According to Benjamin Moore, the Color of the Year for 2013 is going to be Lemon Sorbet (Benjamin Moore color code 2019-60). Yellow is a great color if you want a bright and cheery room, or just want to add some impact with an accent color. I’m generally not a fan of yellow on the exterior of homes though, particularly pastel yellows . . . unless your home is in Florida.
In general, we are still seeing a lot of interest in tones of grays, blacks and whites both for interiors and exteriors (I guess they say that’s what people lean to in recessionary times). Mixing in an accent color like yellow would work well with this palette, particularly if it is on a funky wallpaper or tile. Check out this example below and some other examples on Houzz.