"Trending Butter Yellow Paint: Welcoming Choice For Home Exteriors"

Forbes

a day ago

Can a paint color make you happier? Can it enhance your home? Real estate, interior design, and building pros all say yes! According to review and resource platform Yelp's August 2025 Trend Tracker showing a 245% increase in searches — the highest of any in the past five years — the 'it' color right now is butter yellow. Here's how it's showing up on home fronts, maybe on a street near you.
Why Butter Yellow?
'People are looking for colors for their home that are more inviting than ever! Warm and creamy, a buttery yellow is the perfect solution to that pursuit!' declares color expert Amy Wax. 'If there was a color that signifies a single mood or vibe it is yellow that communicates happiness!' She points out that it's a very natural shade that complements nature without overwhelming it.
Wax sees butter yellow as part of a larger phenomenon: 'I find sweet colors are trending for exteriors, colors that are soothing, charming, and truly inviting! Soft greens, delicate blues and creamy yellows are certainly taking center stage when it comes to requests for exterior colors. When I create a color palette for a home those colors have to reflect the homeowners personal style and taste, that being said I am seeing more requests for color and people letting go of the whites, grays and neutral colors of the last few seasons.'
Yelp's trend expert Tara Lewis agrees: 'Right now, there's a bigger shift happening, with homeowners moving away from all the grays and beiges and leaning into maximalism and dopamine decor. Butter yellow fits right in, working as a warm neutral while still feeling bright and whimsical.'
Many of the pros interviewed for this article describe butter yellow in the same upbeat terms. Forrest Webber, founder of The Trade Table, an online home improvement store, shares, 'After years of gray dominating exterior palettes, homeowners are now seeking warmer, more uplifting hues. Butter yellow strikes a balance; it delivers the cheer of a bright color while maintaining the refined softness of a pastel, offering a fresh look that still feels harmonious within the neighborhood. Like his colleagues, he's also seeing it trending strongly in kitchens, breakfast nooks and laundry rooms, 'spaces where homeowners want a light, uplifting feel.' (The main areas of my own home are butter yellow.)
Sherwin-Williams' color marketing manager Emily Kantz describes butter yellow this way: 'It complements a wide range of architectural styles — from coastal and colonial to mid-century modern, craftsman and farmhouse.' That plus its welcoming hue make it a favorite across the country.
Hot Markets
'Butter yellow is having a moment, and it doesn't surprise me one bit,' declares Kate Hendrickson, associate broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties, in San Luis Obispo. 'In my Central California market, we're seeing butter yellow showing up on charming Craftsman-style homes and coastal cottages. It gives off a sunny, optimistic vibe that buyers are loving, especially Gen Z and Millennial buyers who crave warmth, charm, and character.'
Compass broker Alli Pepperling in the Raleigh area reports that 'Butter yellow is gaining significant traction in our Triangle market, and I'm seeing it make a real impact on buyer interest and sales velocity.' She sees it as having staying power too. 'Butter yellow works exceptionally well on homes with Southern charm and character,' she observes.
Licensed general contractor Gary Baxter agrees. 'Butter yellow is beginning to show up in our Metro Atlanta and North Georgia market, particularly among homeowners looking to refresh older homes or new builds in communities that value a warm, welcoming curb appeal. While it's not dominating the landscape yet, we've definitely noticed an uptick in requests compared to just a couple of years ago.' He's seeing an increase in both paint and siding, he comments.
Down the coast in Savannah, Casey Ricks of Baywater Custom Builders, is seeing butter yellow show up more, though it hasn't taken over. 'It's not the color we see most often for exteriors, but when a client chooses it, it really turns heads and creates a cheerful, welcoming first impression.'
Interior designer and real estate agent Kathie Chrisicos of William Raveis, Back Bay, Boston describes butter yellow as a popular and 'quiet soft shade' for New England home exteriors, particularly 'in our seaside cities and towns.' She sees it as a charm booster for historic-inspired small homes. 'In our established neighborhoods,' she adds, 'I have seen butter yellow set a quintessential New England Colonial to stand out among neighboring homes.'
Niche Opportunity
Mark Lumpkin, founder of STR Cribs, helps the owners of short term rentals across the country make their properties appealing to the VRBO and Airbnb travel crowds, giving him a vantage point on color and design trends in diverse markets. He's seeing butter yellow trend, especially among coastal and cottage properties, but isn't seeing one dominant reason as to why. While theorizing about its sweetness, nostalgic appeal and 'happy' factor, Lumpkin points to one tactical factor that could be decisive: 'We have found that this color looks good in photos taken during the 'golden hour' of natural light in rooms that are rented out for short periods of time,' he adds.
Caution!
Not all yellows are equal, cautions Wax. 'If the yellow is creamy and light, it can feel warm and inviting. If the yellow is overly saturated, it can make people feel overstimulated and irritable. For that very reason it is of utmost importance to choose the right yellow for your home, inside or out!'
Real estate site Zillow agrees. Its Summer 2025 paint color analysis warns: 'Buyers would pay nearly $4,000 less for a home with a daisy yellow kitchen ($3,915 less) or living room ($3,891 less).' Butter enthusiasts beware!
Not Universal
Butter yellow itself is not a universal choice, and local building materials and styles explain why. Christy Walker, broker/owner of REMAX Signature in Phoenix, says stucco and tile roofing materials make natural and neutral colors dominant in her market. 'Additionally, HOA's play a big role in what colors can be used and although trends tend to come and go, they don't typically adapt their policies to allow for colors that may not conform with the cohesive look they've already established with desert colors,' she points out.
In New York City, Compass broker, Cindy Chen, is seeing butter yellow more in interiors. When it comes to exteriors, Chen sees it as a great color choice for cottage and bungalow style homes. (These are not as widespread in the city as in other markets.)
Conclusions
'The colors that make people feel the most at ease are soothing colors,' suggests Wax, seeing subtle blues, greens and salmon pinks in addition to butter yellow. 'It's the colors that are easier on the eyes and softer to live with, that are the most soothing colors at the end of the day!' And who couldn't use some soothing these days and nights?***Author's Note: All interviews for this article were conducted by email in the previous week.