Crush On Orange - A Daring Pick For Fall
The color orange punches up a room like no other color. Orange's bright hues and sunny disposition add zest and surprise to any style interior. Wake up any room in your home with bold spashes of orange accents. Use it sparingly or get drenched in it.
Orange glows with warmth and positive energy. Without a doubt, orange is the happiest color in the spectrum. Its uplifting and ivigorating qualities makes using orange in a room up-to-date, exciting, daring and very stylish.
Introduce orange into a room in a variety of ways from paint to fabric, to an infinite number of decorative details such as window treatments, furniture, art, and collections. For example, the new dining room wall color this season instead of classic red, is orange. This great, unexpected color adds a sense of warmth and fun while bringing a room to life. Try using just a touch of bold, brave, outgoing orange on a fabric, or a funiture piece, would be all it takes to perk up and add a radiant surprise to a room.
In small rooms, choosing orange as the overall coloration can be dramatic. All of the contrasting accent pieces - lamps, pillows, throws, etc. gain greater impact in small spaces that may not otherwise have great architectural interest.
You can also layer this citrusy color by choosing a similar intensitiy in fabrics and textiles. Mixing and matching patterns and solids adds to the fun in accenting a room.
Today, you can use a bright orange along with hot pink and a bold yellow, and it's not considered garish anymore! It's important to keep this modernized combination to no more than three colors. The key is to ensure that all the elements work well together in a pleasing way when using this fresh picked color scheme.
Why is orange considered the warmest hue? Because it incorprates two different hot colors, red and yellow. Add a little yellow to red and you get a wonderful shade of pumpkin. This sumptuous fall shade enhances a space in an intimate way and shows off neutral furnishings. Black or beige solid pieces are striking in a room enveloped in pumpkin.
If you're ready to paint on the orange, but not daring enough for the bright version, try toning it down in small doses of an amber or tangerine shade.
A designer friend of mine just finished a dining room project for his client. The natural lighting in the room was fantastic, with great windows offering wonderful views. He opted to paint the walls in a delicious shade of orange, a mango color. He used white on the moldings, trim and windows. It may have seemed daring at first for his client, but the end result could not have been more stunning.
In a kitchen, orange stimulates the appetite and imitates the glow of a fire. Orange is also associated with high-tech culinary gadgets Mixed with popular stainless steel appliances, this bold color is a great way to bring the space to life. Brighten other kitchen areas with modern light fixtures with orange accents, artwork and natural floral/fruitful arrangements. There are some amazing new dyes and stains for wood cabinetry in great orange palettes from mandarin to peach. They're unique and very modern.
Orange can be timeless and classic in a traditional room. An orange toile-patterened fabric is fabulous in any room of a home. A powder room with upholstered walls in an orange document toile fabric is always perfect. Bronzy sconces with accented antiqued silvered mirrors, sisal rugs and spice scented candles colored in amber hues create warmth, texture and an elegant feel.
Orange provides a modern, bright element when used in a contemporary space. For a fresh point of view, balance a space with a subdued neutral or off-white palette to create a striking contrast. In a contemporary, sophisticated bedroom, use neutral linens, walls, and flooring tones. Add a pair of bold, daring orange chairs upholstered in a chenille, and a pair of architectural lamps with crystal bases and platinum brushed details to bedazzle and lift the spirits of anyone who enters the room.
What comes to mind when I think of orange are the changing colors of nature. There are several mature, large liquid amber trees in my yard in Rancho Santa Fe, which I planted over 20 years ago. Every fall, they burst into spectacular shades of oranges and reds. It's magical to see my lawn turn into a "sea of orange" as I've been told. While shopping for a few cheerful doses of orange to add to my home's seasonal decor, I bring along several of the leaves in various shades for a perfect match for fabrics or artful accents. After all, every well-decorated room should begin with an inspiration. Mine is the changing colors of autumn, highlighted in shades of orange. As fall approaches, consider adding a burst or two of brave, vibrant and exciting orange.
