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Hi there! Time got away from me (again) and here I am with no solid excuse for my absence. Besides, I don’t believe in excuses for myself, I know in my heart that what I set my mind to I can usually accomplish. So, clearly my mind has been elsewhere. 🙂
Anyway, before “autumn” gets away from me I thought I’d share my new appreciation for the color orange. Of course orange works this time of year, but I’m beginning to see its timeless appeal.
I have never loved “red’s” next door neighbor on the color wheel. But somehow, the magic and beauty created by talented designers using this color has won me over. Maybe Hermès was on to something besides the fabulous scarves, leather goods, jewelry and clothing, when he packaged it all in his coveted, well-made, orange boxes.
I’ve always loved well made gift boxes, Jo Malone boxes are my favorite. Hermès boxes are outstanding when stacked, a bold addition to a table don’t you agree?
The Hermès tray has been a favorite as well…lets see, a piece of furniture or this tray? 🙂
…and the pièce de résistance is this bathroom. That brass piece is wonderful offset by the subway tile and the orange shower curtain.
I guess I’ve always thought of orange as too bold, but I’ve seen so many amazing examples of the power of a bold accent color when used subtly. Chairs in a softer tone of orange make this room happy and inviting.
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Burnt orange compliments the British Colonial furnishings of this room, I love it! {Side note: Is anyone watching Masterpiece Theater, “Indian Summers” season one?}
Carol Glasser used a shade of orange in her Santa Barbara living room to great effect.
The coastal vibe BHG achieved with this wallpaper and the lantern above the mirror is charming.
Could a room be more inviting. Just a hint of orange with the pillow and the throw, sign me up.
I love this shade, burnt umber? It appears to me as something ageless, a pigment in the plaster kind of effect.
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Black pairs effortlessly with orange. A clean look with orange adding warmth.
This chair and ottoman, upholstered in window pane orange with black makes me want to add a room with some orange so I can duplicate this. I love the simple botanic and buffalo check drapes…a little bit country with an updated appeal.
Do you use orange any time of the year or do you only introduce it during the autumn months?
Have a safe and sane Halloween!
Garden, Home & Party 
debra @ 5th and state said:
YES,YES,YES love orange and have a room with burnt orange walls, then again fall is my fav!
i smiled to myself soul sister, i too love and save my joan malone boxes…..can’t even afford the hermes BOXES!
xxx
debra
Karen B. said:
Debra, You made me chuckle as you mentioned the Hermes boxes…same here, there is nothing I can afford at the Hermes store. I do admire the scarves, but it would be my luck to buy one, for more $$$ than I can justify, and then spill salsa on it! 🙂 I’m rethinking orange for my home. I confess, I love fall as well, why didn’t I think of how much fun it would be to enjoy a room reminiscent of the season year round! xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 1:26 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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laney said:
…those of us who graduated from college and “began” our grown up lives…at the end of the sixties…know all about the color orange!…and lime green…two colors that are happy and fun…and this old flower child whose first baby was brought home to an orange and green nursery…thinks the new trend is wonderful…(and she is still working on her grown up life!)….blessings laney
Karen B. said:
Oh Laney, We’re about the same age…I remember orange. 🙂 I think that might be why I steered clear of the color from the early seventies when I married until now. I actually did the chocolate brown and white color combo those early years, although I did have some orange accents. I’ve sure seen so many wonderful applications of the color in all it’s various hues, I’m hooked. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 2:41 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Jeannine said:
For me, orange is for Halloween and fall – and I love it at those times. I wouldn’t want to live with it year round.
Karen B. said:
Jeannine,
I have a very dear friend that doesn’t even buy orange pumpkins if she can avoid it! Thank goodness there are so many other color pumpkins for the season, right?
xo,
Karen
Dawn said:
I love all of the bright, happy pops of orange in these rooms, Karen! The only pops of orange here are in my folk art pumpkin collection, pumpkins and gourds from the farmer’s market on the dining room table, and the gorgeous tree outside our kitchen window. So happy that you are back! Wishing you a happy Halloween, Karen! ♡
Karen B. said:
Thanks, Dawn. I do love this time of year and have enjoyed seeing a true “fall” from blog posts such as yours. Here in California the season is so subtle it can be missed! xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 6:30 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Leslie @Pretty Petals said:
Good Morning Karen:) Yes, just a HINT is perfect. I’m not an orange or red fan however I will add those colors in to my home décor seasonally. I think it’s fun to mix things up .. or try new things as not to get stuck with the same tone all the time.
Beautiful images and I love that Hermes! Enjoy the Halloween weekend! xxL
Karen B. said:
Hi Leslie, Happy Halloween to you too! xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 7:59 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Vicki said:
Hi Karen, Wow, some of those rooms are pretty fabulous. I’ve always liked warmer colors, and I do have an orange throw, but that’s as brave as I’ve gotten. I’m more of a peach person.
You showed your white pumpkins earlier this month– have you brought in any orange ones or mums?
Have a great weekend!
Karen B. said:
Hi Vicki, I’ve never had too much of the color since a lot of my accents are in red and blue, but that orange chair is a new favorite. Happy Halloween. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 8:44 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Marilee Friedrich said:
Karen! Orange never crosses my mind unless I am loving fall leaves, but I think I love it now! This post, as all of yours, is just beautiful! Xo
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Karen B. said:
Hi Marilee,
I agree, I never thought of using orange, but after seeing some of the subtle tones I’m open to adding something pretty and orange in my decor.
xo,
Karen
artfulattempt said:
I’ve always been drawn to orange, but it has to be done correctly! It can go from chic to outdated quickly, so balancing it with neutrals and subduing the orange itself is always a good idea. There’s some burnt orange in my living room rug and I love it! Thanks for posting these great ideas!
Karen B. said:
Hi Lydia,
I agree, shades of orange can seem too sixties, but some of the subtle burnt umber oranges look old world enough for me to think a few pieces would work.
Thank you for stopping by.
Karen
Linda Coble said:
Hi Karen,
I’ve always loved orange, or – more accurately – burnt orange. While I don’t have much orange in my home except for seasonal fall color, I have it in my wardrobe. I’m currently on the hunt for a nice fall scarf to go with my burnt orange puffy vest. Do you remember the orange shag carpet in my first apartment as a newlywed? I loved it and had a great time accessorizing around it. Shag carpeting has gone the way of leisure suits but I still love the color. Thanks for such a lovely post.
Karen B. said:
Ah yes, leisure suits and shag carpet…we must stress that we were mere children when these things were all the rage! 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 1:05 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Victoria • Restoring our Victorian said:
I feel like I didn’t even know orange existed before I started reading design blogs… but once you see it, it’s like– HOW did I not see how great orange was?
That Hermès tray is on my eBay saved searches list… although Paul would REALLY kill me if I spent however much $ on a tray stamped with a brand. I don’t know why I love it so much (other than their marketing has worked?)
Off to pin ALL these rooms, you chose good ones!
Happy Halloween!!
Karen B. said:
Victoria, I have only started admiring orange, in all of its vibrancy, this year. Maybe it was selected as a “color of the year” a few years ago and designers started using it more, but like you, it wasn’t on my radar until recently. Oh yeah, that tray, and the Hermes lamp (have you seen that?) are classics…throw in one of their H throws and I’d be happy—or you could buy a vacation house for about the same $. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 5:00 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Chronica Domus said:
Ah, I long fell for the delights of burnt orange when I finally committed some years back and painted my boring white entry vestibule Farrow and Ball’s Red Earth a dusky terracotta. I’m simply mad for it. It positively glows in the morning as the sun is coming up and turns a beautiful mellow burnt orange the rest of the day.
I’ve admired the room pictured in the 6th image down in your post for many years. The male designer’s name escapes my failing brain right now but once I remember, I’ll post another comment with the information. He’s very talented.
Karen B. said:
Hi CD, I’ll have to check out the Farrow and Ball color chart to see what that particular shade looks like, I do love color in a room when it picks up sunlight and changes with evening light. It gives a room such interest. That particular room is a favorite of mine too. It was posted by Design Chic for a British India post. I love the style. I’d love to know who designed it. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 5:32 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Chronica Domus said:
Oh, I remembered! The designer of the lust worthy room is G.P. Schafer, and here is a link to the rest of his apartment:
http://gpschafer.com/portfolio/town/greenwich-village-townhouse/
Just adore it!
Karen B. said:
CD, Wow, that is a beautiful townhouse. It’s impressive that it feels large when the size of each room is pretty small. Thanks for following up with this link. Karen
On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 9:39 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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D'Arcy H said:
Hi Karen–was wondering where you were! My favorite colors are shades of blue-green, but orange is a close second! I wear a LOT of orangey/coral tones because they’re way more flattering on me than greens … but I just realized I don’t have any orange in my house! I decorated in orange when I was in college, though … remember those cotton Indian block print fabrics? 🙂 Happy Autumn! –D’Arcy
Karen B. said:
D’Arcy, Yes, I remember the orange and yellow rooms that were popular in the early seventies, I even had a kitchen in an apartment during my college days done in that combination! Maybe that’s what prompted me to avoid the color all these years. Now I’ve seen so many great subtle uses that I’m open to a little orange in my life. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 5:36 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Karena said:
I do use orange in various shades, especially in pillows that i change out for the seasons. Love some of the paint palettes in the rooms you’ve shown! Gorgeous Karen!!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Artist Lesley Schiff
Karen B. said:
Karena, I do love some of the more muted oranges used on walls. I’m not sure I’m bold enough to go there, but I like your idea of using pillows for the season and maybe an orange throw somewhere down the line. Thank you for stopping by. Happy Halloween. xo, Karen
On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 10:16 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Rebecca Dexter said:
I am so glad you are back posting..I always love to see what you have put up…Orange has never been my fav but I had pinned the room with the orange throws …I just thought it was pretty…I am a red/blue/white and black girl but did do a living room for my daughter in apricot and it was beautiful. I am 70 (ugh) and in my dotage I am softening toward orange. Your posts helped…Happy fall! The colors here in Door County, WI are beautiful this year.
Karen B. said:
Hi Rebecca,
Don’t despair, I’m bringing up the rear age wise. Somehow I don’t feel any older than I did in my 40s. 🙂 I too love khaki/black/blue & white/ reds. I did see a few things though, while tracking down use of orange that piqued my interest. I think Carol Glasser’s living room would qualify as more in the apricot family of color than the orange. Happy Fall to you too. I imagine you’re getting some very crisp afternoons and evenings in WI…we yo-you here in Southern California and it’s expected to be in the 80’s through the weekend. UGH! Even though I’m a native CA girl, I think I belong somewhere where there are seasons! Thanks for stopping by. xo, Karen
On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 11:25 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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cindy hattersley said:
Hi Karen
That room with the orange walls and white slipcovered sofa by Miles Redd has always been one of my favorites. You have illustrated so many lovely examples here. I used to have a lot of terra cotta in my home (it was built in the 80″s) so I have gone back and forth with this hue!!
Karen B. said:
Hi Cindy, For me it’s been a slow process warming to the color orange, but some of these images have nudged me to acceptance. Maybe a throw for the season? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. Have a fun Halloween. xo, Karen
Sent from my iPad
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Sharon @ Roses and Rust said:
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with orange, but these pictures have me sold – I think orange is back in favour! xx Sharon
Karen B. said:
Sharon, I was the same way for years, but there must have been a trend because I’ve seen so many examples that I could live with. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Sat, Oct 31, 2015 at 12:40 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Taylor Greenwalt said:
I don’t have any orange in my home, but I do love these inspirations
Karen B. said:
Same, I’m only just now warming to the color after the early seventies overload of orange and “harvest” gold appliances! 🙂 xo, Karen
On Tue, Nov 3, 2015 at 7:01 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Gretchen said:
Karen, I have never been a fan of orange but always loved terra cotta. The carpet in our first condo was terra cotta. A few years ago when orange first started to make a comeback, I bought a sweater that was kind of orange sherbet colored. I got so many complements on it that it made me take a second look at the color for decorating as well. I think you’re right that it’s probably best used in small doses. I’m really enjoying the burst of color that my Fall decorations have given my house. The photos that you used have showed me how effective it can be!
Karen B. said:
I agree, the color of orange I seem to gravitate to is more a burnt orange, with subtle hues is very appealing.
On Tue, Nov 3, 2015 at 1:22 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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