Lemon Grass
What Lemon Grass Actually Looks Like
Lemon Grass 339 is a warm, sunshiny yellow sitting closer to butter than to neon. It carries real brightness but stays grounded enough to feel livable rather than jarring. In strong natural light it opens up into a cheerful golden tone. In lower or artificial light it can settle into a richer, more honeyed yellow.
Lemon Grass Undertones
The color reads with warm golden undertones pulled from its yellow base. There is a softness to it that keeps it from reading purely primary, giving it a slight creamy quality rather than a sharp, electric yellow. In rooms with cooler north-facing light, that warmth becomes even more apparent as the color holds its yellow character without going greenish.
Where Lemon Grass Works Best
Lemon Grass works best in rooms where you want energy and warmth without committing to a deep saturated color. It suits spaces that get a good amount of natural light, where the brightness reads as inviting rather than overwhelming. It can also function as an accent wall color in a room that leans neutral otherwise, letting the yellow do the heavy lifting in a contained way.
Where to put Lemon Grass
A yellow kitchen wall benefits from this color's brightness at breakfast and in daytime cooking hours. Pair it with white upper cabinets and natural wood lower cabinets to keep the palette balanced. Watch your backsplash tile: cool white subway tile reads cleanly with it, while anything with a gray or blue undertone will create a bit of visual tension.
Yellow has a long history in dining rooms because it flatters food and candlelight alike. Lemon Grass at this brightness level works especially well in a room that gets afternoon western light, where it will glow warmly through dinner. Keep surrounding fabrics and wood tones in the warm family to avoid the color looking disconnected.
An entry painted in Lemon Grass sets an immediate upbeat tone. Because entries are often transitional spaces without prolonged occupancy, a bold warm yellow is easier to live with here than in a room you sit in for hours. A dark wood floor or door grounds the brightness well.
Yellow is said to support focus and energy, and Lemon Grass has enough warmth to feel stimulating without being agitating. In a south-facing office with strong light it will read at its most vivid, so consider a matte or eggshell finish to soften the intensity slightly.
What to Pair With Lemon Grass
Because no coordinating colors are specified in our database for this color, pair it using broad principles. Crisp whites on trim keep the yellow feeling fresh. Warm browns and tans in wood tones ground it. Deep navy or forest green on adjacent elements create high contrast without fighting the warmth.
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Colors that clash with Lemon Grass
Lemon Grass has strong warm yellow energy. Place it next to a cool gray wall or cool-toned stone and the two will fight each other, making both colors look slightly off.
A bright white with blue or gray undertones on trim next to Lemon Grass will make the yellow look more intense and slightly greenish by contrast.
Pairing Lemon Grass with warm orange or red tones can push the palette into an overly busy, hot territory that is hard to calm down with accessories.
Common questions
Lemon Grass 339 has an LRV of 78.97, which puts it in the high-reflectance range. That means it reflects a lot of light, which can make a small room feel more open. The trade-off is that in a small space the yellow saturation is also more concentrated and can feel intense. A matte finish helps absorb some of that energy if the room is very compact.
It can. In rooms with heavy cool north light or under fluorescent bulbs, the yellow can pick up a slightly greenish cast because the cool light temperature pulls the color in that direction. Test a large painted sample in your actual room lighting before committing.
Eggshell is the practical choice for most living spaces. It gives a slight sheen that helps the yellow feel luminous without being reflective enough to highlight imperfections. In a kitchen or bathroom, a satin finish makes cleaning easier while still keeping the color looking intentional.
Benjamin Moore lists Lemon Grass 339 as an interior color. If you want a similar warm yellow outside, check Benjamin Moore's exterior line for a comparable option and confirm suitability with your retailer.