Meet "Butter Yellow" — The Soft Hue That's So in Vogue Now |

yellow home decor and furniture on a colorful background

(Image credit: abc carpet & home, crate and barrel, williams sonoma, h&m, revival, nordstrom, anthropologie)

published 14 June 2024

By now you've probably seen the headlines: Butter Yellow is the shade of the summer, especially after dominating the red carpet at Cannes (Joey King, I'm looking at you). Indeed, Nylon Magazine has called it the 'season's most surprising neutral' — but does that claim extend to interiors? I'm betting yes.

'2024's color trends all look towards a grown-up take on bright, bold colors,' says Becca Stern, Co-founder and Creative Director of Mustard Made. 'We’re seeing rich, decadent palettes, with evolved color combinations that express confidence and flair.' Through this lens, butter yellow 'is the ultimate new neutral,' she continues. 'Its versatility allows it to seamlessly transition between fashion and interior design, making it a popular choice for both runways and home decor.'

Its appeal lies in its extremely specific tone, which 'exudes warmth and sophistication,' Becca explains. 'Creamier than lemon and duskier than custard, Butter offers a perfect pastel option that feels fresh and inviting,' as well as calm and sophisticated — almost European in a sense. It's a color that 'quietly commands attention, adding warmth and elegance to any space,' while still proving versatile enough to complement most design schemes.

Sound enticing? That's because it is. Below, I've highlighted a few stylish butter-yellow home decor and furniture pieces that caught my eye, all of which are as trendy and versatile as Becca described. Let's blend fashion and interiors, shall we?

The butter yellow decor edit

Butter Candle

Price: $19
Was: $28

Of course, I had to start with something on the nose — a butter yellow butter candle. This tongue-in-cheek piece not only functions as an honest-to-god votive, but it pays homage to the trend's origins in a whimsical and somewhat avant garde way. Burn this during a dinner party or use it as kitchen décor — but if you choose the former, make sure you use a plate to catch the drip.

HAY Rainbow Small Plate

Price: $12

These small plates from design mainstays HAY are affordable, presumably well-made, and get the trend so right. Stock up on a few for a butter-yellow themed tablescape, at which point guests can marvel at the translucent colored glaze. When the night is done, toss them in the dishwasher. No 'hand wash only' here!

Dipped Summer Melon Yellow Taper Candles 12", Set of 2

Price: $6.95

I get it — butter candles aren't for everyone. If you identify as part of that (hopefully small) group, perhaps a pair of taper candles will satisfy your butter yellow itch. These from Crate and Barrel are technically 'summer melon yellow,' but the shade looks perfect for this edit, so I'm willing to overlook it.

Vessia Flannel Fleece Throw Blanket

Price: $14.97
Was: $24.99

First off, this fan-favorite fleece throw blanket from Amazon is 40% off right now. That's enticing enough on its own. But the color is really why we're here, and let me say — this baby delivers. Sunshiney in the all the right ways, this cozy throw looks buttery soft (pun intended), long and large, and absolutely perfect in tone. Just know that some customers mentioned its a bit thinner than expected (although in the summer, that could be perfect).

Italian Washed Linen Napkins, Set of 4

Price: $59.95 for 4

These elegant linen napkins would surely complement most if not all tableware sets, underscoring our 'butter is a neutral' argument. This particular set was tailored by a family-owned company in Italy, and is stonewashed for a 'casually crinkled finish,' says Williams Sonoma. In other words, iron if you want to, leave them be is not.

expert-approved buy

HAY Sowden Toaster

Price: $110

This retro toaster designed by George Sowden for HAY (and recommended here by Becca), showcases butter yellow's versatility, combining it with rust red and olive green accents. The result is a moody, standout piece you can feel good about leaving on your kitchen counter.

Large Glass Vase

Price: $49.99

A bouquet of freshly picked flowers, housed in a soft, beautiful vase? I have three words: Sign me up. H&M Home is my best kept secret — excellent home design basics at even better prices, every time. Case in point: this large buttery yellow glass vase, which miraculously costs less than $50 despite its towering 11-inch height and convenient 7.5-inch diameter.

Cecilia Willoughby Chair

Price: $1898

My style editing counterpart Julia has already deemed the Cecilia Willoughby one of the best yellow accent chairs money can buy. And I wholeheartedly agree. While it's important to note neither of us has actually experienced this chair first-hand, its deep seat, plush cushion and textured design look oh-so delightful from afar. Not to mention the vertical deck-chair stripe is so in right now (and reminiscent of European summers, as Becca mentioned!).

There is just one review on the Anthropologie website, but it's glowing: 'The fabric on this chair is so incredible!' the customer says. 'The texture is so soft and the quality is amazing.'

Luxe Linen Blend Pillow

Price: $68

Throw pillows are another great way to try out a color trend. They're typically affordable, easy to swap in and out, and available at most if not all of the best home décor brands. The color of this luxe blend throw from Anthropologie fits the butter yellow trend exactly — toss a few of these on your bed and couch and watch how they blend in while brightening. And not for nothing, customers love this particular product, which is available in 16 additional colorways.

The Midi

Price: $369

From Becca's brand Mustard Made, the Midi is a mid-sized storage locker with many-a-use. Stash it in your office, toy room, or kitchen for some extra storage, or throw it in the garage to hide away some toys and tools. If it were me, I'd keep it somewhere people could see — that's the point of the gorgeous yellow!

abcV Large Mug

Price: $52

I'm not a morning person, but I think maybe I could be if it meant sipping coffee from this hand-formed ceramic mug, coated in a delectable yellow lacquer. The whole piece looks especially organic, as though it were pulled from the Earth directly (and I mean that as a compliment).

Shigeko Turkish Rug

Price: $926

In my opinion, butter yellow's neutral capabilities really shine through as a rug, since that's a piece that grounds and underpins a room. And watch — this 5'x7' hand-knotted rug will tie it all together just as easily as a beige or white.

How should you style butter yellow?

In Becca Stern's opinion, butter yellow goes just as well with 'cozy pastels' and it does with an 'unexpected pop of red' (which just so happens to be another color theory we love). 'Pair it with soft shades of blue for a coastal look, bright reds for a pop of color, or shades of Mustard for a sunny, golden power couple,' she continues. 'Chunky stripes are having a moment so play with pattern on a big scale with bold, painted striped walls or upholstery.'

As well as choosing the right colors to go with yellow, Becca says she loves the idea of 'color drenching a room in butter yellow,' a.k.a coating the full room in one color. The shade 'can work really well to inject a confident splash of color while keeping the space sleek and streamlined since there aren't too many competing elements.'

'As a modernist,' adds interior Darlene Molnar, 'I would use butter yellow in a totally unexpected way, like combined with a crisp white to create a checkered tile floor.'

Brigid Kennedy is a freelance writer and former style editor for Livingetc.com, where she scoured the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. She also served as the website's in-house sofa expert, completely revamping and reworking Livingetc's expansive sofa buying guide by interviewing a total of 17 interior designers and sofa experts at top brands like Article and Benchmade Modern; sitting on upwards of 50 sofas across both Pittsburgh and New York City; extensively polling her friends and family for their own sofa-buying anecdotes and product recommendations; and traveling to Dallas, Texas, to tour the floor of a couch factory. In total, she estimates she has spent 40+ hours (and counting!) reading, writing, and talking about couches with accredited sofa connoisseurs o then pass that knowledge on to you. She describes her personal design style as colorful and clean, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies, and curating impossibly niche playlists on Spotify. She recently relocated from Manhattan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she's decorating and DIYing a new home downtown.