Orange is a vibrant and energetic color that exudes warmth, happiness, and creativity. Unlike basic red or yellow, orange has many complex shades ranging from bright and bold to muted and earthy. While warmer orange tones evoke feelings of excitement and enthusiasm, cooler shades of orange can create a more subtle and relaxing impression. So yes, there are indeed lots of cool shades of orange to explore for design, fashion, and decor.
The Color Psychology of Orange
In color psychology, orange is associated with joy, success, encouragement, and determination. It stimulates mental activity and social conversation. Orange makes people feel more social and connected to others. At the same time, it also promotes independence and freedom.
Brighter, warmer orange tones are energetic and youthful. They grab attention, ignite passion and creativity, and can boost a playful mood. Think of bright orange-red sunsets or the vibrant orange of fall leaves.
Cooler oranges are more subtle and muted. Soft peach and coral oranges are soothing, gentle, and friendly. Earthy terra-cotta and clay oranges are grounded, natural, and welcoming. Cool shades of orange offer many of the uplifting benefits of orange, just in a more relaxed way.
Popular Cool Shades of Orange
Here are some of the most popular cool shades of orange to consider:
Peach: A pale pink-orange, peach is soft, sweet, and warm. It brings to mind fresh fruit and flowers. Use peach in any room to create a cozy and casual vibe. Peach is especially nice for bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces.
Salmon: Salmon has a light pinkish-orange hue. It’s a little more vibrant than peach but still relatively neutral. The color salmon conjures images of sunsets over the water. Use this shade in dining rooms, bedrooms, or offices.
Coral: A girly orange with red undertones, coral is playful and feminine. It’s brighter than salmon but softer than a true orange-red. Use coral in kids’ spaces, laundry rooms, or as an accent color.
Terra Cotta: Earthy terra cotta has a brownish-orange tone inspired by clay pottery. It’s a warm, natural color often associated with the Southwest. Use terra cotta in living spaces, kitchens, and exteriors.
Burnt Orange: A mix between orange and brown with a dash of red, burnt orange is rich and deep. It feels cozy and autumnal. Use burnt orange in darker rooms that need some warmth.
Clay: Like terra cotta, clay is an earthy light brown-orange. It’s a bit lighter and more neutral. Clay is relaxing for bedrooms, dining rooms, and reading nooks.
Rust: Rust has orangey-red-brown tones. It reminds people of oxidized iron and old barns. Use rustic rust colors for farmhouse kitchens, living rooms, and exteriors.
Apricot: Apricot is a pale creamy orange inspired by the fruit of the same name. It feels cheerful yet soothing. Use apricot in any room for a pop of subtle color.
How Lighting Affects Orange
The way lighting hits orange can dramatically influence how cool or warm the color appears.
In warm lighting, orange takes on a cozy, golden glow. Peach transforms into a warmer melon tone. Salmon shifts to a hot coral pink.
Under cool, blue-toned lighting, orange loses some vibrancy. Peach becomes more pink. Salmon and coral take on a pale lavender tone.
Direct sunlight makes orange shades appear energized and vibrant. Indirect northern light mutes orange into softer earth tones.
Consider how light exposure will alter orange’s appearance in a space. If you want bold brights, ensure plenty of lamps and sunlight. For softer shades, filtered northern light is ideal.
Combining Orange with Other Colors
Orange is very versatile in color pairings. It can be cooled down or warmed up through strategic color combinations.
To make orange feel cooler and more relaxing:
– Pair with blues like sky blue, turquoise, or navy
– Combine with greens like sage, olive, or teal
– Use with neutrals like gray, tan, white, or black
– Add silver, chrome, or metal accents
To make orange feel warmer and more energetic:
– Combine with reds, yellows, pinks, or other bright oranges
– Add golden yellow or brown wood tones
– Use with other warm hues like magenta, violet, and chartreuse
– Incorporate gold, brass, or bronze metallic accents
A few examples of cool orange color schemes:
– Salmon and navy blue
– Peach, pale blue, and white
– Burnt orange, olive green, and chrome
– Terra cotta, teal, and wood brown
Some warm orange color combinations:
– Coral and magenta
– Bright orange and yellow
– Red-orange, gold, and pink
– Vibrant orange with violet and chartreuse
Using Orange in Home Decor
There are many cool ways to incorporate orange into home decor:
Walls: Paint walls peach in a bedroom or burnt orange in a study. Use clay or terra cotta for an earthy dining room.
Furniture: Choose a coral upholstered chair or rustic wood side table. Add peach or orange pillows to sofas.
Accessories: Display rustic terracotta vases and bowls. Add orange books or fresh flowers. Hang coral prints and art.
Textiles: Use peach, salmon, or orange sheets, blankets, and curtains. Layer in terra cotta area rugs.
Kitchen decor: Incorporate apricot, peach, or terra cotta dishes, appliances, and linens. Add orange bar stools or dining chairs. Use rustic wood tables.
Bathrooms: Try peach towels, coral accessories, or orange shower curtains. Use terra cotta floor tiles.
Outdoor spaces: Paint doors coral or terra cotta. Use rust or clay colored patio furniture. Add orange flowers and plants.
Lighting: Choose fixtures like pendant lights or table lamps in cool orange tones.
Window treatments: Hang soft peach curtains or salmon roman shades. Use rust or clay colored blinds.
Wearing Cool Shades of Orange
Orange is a fun, versatile color for clothing, shoes, and accessories:
Tops: Try peach, salmon, rust, or burnt orange shirts, blouses, and sweaters. Orange goes well with blues, greens, browns, and tans.
Bottoms: Wear peach or coral pants, shorts, and skirts. Earth tones like olive and brown complement orange bottoms.
Dresses: Apricot, nectarine, clay, and terra cotta dresses look great with nude or metallic shoes and bags.
Shoes: Spice up any outfit with coral, peach, or burnt orange heels, flats, sandals, or sneakers.
Bags: Carry a peach, melon, rust, or clay handbag or backpack.
Jewelry: Orange gemstones like coral, carnelian, and amber make stunning accessory accents.
Accessories: Add pops of color with orange scarves, hats, belts, ties, or socks.
Swimwear: Try bikinis, one-pieces, coverups, and towels in shades like melon, peach, coral, or papaya.
Coats: Top any look with a burnt orange, rust, or terra cotta overcoat or jacket.
Cool Orange Makeup Shades
Cosmetics provide lots of opportunities to experiment with cool orange tones:
Eyeshadow: Dust peach, melon, or apricot shadow across lids for a bright eye look. Use burnt orange or clay in the crease to add depth.
Eyeliner: Make eyes pop with peach, coral, or terra cotta liner. Pair with brown mascara.
Blush: Warm up complexions with peach, salmon, papaya, or melon powder or cream blushes. Apply to the apples of the cheeks.
Lipstick: Swipe on creamy coral, peach, melon, or apricot lipstick for a punch of color. Lip glosses in these hues also add nice shimmer.
Nail polish: Paint nails in fun shades like peach, cantaloupe, salmon, or terra cotta.
Bronzer: Contour cheeks with a soft peach or burnt orange powder bronzer. Dust lightly along the hairline as well.
Cool Orange Decorating Ideas
Here are some inspiring ways to use cool shades of orange in home decor:
Peach accent wall: Paint one wall in a bedroom peach. Decorate with white bedding and brown wood nightstands. The peach makes the space feel cheery yet cozy.
Coral kitchen island: Give the kitchen a pop of color by painting the island or lower cabinets coral. Pair with stainless steel appliances and white countertops.
Burnt orange office: Create a relaxing home office with burnt orange walls, dark wood desk, and teal desk accessories. The rich orange hue helps stimulate mental focus.
Terra cotta bathroom: Use terra cotta floor and wall tiles in the bathroom along with chrome fixtures for a spa-like vibe. Add teal towels and art.
Salmon dining room: Use a light salmon color for dining room walls. Hang a brass pendant light over a wooden dining table. The salmon makes an elegant dining space.
Rustic peach bedroom: Choose a peach and cream quilt, pale peach curtains, and antique wood dresser and nightstands for a cozy retreat.
Clay reading nook: Paint a small reading nook clay and decorate with woven chairs, olive pillows, and orange books for a relaxing lounge zone.
Popular Orange Paint Colors
Here are some top orange paint colors for walls, furniture, and home decor:
| Brand | Color Name |
|---|---|
| Benjamin Moore | Ginger Peach |
| Sherwin-Williams | Fireweed |
| Behr | Canyon Sunset |
| Valspar | Tiger Lily |
| PPG | Sweet Apricot |
| Farrow & Ball | Peignoir |
Conclusion
Orange may seem like a solely bright, energetic hue, but it actually contains a wide spectrum of shades. Cooler soft oranges like peach, coral, salmon, or clay offer a more soothing, earthy take on this vivid color. Whether used in small doses or as statement shades, cool oranges can help create welcoming, joyful spaces with just the right touch of laid-back vibrancy.
