June Color of the Month: Summer Sun (DE5405)

There’s no doubt about it, with COVID-19’s presence this has been a spring unlike any we’ve seen. Many regions of the U.S. are beginning to open back up again — just in time for the start of summer — but with some added conditions like the need for people to stay six feet away from one another and wear face masks.

As stay-at-home orders relax and the weather warms up, we’re so grateful to be in nature again and standing in the sun. The exuberance we feel in getting outdoors and rediscovering a larger world is reflected in our June Color of the Month, Summer Sun (DE5405). Who can hold back a smile when they see this bright yellow? The color is bold and intense — like bottled sunlight. Beyond sunshine, yellow conjures so many images of summer — the flesh of sweet, juicy pineapples; umbrellas lining white sand beaches; and the perfectly bittersweet lemons in a glass of refreshing lemonade.

According to CNN, yellow promotes happiness, so much so in fact that yellow (Gen-Z Yellow) was the signature color of 2017’s HAPPY PLACE, an interactive feel good experience. In fact, the color yellow is such a feel-good color, that last year we saw sunset colors, like yellow, help drive travel trends. Yellow is a powerful natural color that represents light, the sun, power, health, and gold. Also, yellow tones have throughout history been a mainstay color for architectural styles such as Craftsman and Mid-century Modern, including the iconic Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs, California.

Why It’s June’s Color of the Month
We’ve written about how artists have found new ground to cover, incorporating Coronavirus references and interpreting today’s economy in their works of art. The need to create, interpret and reassess the world around us has not decreased, and by any measure our need for play, imagination and magic has only increased as we’ve spent months socially distancing, cooped up inside sheltering in place. So as the world slowly starts to emerge as the days grow long and maybe even hot, it’s the perfect time to embrace a yellow shade like Summer Sun, which reminds us that even the grayest of skies and the saddest of times give way to breezier, brighter days ahead.

Designing with Summer Sun
Because Summer Sun is a very radiant color, it works best in small, deliberate splashes, showcasing its full brilliance in doses rather than overpowering a space.

• No need to be afraid of a yellow palette in your room. Painting cabinetry Summer Sun with crisp white countertops and walls will give your space a jolt of energy while feeling modern and fresh.
• For a vibrant coastal bedroom, pair Summer Sun with accents in the tone of a light, aqua-tinged blues like Plunging Waterfall (DE5751).
• Yellows are excellent highlights to grays, where the splashes of color bring life to a look set in neutral. Summer Sun looks great paired with shades of gray such as Silhouette (DE6276) or Gray Wonder (DE6309). Use a color blocking technique to help differentiate spaces in open plan rooms. For example, Summer Sun on ⅓ of the wall where an office nook has been carved out, Silhouette for the other ⅔ of living space.
• And it’s hard to go wrong with a yellow door like this Mid-century Modern gem, or the home of Kelly and Jeff Mindell. Try Summer Sun on interior doors or exteriors to provide a happiness each time you pass through the threshold.

Finding yourself drawn to yellow but in the market for a more subdued shade? Take a look at our April Color of the Month Hint of Spring. Or perhaps one of the sophisticated shades in our Neu Traditions palette might be the right fit. Searching for a bright and bold hue, but you want a cooler paint color to work with — last July’s Color of the Month Pool Party might do it. Or maybe you’re feeling unsure of what color you’d like and afraid to commit. Our InstaColor® app allows you the freedom to try colors by giving your space a virtual paint job. Just upload a photo from your library, or use one from ours, to give your space an instant paint makeover!