All About Orange

As I was sitting in a class this past week writing in my wonderful Orange Rhodia notebook (an obsession I must say - if you are a paper fanatic as I am, I highly recommend it), I found myself admiring the instructor's lovely orange tie and thinking how perfectly it goes with this crisp white shirt and dark brown tweed pants. And then I started thinking about how much I just love orange in general, and as I slowly start to think about what I want in my own home, and pull fabrics, I am constantly pulled in the direction of rich, deep taupes, tans and browns, bright whites, charcoals and orange. That bright, energizing pop of color immediately evokes a sense of youth and warmth for me - and as I started to search around, I found so many fabulous images of orange inspired interiors so I just had to share!! The image above is a wonderful combination of orange, blue, white and brown. And of course since that lovely Tucker Robbins table is in the center of it all, I had to include it. I also love the patterned chocolate and white rug below the large scale orange wing chairs. And the fabric of the window treatments helps to bring all of these colors together in a fun and intricate pattern.

The images below aren't from within the same house, but I love the bold contrast of orange in an all white space. The bedroom is bright, warm and inviting, but not too crazy that you can't imagine spending a cozy afternoon relaxing in bed. And then, the same palette offers intrigue and depth and energy all by running it up the stairs! And though I don't know if I'm adventurous enough to go orange on my hallway runner, I both admire and envy the home owners below! That takes moxy!

I love the lodge feeling of the image below without any reference to animal heads, dark wood beams and plaids. The space is modern, clean lined, and rich, and the combination of espresso and orange is perfect for cuddling up on the couch, lighting a fire and chillin' in front of the TV.

And famed interior designer Miles Redd artfully composed this room of many layers and orange accents.

These two rooms below are totally fun. The first - a funky family room with a great water hyacinth ottoman and grass cloth drum pendant that bring a sort of casual and natural elegance to the space. The starfish on the wall below the bunk adds another great element of fun and texture rather than color in a predominantly white room, leaving all of the color for the wonderful orange accents, art, and a gorgeous Hibiscus plant! And by contrast, the same color palette is an elegant, refined sitting room in the picture next to it. The beautiful fabric of the drapes is a wonderful pattern that prevents the orange from being overwhelming - and the stripe of accent color in the shades helps to keep the window treatments clean and modern. I absolutely love the hot pink thrown into the mix with the orange, helping to offset the color even more, and again preventing the room from being too stuffy or formal. And in each case, you can see how the art coordinates with the accent colors of the room.

And of course, what is orange without blue!? Its opposite on the color wheel and compliment in any pairing, blue is often a great color to highlight the warmth and light of any shade of orange. And since turquoise happens to be one of my long standing favorites I obviously love the mix below. And the closeup of the very cool, very orange chair below at the turquoise table is a delight for the senses. I love the back of that chair and how the squiggly lines of the table top complement the movement in the fretwork.

And just because I love DucDuc NYC, and because they offer so many fantastic color options on their pieces, I had to include them here. Orange is a color I love for adults and children alike - and DucDuc is a company that makes that very easy. The Austin & Parker dressers below offer clean lines, crisp white, and bright orange. Boy or girl, baby or teen, you can't go wrong with one of these beauties.

And if you can't bring yourself to commit to an orange dresser, go for something a little more classic like the Morgan, available as a changing table or dresser, and the Austin Crib. The dark walnut and white is a wonderful and timeless combination. And if you top that baby changer with some fun Argington baby linens in orange and white, like the Hearts and Flowers collection. How beautiful is that baby blanket, and the sheets below?

To top it off, both Argington and DucDuc are eco-friendly.

Just for fun - I saw this wonderful compilation of Fall images from SFGirlbyBay/Flickr Favs and had to include it because of the wonderful combinations of colors - all highlighted by the bright and beautiful shades of orange placed randomly throughout. In many ways it's so indicative of how a room should look - many complimentary elements sewn together with a common color, theme, or attribute.