If you want to add a touch of happy colors to your space, orange is your color. This blend of red and yellow is a bold hue undeniably brings feelings of vibrancy, fun, and playfulness. Like the orange fruit, it refreshes and revitalizes, as it gives off an energetic and lively vibe to any room.
However, these are also the same reasons why most people are wary of implementing the orange hue. Its boldness can be overpowering at times. It can be a bit zany, plus it doesn’t suit a lot of other colors, so picking it could be risky. But before you turn down orange, here are some ways to incorporate this bold color stylishly.
1. Add a touch of orange to your outdoors
If you have a lovely terrace with a view of beautiful greenery, amp the energy up a little more by introducing vibrant tones like orange in your outdoor furniture. Choose orange cushions for your chairs made of wicker, and pair it with pillows patterned with the color combination of brown, orange and yellow. Nature will serve as the gorgeous backdrop for this vibrant couch. This is a great idea if you’re a bit shy about bringing orange inside your home.
2. Add pops of orange with accessories
Not yet ready to jump into a full-blown orange makeover? Add pops of orange using accessories, especially if you have a neutral interior. Use brightly colored orange throw pillows in different patterns. Or pick some vases with solid orange shades. Or pick an oversized artwork with orange as the main color, such as a sunset painting.
3. Paint your walls orange
Since orange is the color of the sun, it naturally creates a bright, sunny and warm atmosphere. There are so many types and shades of orange available and it’s almost impossible not to find at least one shade that will suit your taste (unless you have a strong dislike for orange). For an old-fashioned feel, pick a saturated, red-orange color. For a bright and cheerful effect, choose tangerine orange. For a bold but tasteful change, choose a brown-orange hue. For a more feminine atmosphere, pick pinkish salmon orange. For a subtler effect, choose mellow or subdued peach.
4. Know the colors that suit orange
Like we said earlier, orange doesn’t suit a lot of colors. You just need the right shade of orange, plus the right shades of other colors for them to blend together. Here are some great color combinations you can use with this picky hue:
- Orange + magenta or fuschia + black + white
Dark pink hues like fuschia and magenta, when blended with orange, creating a festive and summery look that is great for contemporary furnishings. Balancing it with white walls with black moldings makes the room fresh and charming.
- Cinnabar + turquoise
Turquoise is a BFF to orange, especially with some strong hues like cinnabar, a scarlet-ish orange color. They just look so perfect together, as the warm effect of cinnabar gets balanced by the coolness of turquoise.
- Orange + deep blues + citrus green
Orange and blue simply look great together because they are complementary colors. Actually, blue is the number 1 color that looks best with orange. Add in citrus green, and you have the perfect tropical theme.
- Orange + navy blue + white + gray
In a boy’s bedroom, an orange accent wall works great with beds that have navy blue upholstered headboards, with navy blue and white striped linens. Pair it with a plain gray area rug, then everything would look perfect.
- Bright orange + lemon yellow + lime green
Create a burst of citrusy goodness with this color combination. It’s warm, it’s playful, and it’s fun. With that being said, this vitamin C explosion is perfect for kids’ bedrooms.
- Pumpkin + off-white + dark brown
Pumpkin orange walls set the autumnal tone for a room with off-white moldings and ceiling. Pair it with wide plank floors, and a bed or chair in a dark brown wooden frame to give the room a New England vibe. It reflects an elegant and timeless appeal.
- Tangerine + hot pink + buttery yellow
Think of how a room looks pretty in hot pink. Think of a pink accent chair, pink throws and pink details in a cream rug. Then, throw in a tangerine orange wall with white moldings. Add a buttery yellow couch with more pink and orange throw pillows. Looks prettier, right?
- Persimmon + bright blue + light wood
In a white room with light wood flooring, any accent color can work. But try adding accents of persimmon and bright blue, then you will get just enough of an extra kick. Try a persimmon couch with blue pillows on a white living room, or a persimmon paint on a kitchen island paired with blue stools on a white kitchen.
- Rust + dusty rose + cream white + taupe
In a bedroom, the color of subdued rust looks great for curtains sheets, paired with dusty rose pillows and bedroom accessories. A cream white bed and taupe walls accentuate the beauty of the soft orange and pink hues. Then, accessorize it with a bouquet of orange ranunculus and pink tulips to complete the dreamy floral vibe.
- Blaze orange + gray + weathered wood
For a masculine effect, pick blaze orange furnishings – the color of hunters’ vest – and keep it simple with clean lines. Pair it with gray linens, rugs or curtains and weathered wood furniture or wall accent. It looks sophisticated and cozy to the eyes.
- Peach + pastels
Peach walls leave a lot of mixes and match possibilities. It serves as the perfect backdrop for pastel madness. Complement it with a piece of pale blue statement furniture – it can be a dresser, a console table or a couch – then surround it with pastel greens, yellows, pinks and reds using accessories and textiles. This combination provides a country fresh, feminine and youthful feel to any room.
- Burnt orange + grass green + brown + off-white
Orange and green look great together, too. Mix them together and you get brown. This results in an earthy, vibrant color combination that can perfectly fit a white room with large windows, where a view of nature can be seen.
5. Add an orange area rug
Get a statement rug and have it in orange. This will enliven your room, especially if your interior is dominated by whites and grays. The wooden floor would also receive additional zest of energy. Pair the orange rug with orange cushions for the couches.
6. Splash your kitchen with orange
Spice up your kitchen with touches of orange. Like red, orange is known to stimulate the appetite. Paint your kitchen cabinets orange. Or if you want to embrace less of the color, then paint it for your kitchen wall, on the area on top of your countertops and under the top cabinets. On the dining area, you may incorporate the color in the chair cushions, which suits light-colored wood.
7. Place an orange accent chair
A single-seating upholstery can make a difference to a room, especially if it is in orange. A rusty orange wingback chair or a mango-colored armchair can easily make a dull room brighter. A playful contemporary orange chair is a modern beauty that makes a strong statement.