Build your own house of gold

Houses painted sunny shades of yellow can be found all around the globe. Izamal in Mexico, for example, is known as ‘The Golden City’ because almost every single building is painted the same shade of gold. Some believe it’s to do with the Mayan god Itzamna, who is said to have introduced corn to the original inhabitants of the city. In the Italian city of Parma, the golden façades came about in the 18th century, when architect Alexandre Petitot encouraged the use of ochre yellow, which soon became known as ‘Giallo Parma’, to emulate the gilded splendour of the French palace of Versailles.

If you’d like to recreate Alexandre Petitot’s golden dream, why don’t you try introducing a glorious shade of golden yellow into your bedroom or living room?