Orange You Glad It's Time? (Color Theory)

Orange is a fun but strong and energetic color. Interestingly enough, people feel strongly about using it (or not) in home decor.  Orange increases energy and boosts creativity so maybe we should be more open to it!

An inherently happy and uplifting color, orange is a hue that should be used more often in home decor. A shade that can be both contemporary and rustic, orange has a reputation for being a difficult color to decorate with, but that doesn't have to be the case. via TheSpruce.com

This chinoiserie lamp has a fun, bright orange background and it adds a pop of color to our garden room. 

I have another fabulous chinoiserie lamp in orange that is in our upstairs bathroom. I found this one in a thrift shop and love the touch of color it brings to the room. I've never found another orange and white one while out vintage shopping.

And long before the zebra rug made an appearance in our library there was a bright orange rug in there! You can see a little bit of it in the (poor quality) shot below.

But truth be told, at our house, the "orange" items tend to skew coral which is one of my favorite colors of all time. It's warm and easy to use with every other color. Not pink and not orange, coral is a blend of both and that makes it a win in my book.

I painted this faux bamboo cabinet a gorgeous, glossy coral. Our main bathroom is closet-less so I found this china cabinet to use as creative storage. It's amazing how much this bold color changed the cabinet! This was the listing picture in the thrifting app.

I have a second faux bamboo piece painted in the same cheery coral. This one is in our kitchen and you can see I even use coral-y orange plaid bows in here at Christmas time. The curtains in the kitchen are a coral and orange leopard print. 

I used a coral-y orange fabric to create this faux pleated lampshade for our kitchen. The directions are here and it was even featured on Apartment Therapy (which was a thrill for me!) 

The orange color is nice during the day but it absolutely glows at night when the lamp is on. 

Not ready to fully commit to orange or even coral? I have a coral throw and a couple of shades of orange-y coral pillows that I add to the family room couch to cozy things up in the winter. They pick up the color in the shells in the cabinet behind them which is a bonus.

My monkey often holds a pile of oranges - real fruit is a great way to add color (and you can snack on it, too!) and I often buy orange and bright coral roses because they add such a fresh spot of color. They are a great addition during the winter. 

I have this great piece of Jane Shelton faux bois fabric in a coral and orange stripe. I'm not sure where I am going to use it but I love the colors and anything faux bois so I had to grab a few yards for future use.

I have used orange pillows on my porch from time to time. Orange looks great with all the blue on my porch because they are complementary colors on the color wheel. 

Last Summer we used coral and orange accents to accessorize our trough pool that we fondly call "the Bucket."

I found this great orange paisley on a soft blue background when I was fabric shopping last week. Pillows in this fun print would be fabulous on a Summer porch! It was such a beautiful combination of bright orange and soft blue, cool and warm colors and that large swirling paisley to top it all off. I love a good paisley!

Orange can be a great addition to your spaces - even if it's just a few flowers, some fruit or a pillow. The warmth and vibrancy adds a little something extra to a room and is much easier to incorporate than it initially seems. Orange is associated with success and confidence. And bravery. Be brave and try a touch (or more) of orange in your decor!