VT Home: Life in Color – Orange Is The New Black?

Designer Donna Karan pops orange in a painting in her chic Manhattan apartment

As the weather transitions from summer to autumn, not only do we begin to crave more savory foods and pumpkin lattes but we often subconsciously find ourselves drawn to warmer colors. Mind you, we don’t change our interiors quite as dramatically as we do our wardrobes when seasons change, but we can use simple accessories, such as flowers, a throw, accent pillows or objects to keep things fresh.

We chose to focus on orange this week because unlike other colors, it actually feels fresh in all seasons, so there is no need to be afraid to make it more of a permanent color in the palette of your décor. It is bold and bright in the summer or in a beach house, warm and cozy in a ski lodge, and sophisticated in an urban setting.

There are three ways we like to use orange in a home décor.

1. Accent Color: Add an orange accent color in something as simple as a small bench or as bold as a front door.

A surprising pop of orange in a fantastic art deco foyer makes the room

A pop of orange in this chic dove grey neutral room does the trick perfectly

These bold orange lacquered doors create quite the entrance at the Perkerin Palm Springs. We also love orange with brass and avocado!

A sophisticated orange bar with bold unpolished nickel hardware makes quite a statement in this little nook

2. Upholstery: Try curtains or a sofa if your feeling bold and love the color, or perhaps a side chair for a small pop of color.

Orange curtains and upholstery against dark grey walls is an excellent pairing that reads both masculine and elegant

Choosing a soft wall color and using a pair of subtle warm orange chairs with a teal blue lamp add a fresh pop to this hallway

Using this bold orange luxurious fabric on the modernist chair and ottoman add great interest to the classic bones of this gracious room

These orange chairs pop during summer and again come to life in Autumn in this contemporary home

3. Walls: Using orange on the walls can be as bold or subtle as you wish. Try it in a small pattern of a covering as an accent wall or boldly do the entire room.