You know I think that “Color of the Year” proclamations by Marketeers are baloney — they are just trying to sell this year’s color to replace last year’s color. So, instead, I’ll point to a color from our mid century past that was pretty darn good enough all along: Retro Renovation First Annual Color of the Year: Orange. There’s plenty of vintage available in this color — give it a look and if you like it, snatch it up for a fraction of what it would cost to buy new accessories in whatever “today’s must-have color” is. Of course, my fundamental color advice is: Use whatever color you like. Colors are wavelengths of energy and affect people differently. Find the ones that tickle your electrons and don’t look back.
Why orange? Well, it’s just continued to grow on me these past 9 years of living in my mid century house. It is a color that plays very nice with others: Orange looks good with blue in a midcentury interior. Orange looks good with green. Orange looks good with pink — yes, it does! And with banana, of course. Orange you glad I said banana?
Orange is a dynamic color — often called “the color of change”. It can be brought into an interior pretty easily. All the photos above are from my living room — as you can see, I’ve brought in orange with textiles like my beloved vintage bargello needlepoint pillows. Oh – and I guess those 1960s chairs have a bit of orange in the upholstery. When I bought them at an estate sale, the chairs had slip covers on them. I peeked under and – bingo! – it was orange velveteen stripes for me! I also have some orange Stangl. Isn’t my vintage afghan gorgeous? All the handiwork that went into it — my! — and I got it an estate sale for like $10. These things are out there — they are Golden Treasures!
I also have spotted kitchen cabinets available in orange — see my post on these “Mod Squad” (as I call them) cabinet doors. If I had the house for these — I would do it in a heartbeat!
Of course, what’s good on the inside (of your house) is also fab when you’re out on the town. Maybe I need this 1960s vintage orange leather coat from Retro Genie’s after all.
Nancy Burton says
Pam- I just have a question I was hoping you could help me with?. We are building a pool house. I want to use this color scheme:https://retrorenovation.com/2010/09/15/13-pages-of-youngstown-metal-kitchen-cabinets/ image #9. I have ordered aqua boomerang formica to go on the Homart cabinets I found. How do I figure out what color that orange is (I really like that) & also the yellow?
Thanks, Nancy
pam kueber says
Hi Nancy, you emailed me this before… sorry I did not get back to you. But, I had started pursuing the question. I emailed California Paints, given their extensive 20th century palette, and here is the reply:
Hi Pam,
Great to hear from you. What a wonderful color scheme and post. I would recommend Tangerine Burst for the orange and Suntan for the yellow. Tangerine Burst is from a 1930 wallpaper but was also found in Moderne interior decorative finishes. The color was often paired with warm beiges or contrasting gray in interior decoration.
I’d be happy to send Nancy our 20th Century Colors of America color card and additional information. Just let me know how I can help!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Best,
Lindsay
Lindsay Thibeault – Marketing Coordinator
California Products Corporation
pam kueber says
ummm, i can’t find my california paint chips (you’ve seen the photo of my office) or i’d go look…argh
Ann-Marie Meyers says
Yippeee! My favorite color from about 6th grade through high school! I had this fabulous orange and gold Mediterranean style bedspread on my antique cherry bed.
My bratty sister used to come into my room when I was a senior in high school, sit on my bed and sigh, “I can’t wait until next year when this is my room. I’m going to decorate it the way it SHOULD be.”
Yeah, yeah, and now her house looks like all the other houses in Plano, Texas.
Adel says
Orange is my favorire color ! I have always played it safe and painted with peach tones but this year I have decided to take the plunge. I’m creating an orange “girl cave” in our den. I even have orange sheers for the windows. I know orange is not everyone’s cup of tea but it just makes me happy!
denise says
Oh, orange is such a good color, I have liked it for years and painted the door in my kitchen orange, orange daisy pyrex bowls. So glad you’re getting that orange coat Pam, it’s good.
funny, when I saw those chairs at the beginning of the post I thought, “oh, I love those chairs, hmmmm, where have I seen them? I know I’ve seen them.” then I started looking into the pictures more and realized they belong to you!! they are good chairs.
Doug Wilson from Trading Spaces has an orange and brown room in his book “Doug’s Room, Transforming Spaces…’ the orange walls are layers of tissue paper, creating blocks of a sort….the orange color values are great!
Rebecca Prichard says
Orange is the Color of Every Year!
Elaine Musick says
ORANGE was Frank Sinatra’s favorite colors. Catch some of his old movies. You will see lots of ORANGE!!!!!
Kristin says
I love our burnt orange color in our kitchen! Here is a link: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_a-w-K3ysFI4/TD0KAC22oyI/AAAAAAAAH08/5qs3mbdPf6Q/s1600/IMG_5067_kitchen.jpg
pam kueber says
ooooh, love your stove, too, Kristin! what is it? a chambers? what year?
Ann-Marie Meyers says
Did Chambers ever put the broiler in the center like that? I am a new convert, so I don’t know all their models.
Tina says
We painted our family room orange in 2004 and people thought we were crazy. We LOVE it. Red couch, oak hardwood floors. Now we are painting our new basement chartreuse (SW0073) and I’m looking for an orange shag rug to throw down next to the red couch.
Now here’s the real question… how do YOU pronounce it? OR-ange or AR-ange? (I’m an AR-ange girl myself.)
MbS says
OR- ange, like Oreo…but I am from the left coast. HI TINA!
pam kueber says
yes, i pronounce it like MbS aka Marybeth
debby says
I have an orange butterfly string art in the living room and the dresser in my son’s room has bright orange drawers. Since it is white I cut up a vinyl shower curtain with mid century colored circles on a clear background to cover the top and keep it white longer. I have also attached 2 fabric shower curtains to my vertical blinds in the living room. I found the same pattern in outdoor fabric pillows. Perfect to throw on the couch! I have mini designer chairs on top and salt and pepper shakers on the ones in the kitchen. The secret is a little fun-tac to keep them in place!