A Yellow And Gray Post Inspired By Rachel Zoe

September 2, 2009 | 53 Comments

haystack

So most of you know that I’ve been completely enamored with yellow all year. And one of my favorite pairings with yellow is gray.

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Isn’t this a lovely room? Well, what does this have to do with Rachel Zoe, you ask?

I’ll tell you. I was watching her show yesterday (recorded from Monday) and she went to New York for fashion week and stayed at the Thompson LES Hotel. Well, that reminded me that I had drinks on the terrace there back in July and I took a bunch of photos because I fully intended on blogging about it. But being a bit scatterbrained lately, I forgot all about it until I saw her show. Anyway, behold:

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A yellow and gray dream come true. Yellow Bertoias. I die.

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But wait. I’m not done yet.

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In some ways, these cushions look gray but they also look taupe-y brown in others, don’t they?

And that leads me to my next point. (I swear this is going somewhere.) I fell in love with the Dwell Studio Draper bedding a while back. Even though I’ve only had white bedding for as long as I can remember, I gave in because I’m a sucker for stripes and in the yellow and gray combination, I couldn’t resist.

Picture 24

I had planned on using this in the fall with a wooly gray throw but the thing is, next to anything gray, these stripes actually look more brown and the yellow is more of a dark mustard. I still love it but it’s not the yellow and gray I thought it was. And that got me thinking about this room that I’ve loved for a while:

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At first glance, wouldn’t you say this room was yellow and gray? But looking closely, the gray looks more taupe like in the hotel terrace photos, doesn’t it?

So what I learned from this little exercise is that I think I like yellow and taupe as much as yellow and gray. For you color experts out there: what do you call that color that’s in between gray and taupe?

Writing this post gave me a headache. I hope it didn’t give you one reading it!

(Photos: 1.via Haystack Needle 2.Decorpad 3-5.crappy iphone photos by alek 6.Dwell Studio 7.via Desire to Inspire)

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Related posts:

  1. Yellow And Gray
  2. Yellow, Gray And Red
  3. Mood Board #4 (and #5) for the Bedroom

Comments

53 Responses to “A Yellow And Gray Post Inspired By Rachel Zoe”

  1. Jacqueline
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 12:15 am

    I think that I would call a colour between gray and taupe…..GRAUPE !!!! He he.
    Love all the grey (taupe) and yellow. Living in the U.K. I haven’t the foggiest of any of the names/interiors shops that you are talking about !! BUT I can still appreciate the design. XXXX
    Jacqueline´s last post ..MODERN TECHNOLOGY……good when it works, rubbish when it doesn’t….. My ComLuv Profile

  2. Jennifer
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 12:17 am

    I keep on seeing this combination everywhere too and absolutely love it. From the age of 2 my daughter would tell anyone who would listen that Mumma’s favourite colour is yellow. I love it with grey.
    Jennifer´s last post ..I Heart Spring My ComLuv Profile

  3. Jane
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 12:49 am

    Lovely post – I like Jacqueline thought of graupe but spelled Grawp (character from Harry Potter). I think I am prejudiced against yellow – I don’t generally decorate with colours I don’t wear as clothes. Is that narrow or what!
    Jane´s last post ..Spring Things at the Prahran Market My ComLuv Profile

  4. Passementerie
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:26 am

    What a completely wonderful post. Yellow and grey is a fabulous combination and I LOVE that bedding…
    Passementerie´s last post ..A branch to twitter from. My ComLuv Profile

  5. Dagny @ Beautiful Living
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:35 am

    Is it greige? I have no idea… I painted my art deco dining room table in the same shade :)

    That first pic of the town house with the yellow door is A MA ZING!!
    Dagny @ Beautiful Living´s last post ..OFF TOPIC: Carrie is back! (SATC 2) My ComLuv Profile

  6. Meg
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:39 am

    Lovely post! I am a yellow and grey addict as well. Just in the process of decorating our kitchen those very colours.

    Love the pendant lamps in the bedroom pic. So cheery!

    x
    Meg´s last post ..Lytham St Annes Wedding My ComLuv Profile

  7. pretty far west
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:42 am

    Well hurrah, that yellow front door is the exact same colour as mine. It’s great to find I’m accidentally stylish. I love the yellow Bertoia chairs, and sunshine yellow with slate grey always gets me looking. I must learn how to pronounce taupe next.
    pretty far west´s last post ..at last, a wall My ComLuv Profile

  8. elaine
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 4:15 am

    i don’t have a headache at all, hope your better! i don’t quite know why and it may go back to some traumatic childhood incident with a buttercup but i just haven’t been able to take to yellow…(maybe thats why i scored so badly on the colour test)
    but i do love this yellow grey black combo
    elaine´s last post ..Sculpture in context : Part 6 : The seven year old tree My ComLuv Profile

  9. Meg
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:02 am

    I think the color between gray and taupe is Mouse?! A true beautiful Mouse color?! haha! Um, love the yellow, love the Bretolia chairs, love the Dwell bedding, no headache, love it all! I had a yellow room growing up, and mustard has been my yellow of choice for the past few years, belts, artwork, cashmere, just can’t get enough….
    Meg´s last post ..Patchwork Kilims My ComLuv Profile

  10. Courtney
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:05 am

    That bedding is beautiful! It’s kind of fun how gray can look like taupe depending on the light and other colors around it. And yet it does always looks great with yellow.
    Courtney´s last post ..Candy Colored Walls My ComLuv Profile

  11. tink
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:35 am

    Hi there, send me your email and I will email you some ideas for your header…
    thanks
    t

  12. Maria
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:49 am

    absolutely head over heels for this color combo too….my son absolutely loves yellow too because he equates it to mustard (his favorite condiment)!! i just love how happy yellow is, especially in these rooms!
    Maria´s last post ..Happy Birthday baby My ComLuv Profile

  13. my favorite and my best
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:53 am

    i say it’s sable. that color you ask of.
    and i love it. and i love it with blue. i also love it with yellow. i think when you pair “sable” with blue it is softer, cooler.
    when you pair it with yellow it is warm. weird how that works.
    love the bertoia chairs, I die too.
    my favorite and my best´s last post ..the next design turd, part doo My ComLuv Profile

  14. Jessica
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 5:59 am

    Oh…..

    Yellow Bertoias. I die. Oh me too Alek, me too.
    Jessica´s last post ..Black, White, and Yellow Goodness…. My ComLuv Profile

  15. Dionne C
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 6:02 am

    Wow. Yellow has been incorporated so perfectly in each interior. I want to use more yellow at my place now, it’s gorge!

  16. Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 6:15 am

    One of my favorite color combinations! I live in a neighborhood of 50’s ranch homes, and a neighbor on an adjacent street painted his home (which has cedar shingle siding) gray, with a bright yellow 50’s style (think Crestview) door. It looks amazing!
    Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese´s last post ..Patios & Outdoor Rooms My ComLuv Profile

  17. Tricia - Avolli
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 6:38 am

    That yellow front door is fabulous! It just pops.

    My best,
    Tricia

  18. bananas.
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 7:12 am

    oh good job on the bedding. I LOVE IT!!! you can always go back to white but really why would you? i am in love with stripes right now.

    also love that yellow door.
    bananas.´s last post ..even the best fall down sometimes My ComLuv Profile

  19. Daniella
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 7:36 am

    Gorgeous! That yellow door is so fun!

  20. Rachel
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 7:40 am

    First of all, I can’t believe I missed her show again. Second, I am in LOVE with this color scheme. And last, I have been eyeing that Dwell bedding for months now.

    Lovely post.
    Rachel´s last post ..DIY: Dresser My ComLuv Profile

  21. tiina
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:11 am

    nope, no headache! i’m also so in love with yellow.. what’s wrong with me this fall?? yellow, black, gray, white and gold, thank you.

    lovely sheets, i don’t think we have Dwell here..? i will google it up right away
    tiina´s last post ..scandinavian design fair: Formex My ComLuv Profile

  22. tiina
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:13 am

    (yeah, many Dwell stores in london, and i’ll be there in 3 weeks again!!)
    tiina´s last post ..scandinavian design fair: Formex My ComLuv Profile

  23. Down and Out Chic
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:27 am

    those chairs are unbelievable. i wrote about yellow today too (i think we’re color soul mates)!
    anyway, love the draper bedding although i’m sorry it wasn’t exactly what you were looking for.
    Down and Out Chic´s last post ..Holding onto summer: Yellow Bedrooms My ComLuv Profile

  24. nkp
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:33 am

    I was a goner at the yellow Bertoias. Everything else is just a blur. ;0)
    nkp´s last post ..Daily Pretty My ComLuv Profile

  25. Townhouselady
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:48 am

    I love the yellow door and the bedding. Very chic.
    Townhouselady´s last post ..Flat Out Beauties My ComLuv Profile

  26. Simone Cardoso
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:13 am

    I love your blog! :O)
    I always loved yellow and grey in the clothes, but I loved the pics as you show here.

    Hugs from Brazil,
    Simone
    Simone Cardoso´s last post ..Primeiro dia… My ComLuv Profile

  27. ALEK
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:33 am

    Jacqueline, Jane, Dagny: graupe/grawpe/greige – I love them all. I think we need to introduce them into the English language.

    my favorite and my best: You’re so right. It’s gorgeous with dark blue too. Maybe the color of the sheets is a light sable. Oh, colors. So confusing.

    mise: It’s no accident, my dear.

    Simone: Thank you!

  28. erin@designcrisis
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:52 am

    I love your bedding!

    And I cannot tell you how much I am in stupid love with Rachel Zoe. Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone else!
    erin@designcrisis´s last post ..Leines On Me My ComLuv Profile

  29. Alissa
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 10:12 am

    Glad to see other interior design bloggers discussing Rachel Zoe. Makes me feel less embarrassed that I have a style crush on her. Like I covet EVERYTHING in her wardrobe.
    Alissa´s last post ..Design Your Own… My ComLuv Profile

  30. Julie
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 10:33 am

    HI Alek
    Well I think the girls have the colour named perfectly. I have the same issue with browns/greens depending on the light. Well although I not a big fan of yellow, I do love the first 2 images. Have a great week. x Julie
    Julie´s last post ..SPRING: Mermaids Awaken My ComLuv Profile

  31. susie q
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 11:11 am

    I’m the biggest fan of taupe ever. And gray. It truly goes with every color. Yellow and taupey-frency-gray together are sublime.
    susie q´s last post ..No matchy-matchy My ComLuv Profile

  32. Gintare
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 11:15 am

    I am a big fan of yellow/grey combination, something about it is so cheerful, I guess like seeing the sun come out through the clouds of grey.. Lovely pictures you’ve used, that is one stunning hotel!
    Gintare
    Gintare´s last post ..Fall Shopping! My ComLuv Profile

  33. Siiri
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 12:45 pm

    Check here: http://cloford.com/resources/colours/500col.htm and you’ll see that there are a few choices for this color (btw. taupe and grey), namely: lemonchiffon 4, wheat 4, and my fave, bisque 4. What do you think? Bisque is the new black. but Grey is still my favorite. (painting my new office chair for Paul grey this month, stay tuned).
    Siiri´s last post ..Happy Last Friday of summer My ComLuv Profile

  34. ALEK
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:04 pm

    erin and Alissa: I’ve secretly been in love with her since last year. I feel so much better that I came out with it(!)

    suise q: Frenchy gray too! It’s all in the same family, isn’t it.

    Gintare: That’s a lovely way of looking at it! :)

    Siiri: Girl, you have hooked me up as usual. I’m going to be on that site forever.

  35. blair
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:35 pm

    The color in between Gray and Taupe–yikes I don’t know but I do know that last bedroom is absolutely gorgeous!
    blair´s last post ..{event inspiration} softer side of black My ComLuv Profile

  36. tiina
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:55 pm

    sure my friend, stem or carpark?

    http://www.orlakiely.com/uk.cfm/house/bed/overview
    tiina´s last post ..scandinavian design fair: Formex My ComLuv Profile

  37. Nicolette
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 4:04 pm

    In modern design, especially neutral color set ups, often feels like it’s devoid of colors. But in fact, in these cases, a bright color will suddenly grab your attention, and we can really see the beauty of the set up.

  38. Kristin
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 6:32 pm

    Your speaking my language. I’ve professed my love for grey a wee bit too much lately. And grey and yellow together? Perfection!

  39. eva
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 7:26 pm

    i love gray and any other colour…but gray and yellow is especially good. i am leaning more towards the true gray myself. lovely photos!
    eva´s last post ..i’m getting very predictable My ComLuv Profile

  40. Melissa
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 8:50 pm

    Alek,

    How do you do it? Always showing us the most incredibly designed spaces! I love grey, and now you have convinced me that yellow is a nice mate for it!

    ~Melissa
    Melissa´s last post ..E is for Education My ComLuv Profile

  41. Lindsey Lou!
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:06 pm

    Hey Alek, I love the idea of pairing yellow with neutrals like gray and/or white. With that in mind, I have two questions:

    1) You’ve heard of “Black, White and Yellow” haven’t you?

    2) Have you seen this gorgeous sideboard from Ikea? It’s the Trollsta sideboard- it comes in black or yellow. Here’s a link:

    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90134104#
    Lindsey Lou!´s last post ..My eBay At a Glance…. My ComLuv Profile

  42. Trishie Koh
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:12 pm

    Loving that yellow door against the grey walls, so unexpected but lovely!
    Trishie Koh´s last post ..Let the sun shine My ComLuv Profile

  43. Lee
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 9:19 pm

    Those yellow bertoias are divine – I would love some for my back deck!
    Lee´s last post ..Flowers to celebrate Spring My ComLuv Profile

  44. ALEK
    September 2nd, 2009 @ 10:17 pm

    Lindsey: Great minds think alike! Black White Yellow is one of my favorites. Jessica even guest blogged for me. :) And I love that Ikea cabinet. (I actually blogged about it earlier this year.) I wish I had room for it because I think it’s so awesome.

  45. paula
    September 3rd, 2009 @ 6:02 am

    love this color combo. I just bought a chair with it, but the pattern is too busy for my taste, back it must go:(
    paula´s last post ..A Home My ComLuv Profile

  46. Jessie
    September 3rd, 2009 @ 11:47 am

    I don’t think I need to express how much I love this combination because I blog about it far too often.. that balcony is PERFECTION! As is Rachel Zoe :)
    Jessie´s last post ..Digital Goodness My ComLuv Profile

  47. Bromeliad
    September 3rd, 2009 @ 2:14 pm

    Any color paired with grey is good.

    Oyster? Squirrel? Pearl? There’s probably some Benjamin Moore name for that inbetween color.
    Bromeliad´s last post ..More ways with paper and maps My ComLuv Profile

  48. lucy@fourwallsandaroof
    September 5th, 2009 @ 5:06 pm

    It’s definitely greige. Sounds so dull, doesn’t it? But it’s a lovely color I think. Anyway, it doesn’t matter because all these yellow/greige combinations are stunning!
    lucy@fourwallsandaroof´s last post ..Stand-out chairs (to sit in) My ComLuv Profile

  49. maureen
    September 5th, 2009 @ 9:19 pm

    yes, yes I do love yellow & grey too! the hotel is fabulous!

  50. Her name was Lola
    September 5th, 2009 @ 11:08 pm

    I’m just bananas for this post. Especially that fabulous bedding!

    Cheers.
    Her name was Lola´s last post ..The cool kids My ComLuv Profile

  51. Blueprint Bliss
    September 7th, 2009 @ 7:29 am

    Love all of these images. Great color combo… I’ve been on a gray kick lately.
    Blueprint Bliss´s last post ..Duh My ComLuv Profile

  52. Linda Clift
    September 7th, 2009 @ 8:16 am

    I am really into shades of grey this year , might try the yellow it looks stunning. I have been into greys and blues and there is a French raspberry that loves grey
    Really love your pictures Linda

  53. lisa b
    September 20th, 2009 @ 7:24 pm

    Great theme! I refer to this combo as my Picasso Colors”
    lisa b´s last post ..grafitti2 My ComLuv Profile

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