Color of the Month
Color. Our world is saturated with it, from the bright yellow of fresh daffodils to the dark rusty red of an exposed brick wall; color can change the whole look of a room.
In Designer Monthly's The Magic of Color, we look at a different color each month. As you learn in the first Unit of the Sheffield Complete Course in Interior Design, a designer has available an infinite range of hues, both natural and man-made. When painting, you can combine colors to form other colors, in an endless array of shades. Manufacturers of everything from throw pillows to lampshades can also produce this vast palette. And then you must also consider the artwork that will hang in the rooms you design.
Welcome to the world of color. Everywhere we turn, there it is the deep indigo blue of a favorite old sweater, the glossy green of rhododendron leaves in a rainstorm, the rich brown of the soil as you begin to plant your spring flowers. We hope you'll join us each month on this exciting journey, as we take a close look at a color we love.
Pumpkin Orange
Orange evokes the images of sunsets, fruits, and feelings of radiance and warmth. Pumpkin orange — a deeper orange — is the leading color of autumn and our color of the month.
Orange brings back memories of falling leaves, bonfires, pumpkin pies baking, the feeling of home. When designing for the home, pumpkin orange can be part of an earth tones palette. Deep rich walnuts and wenge woods from furniture provide a base to balance out the brightness of the orange. These Baker chairs from Red Modern Furniture with ebonized walnut frames are a great example. Olive greens and ochre yellows can also complement orange as accent colors. A rustic farmhouse interior or a southwestern décor are some styles that can showcase pumpkin orange effectively.
Exotic themes, such as a Moroccan, Asian or an Indian décor, also use the color pumpkin dramatically. This Chinese antique sideboard from Adams and Comer Ltd. is lacquered in a beautiful deep orange. The same color and technique can also be used in a more modern application as with this lacquered cabinet by Jasper Morrison from Galerie Van Den Akker.
Orange can also be used through accessories such as silk saris, ceramic light fixtures and tiles, giving a room an intimate glow. This sari-wrapped pillow from Crate and Barrel is a lovely touch to an Indian-décor bedroom and this retro lamp from Assemblage gives a room a punch of color.
Pumpkin orange can also be part of a contemporary décor. This interior designed by Geoffrey Bradfield is the dining area for an art dealer with a taste for pop art. The orange lacquered walls and upholstered-chairs create a spectacular backdrop for the artwork.
Another contemporary room is this dining alcove from designer Sara Bengur. She designed a 70s-inspired style room with pumpkin orange hand painted wallpaper. When pumpkin orange is matched with turquoise and cranberry as accent colors, a more contemporary color palette can be achieved.
When you need to add some warmth to a color palette, pumpkin orange is a great choice. Its versatility and vibrancy allows the color to be applied to many different styles.
Resources
- Red Modern Furniture
- Adams and Comer, Ltd.
- Galerie Van Den Akker
- Crate & Barrel
- Geoffrey Bradfield
- Sara Bengur
Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our interior design and wedding and event planning distance education courses.
Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter and receive updates when there are new design articles on this website.
Back to Sheffield Designer Monthly
