I saw Josh Brolin's daring yellow kitchen – risky design made stunning by artwork (but designers say this trick can 'make or break' a room)

If I were asked to categorize 2025 with one color, it'd be yellow, and no space epitomizes it as beautifully as Josh Brolin's kitchen.

To create the space, the Dune actor enlisted the esteemed design duo Pierce & Ward, who curated a risky yet stunning space, made personal with accessories. The most striking of these is the art.

Despite being the most functional room of a home, kitchen art is an increasingly popular decorating tool, reminding us how practical and aesthetic elements can live in harmony. Josh's art, seen on his open shelves, is the perfect example of this.

The art, depicting an oceanfront and a still life, has olive and emerald green undertones, complementing the slab marble backsplash that interrupts the yellow color scheme.

If you're considering a yellow kitchen, incorporating pockets of other colors through artwork can help prevent it from feeling overwhelming, but there's a trick to getting it right.

Shop the look

'There is a strong move in interiors towards making the kitchen very much part of a home's living space, and with that comes a requirement for personality and visual interest. Art is the answer,' comments Charlotte Thomas, the founder of Charlotte Thomas Studio. However, as suggested, there's a secret to perfecting the look.

'For me, it is not just the styling, but the choice of art that can make or break the aesthetics. Paintings of fruit, vegetables, and fish have long been the go-to subjects for kitchen art, and I don't dislike them. But, I find that avoiding the predictable and instead picking a surprising artwork subject – one that wouldn't normally be considered for a kitchen – can be the element that pulls the whole space together,' Charlotte says.

'Not only will it display the homeowner's authentic personality, but it will also make them smile each time it catches their eye and will undoubtedly become a talking point.'

Choosing the right art is one thing, but mastering the placement is another. Naturally, Josh's space perfects this element, too.

'Large framed pictures on an otherwise empty kitchen wall become an impactful, characterful focus and, as with any other room, can inspire a colour palette or mood,' Charlotte says.

Smaller paintings and photographs – vintage and modern – propped casually against the back of an open shelf sit most comfortably when part of a mix of books, crockery, and plants. I often partly overlap a smaller picture in front of a larger one of a contrasting style or medium. The idea is to place artworks so that they look "at ease" rather than like they've been meticulously styled.'

Do you love how Josh has styled art on his kitchen shelves? Let me know your thoughts or styling tips in the comments below.