Brighten Your Home With Orange

Retro orange wallpaper can be super fun in a child’s room (via MikoDesign)

Yay! It’s pumpkin season again! I don’t know about you, but I love to see the beautiful displays of colorful squash in grocery stores at this time of year. All those deep yellows, oranges and reds, it’s such a treat for the eyes!

Orange is actually one of my favorite colors, so it’s hardly surprising that I love this part of Fall. I’m a Leo, I crave the warmth of the sun and seek solace in nature’s autumnal golds when it disappears. Orange is a happy color, it’s uplifting, energizing and positive – I vote for more of it in our lives!

Orange for kids, what do you think? Do you like to decorate with orange? Is it too vibrant, too daring, too loud? If you’re naturally drawn to this optimistic color, why not try adding some to your child’s room, or to other places in your home?

Here are a few ideas to inspire you…

Get creative with paint ivia n the kid's room! (Charlotte Love for Good Homes Magazine)

Pastel child’s room styled by Charlotte Love for Good Homes Magazine (July 2013).

Paint is obviously the easiest way of adding color to any space, so get your creative juices flowing (no pun intended!) and liven up those walls. You can use different hues for zoning – sleeping, reading, play areas – or just one tone, making an interesting statement when applied to an entire wall, covering everything in sight. From soft, soothing coral orange to bright, bold, tangerine tango, there’s plenty of scope for mood-creating, so pick up a brush and play with that palette Picasso! (pictured above: pastel child’s room styled by Charlotte Love for Good Homes Magazine, July 2013)

Liven up family spaces with a coat of tangerine tango! (via 101woonideeen magazine)

Although more red than orange, I love the vibrancy of this entrance where everything, including the radiator, has been painted the same color (via 101woonideeen magazine).

Love this orange door in a colorful Swedish family’s home

Painted doors can make a simple, striking feature in a child’s room, especially when they’re in orange!

If your kids like orange (I bet they do, if you ask them!) but you’re not ready to embrace the full orange look, why not just add a few paint accents to their room? Orange can look stunning on a door or a single piece of furniture. It’s far more versatile than you think, and really comes into its own when mixed with a palette of pale and dark blues and grays.

FLEXA’s new Play range of furniture

Pretty pastels in FLEXA’s new Play range of furniture

Have you ever considered orange for a nursery? It’s modern and fresh, and in paler shades can be comforting and relaxing. I love FLEXA’s new Flexa Play range of Scandinavian children’s furniture, including this crib and storage in a beautiful pastel orangey-yellow.

Memory balloon lights by Boris Klimek

To my surprise, orange is a popular color in the accessory world! From fun bed linen to cute plushies, there’s no shortage of decorative items for big and little ones alike. I am totally smitten with these opal glass Memory Balloon Lights (ceiling and wall) designed by Boris Klimek lights for Brokis. Aren’t they wonderful? (more info here).

Pictured at the top of this post: Orange was big in the 70’s, we all know that. If you’re a fan of retro prints, use your imagination to create a fun wall feature like this one in the Adriane at Home children’s house, found via MikoDesign. There are plenty of stores on etsy selling vintage wallpapers and textiles to help you achieve this look.