28 Electrifying Ways to Use the Color Orange in Your Home
As these exuberant homes show, the secret to using this bold hue is balancing it with neutral tones, plenty of natural light, and a penchant for creativity.
Homeowner Simon Doonan stands next to the front door. "We have flamboyance, and we’re not inhibited about anything. [Architect] Gray Organschi gave [the house] that intellectual rigor needed to make it beautiful. We were well matched."
Photo: Floto + Warner
Webber + Studio went with a bold, orange hue for these kitchen countertops. Past the front door and a short hallway lies an expansive living, dining, and kitchen space.
In this custom-built London guesthouse kitchen designed by Studiomama, lustrous vertically clad cabinetry achieves additional depth with the addition of the chairs, which were picked up for $15 each at a local market and powder coated in bright orange.
Photo: Ben Anders
This bach in New Zealand was designed with a combined open-plan kitchen, living room, and dining area, for which homeowner and architect Gerald Parsonson designed a dining table that seats ten. Bare bulbs, open shelves, and bright orange MDF cabinets in the kitchen maintain the low-key vibe.
Photo: Matthew Williams
For a cost-conscious 2,000-square-foot renovation located 30 minutes outside of Austin, Texas, architect Nick Deaver took a look around for inspiration. He spied galvanized metal cladding on the region’s sheds and co-opted the inexpensive, resilient material for his own design. He then applied locally quarried Lueders limestone near the entrance—a warm contrast to the steely facade.
Architect Bill Ryall installed vertical circulation elements, opened an unobstructed 47-foot-long view from front to back, and kept the ceiling beams exposed to create a loft-like environment.
Photo: Jake Stangel
The bright orange frame of this glazed door adds a sense of modern exuberance to the deck off of Francesco Moncada and Mafalda Rangel’s bedroom. The sunny, open space reveals both a Loop chair by Willy Guhl and the tile rooftops of Syracuse, where the water is never far off.
Photo: Gunnar Knechtel
The flooring throughout the interior is maple. A vintage Ercol sofa and arm chair, Eclipse coffee table by Stua, Wide Wale rug by Bev Hisey Textile Design, and Moon floor lamp by Estiluz Spain furnish the living room. "Extensive planning went into ‘aging in place’ forecasting a host of different scenarios about what that meant physically and psychologically," architect Alex Tedesco says. "We did ‘day in the life’ modeling to understand all the various barrier free requirements that might arise."
Photo: Ben Rahn
The kids’ room of the Milford Residence in Portland, Oregon is outfitted with a cheerful orange Case Study daybed from Modernica and a selection of vintage maps and artwork.
Photo: Grant Harder
Linda Taalman and Alan Koch, of Taalman Koch Architects, completed work on their glass iT House, a lovely, minimal home that tests the limits of living lightly on the land in the desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The bath and basin in the bathroom are by Duravit, and the orange wall is by Three Form.
Photo: Gregg Segal
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Inspired by the sea and sand, Richard and Jackie Willcocks chose blue and orange joinery colors for their 1,140-square-foot prefab. The modular home is by New South Wales company ArchiBlox.
Designed by Atelier Du Pont, this breathtaking property exists in harmony with the surrounding landscape. Oriented in a manner that creates minimal impact on the existing terrain, the house idyllically nestles into nature, with vast views of the encompassing trees and vegetation. Inside, an orange Ligne Roset Sofa provides a comfortable space for rest and relaxation. A triangular window provides a picture of the tree canopy beyond, while drawing in natural light.
Photo by Philippe Garcia
The playful aesthetics of Austin Maynard Architects have once again breathed new life into aging building stock—this time with the transformation of a dark and narrow terrace in Melbourne into an open and light-filled home fitted out with sustainable features. Upstairs, the "parents’ retreat" includes a centrally located bathroom "box," seen on the left of the image. The bright orange walkway is perforated to let natural light pass through.
Photo by Derek Swalwell
After buying a site overlooking an inlet called Smuggler’s Cove, Gabriel Ramirez asked two architects—Norman Millar, dean of the Woodbury School of Architecture, and Judith Sheine, head of the architecture department at the University of Oregon—to design the house. Boi sconces, which David Weeks designed for Ralph Pucci, illuminate the bedroom in this Sea Ranch residence.
Photo: Mark Mahaney
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Blu Dot Signal Pillow
Make a room as inviting as it is stylish with a Signal Pillow by Blu Dot. It's covered in two upholstery fabrics to offer double the texture and versatility. Whether on its own or eclectically mixed with other accent pillows, it instantly adds color and contemporary style to living spaces. This square toss cushion is stuffed with fiber and feather fill making it soft and comfy for lounging on sofas, chairs or floors. In 1997, Blu Dot was established in Minneapolis by three college friends with a shared passion for art, architecture and design. Then and today, their goal is to bring good design to as many people as possible, collaborating to create modern home furnishings and accessories that are useful, affordable and exceedingly desirable. Photo Courtesy of Blu Dot
ShopDesigned and built in 1878 for Judge John Murphy, this 4,400-square-foot white structure has, from the outside, the undeniable characteristics of a classic San Francisco Victorian. Stepped back from the street and resting genteelly at the top of a large hill, the house keeps a watchful eye on its neighbors and the city that surrounds it. In the boys’ shared room, Jasper finds plenty of space to scatter toys. An original chandelier provides a reminder of the house’s past while muted orange walls plant it firmly in the present.
Photo: Dave Lauridsen
The downstairs recreation area of this William Kessler–designed home has plenty of playful features. The lower shag carpeted area features a unique retro sectional sofa that plays with oranges and yellows.
Photo: PlanOmatic
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Schoolhouse Gray Classic Piped Pillow
A nod to the most classic mens suit, we crafted this timeless pillow from heather gray wool suiting sourced from a mens tailoring supplier in the US. The warm gray wool is soft and tightly woven for superior durability, and the creamy linen piping lends an air of sophistication. Features a brass YKK zipper closure and down-filled insert. Designed and hand-sewn in our Portland, Ore. factory. A Schoolhouse Original.
ShopUrban Outfitters Camila Velvet Sofa
The very picture of chic perfection, the UO-exclusive Camila Velvet Sofa features a luxe look, courtesy of the curving silhouette and plush upholstery. Wraparound back features tucked seaming for a ruched look with cushioned seat and tapered wooden legs. This custom furniture piece will be made to order just for you.
ShopSferra Celine Throw
A herringbone weave and contrast fringe make this lightweight throw a cozy-chic addition to any space.
ShopThe Premaydena House by Misho+Associates was designed as a "box within a box," in which two interior structures—an open-plan living space and two en suite bedrooms—sit within an exterior envelope. Inspired by the region’s fiery orange lichen and the indigenous waratah shrub’s bright flowers, the colorful exterior panels are made of heavy-duty galvanized steel to guard from Tasmanian winds, which can reach up to 60 miles per hour.
Photo: Lucas Allen
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