Almost any color will work with yellow.

You might think of yellow as challenging to pair with other colors, but in reality, it’s incredibly versatile. “It’s a primary color, so you really can’t strike out,” Jayne says. “It’s just a matter of the amount and the intensity.” Take yellow and purple, which -- though they’re opposites on a color wheel -- may seem an unlikely decorating duo. But, notes Jayne, “Imagine a yellow room with aubergine upholstery. It would look beautiful.”

In this space: Color collides head-on in this lively living room, where saffron walls and draperies shake up rich corals, steel grays, and dark woods. The darker tones undercut the room’s exuberance and add a measure of gravitas.

RESOURCES: Interiors by Alessandra Branca, Branca, 312/787-6123, www.branca.com. All upholstery and gray Elizabeth sofa from the Atelier Branca Collection, 312/787-6123; damask fabric on sofa by Claremont (to the trade), 212/486-1252, www.claremontfurnishing.com; custom wallpaper by Fromental (to the trade), 011-44-208-960-8899, www.fromental.co.uk; floor lamp by DessinFournir (to the trade), 212/758-0844, www.dessinfournir.com; carpet by Stark (to the trade), 212/752-9000, www.starkcarpet.com.

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