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.
Martuni says
I have an orange design dilemma.
My hubby and I are in the process of creating a TV/media room in our upstairs sunroom, on a fairly tight budget. Although our home is vintage 1913 craftsman this room will be decorated totally in the MCM. I will decorate with vintage Platner coffee and side tables (thanks mom!), the ubiquitous flat screen housed on a large Ikea wall unit and the walls, drapes, shag area rug and L shaped sofa will be in neutral beige tones or warm grays. The fun begins with the orange and pink accent colors inspired by the iconic 60’s movie poster from “The Endless Summer”
http://www.squidoo.com/endless-summer-posters-prints
I’m normally not afraid of color. I’ve got a red/green/white vintage style kitchen, a lot of bold color throughout every room in the house but I’m a bit afraid of orange. This is a small but bright room, where I’ll be spending a lot of time. Do I want to keep the accent colors to throw pillows/afghan, the framed poster and various nick nackage or do I really need/want a big pop of orange? I’ve got my eye on a fab new orange plastic Eames arm chair as I need the extra seating. I do have a vintage neutral colored upholstered “shell chair” (another style Eames but it’s gray/beige. Thanks again mom!) . I could use that neutral chair and buy the shag rug in orange. Which would save me some $$. But the rug would be an even larger pop of orange. I could also buy a very similar knock off “Eamish” style pastel pink plastic arm chair (which is a little bit cheaper than the real Eames) but isn’t such a strong color.
http://www.yliving.com/herman-miller-eames-plastic-armchair.html
Oye how much orange it too much orange?
pam kueber says
That Endless Summer poster is terrific. I don’t know that there is a way to help online. It seems like you have a great design sense — you are very attuned to each element of the room. In general, I would say, layer your orange a bit at a time … until you get it right. Then, take one thing out. Just like that old saying about accessorizing. My question about the Eames chairs — are they sufficiently comfy for a TV room? In my house, we all settle in like bona fide vintage couch potatoes — we need our comfy cozy, heck, I’m on the floor with pillows – which would mean: shag rug there for sure! Good luck, send me a pic when you’re ready for prime time.
Martuni says
Pam,
Re the comfort level; we’re only seating myself and my husband most of the time. I’m planning on purchasing an L shaped sofa for the two of us to share. Plenty of room for both of us to stretch out and room to seat 4, possibly 5 if need be. The room is small, only 9′ by 14′ and we’re not planning on using it much for entertaining. Mostly it’s for the two of us to cuddle up and watch the tube. However, I do have room for a chair and wanted to have the extra seating just in case. And I’m totally in love with this chair. I’ve wanted one since I was a kid. It feels almost like a piece of sculptural art to me. Yes, they aren’t super comfortable. I wouldn’t want to watch a three hour movie while seated in one. At some point I will replace it when I inherit my mother’s Eames lounge chair/ottoman. Now that chair is super comfy. Another reason to think about the chair in orange; what am i going to do with it when I do obtain an replacement? It really won’t work anywhere else in the house. The old form over function, heart vs head , pretty vs practical dilemma. So I’m going to take your advice and start with a bit of orange and then see where that leads.
I’ll send pics when we’ve got it done sometime this Summer.
Janice says
I have always loved orange and the same friends who can’t understand my fascination with a pink bathroom, can’t understand my fascination with orange. I have avocado painted walls in my living room with orange in my furniture and a few accessories. Where I really get to show it off is in one of the bedrooms dedicated to all things Harley Davidson. Both my husband and I ride Harleys and anyone who knows Harleys knows they’re all about orange and black. Up until moving into our 1954 ranch two and a half years ago, that was the only place I could get away with an orange room. Now I’ve thrown caution to the wind and drug that orange right on out to the living room and never get tired of looking at it!
Megan B says
Orange has been *my* color of the year for as long as I can remember. Thankfully I realized it’s not such a complement to my skin and have switched from orange sweaters to vintage orange chairs. I have at least 6, most of them velvet. They look gorgeous in our 1961 mini-ranch, thankfully! I blame my parents for this deep-rooted love of orange: my childhood bedroom was delightfully decorated in brick orange shag carpet with bright yellow walls and brick orange, bright yellow, and kelly green ABC wallpaper. It obviously left quite an impression.
Foliosus says
We put orange in a few years ago, and haven’t looked back: http://www.flickr.com/photos/foliosus/sets/72157603703997028/
pam kueber says
wow, foliosus, you got you some orange and with an avocado wallpaper focal wall, too! is that an avocado fridge? can i feature these on the blog some day soon?
Janice says
What a cool home you have! Love all the orange and the great wallpaper in the dining room…and oh yeah, really love the yellow dinette set!
thefarmersdaughter says
Thank god for orange! Deliver me from greige!
Nancy Burton says
Pam- I would love to receive the color card & information from Lindsay as I cannot find the colors she suggested.
Thanks so much!
Nancy
Who knew I was choosing the color for 2011?!
pam kueber says
nancy, can you call california paints directly…
Lynne says
I forgot to mention in my post yesterday morning that my front door is painted orange. I don’t know how I let that little fact get by, because that orange front door was one thing that made we want to buy this house!
Tut says
I totally dig orange. My parents’ house in the ’70s was very groovy. An orange halfbath, the family room had little square orange table with black legs, black short-fur davenport with long fur hot throw pillows in bright pink and orange, a side table with sliding doors painted purple and orange. It was a happenin’ place. We recently redid our entire living room because we never used it. My vision was a cross between ’60s mid-mod cool and a little ’70s wow. A nice slightly spicy orange did the trick nicely. Photos shortly after new furniture arrived are here.
Brandi says
We have turquoise and orange for our kitchen. I chose the Sherwin William’s ‘Holiday Turquoise’ to offset my beloved ‘Tangerine’ Kitchen-aide mixer 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blazink/sets/72157615070449400/
I also painted my living room in Sherwin William’s ‘Stirring Orange’, it is a very nice mellow orange with a touch more yellow than red.
I love that orange is the color of the year! I can’t wait to see what else pops up in orange on this website!
Sharon DeWitt says
Hi! I love mid-century and I’m so excited to have found this web site. I love orange and have been using in the house for the last several years. I was introduced to the fifties look through my husband 20 years ago. We have had many a fun road trip looking for anything deco through googie 50’s. It pairs great with danish modern too.