filtering the tropical air, while cool green tiles border the room like a painted frame complementing the tropical yellow tone.

Bunny Williams' Home in Connecticut 

A sitting room in Spring’s palette, where sun-faded yellows, antique gilded mirrors and florals in full bloom are testament to Bunny Williams’ signature style © Ari Kellerman.

American designer Bunny Williams’ Greek Revival home in Connecticut embraces the optimism of Spring in both appearance and atmosphere. Buttery yellow walls, inspired by a monastery in Fiesole, glow in the shifting light. Hand-crafted by Bunny, the sunlit wash lends warmth, balanced by fresh seasonal florals and upholstered furnishings.

A Dining Room Wrapped in Ochre

Designer James Coviello's 1840s home in New York's Hudson Valley has moulded him into the person he is today © Taylor Hall O'Brien.

Writer Liz Gardner describes James Coviello’s Hudson Valley dining room as a study in balance: "a visual sigh of relief." The ochre-walled space is anchored by an 1840s Greek Revival fireplace, where "English Staffordshire spaniels flank a pair of American girandoles, both from the 1850s." The layers of patina, curated symmetry, and richly textured details tell a story, much like the house itself, which Coviello says "moulded me into the person I am, as much as I moulded the house into what it is today."

Loulou de La Falaise's Lemon Yellow Sitting Room

Loulou de La Falaise’s sitting room is a masterclass in contrasts: gilded mirrors, bold textiles, and painterly splashes of yellow © Alexandre Bailhache. 

Loulou de La Falaise was a designer, tastemaker, Yves Saint Laurent’s eternal muse and an arbiter of bohemian glamour. She brought the same eclectic, free-spirited sensibility to her interiors as to her legendary wardrobe. In this luminous sitting room, bursts of saffron yellow frame antique mirrors, while ikat-upholstered sofas strike a balance between the decadent and the undone.

An English Kitchen Steeped in Sunshine

A bold yellow kitchen, rich in charm and collected treasures, is the work of Benedict Foley and Daniel Slowik © Boz Gagovski.

Designers and collectors Benedict Foley and Daniel Slowik have embraced the bold yellow walls of their Suffolk-Essex cottage kitchen, preserving its imperfections with humour, including simply glueing back peeling paint. Paired with cobalt blue cabinetry, the space is enriched by their curated ceramics and shared talent for antique collecting and decorating.