Living with Orange – Question & Answer……

Dear Designer,

I have just moved in with my boyfriend and we are going to start decorating his ‘batchelor pad’ very soon. My most urgent dilemma is in the living room. You see, he has an orange sofa that he absolutely refuses to get rid of. He says that before I came along that sofa was his best friend and he will not chuck it out. Orange is not exactly my favourite colour and I cannot see how we can come up with a colour scheme that a)incorporates it and, b)that we both like.

Please help or I may just be moving out again!

Lucy, London

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Dear Lucy,

Orange is a very uplifting colour and brings warmth and comfort to many a colour scheme. Used in the right way it can also be very sophisticated. It also goes with more colours than you might imagine…………

The photograph below is my absolute favourite. Unfortunately it’s from my private stash and I can’t remember where it came from. It’s very retro in style – orange does seem to lend itself to retro schemes – not sure if you like this look or not. Here it’s teamed with two shades of grey on the walls and two green armchairs, with the artwork and accessories bringing it all together………

Or another retro scheme. This time with white, turquoise and lemon. Note that all of the colours have been given equal prominence. Again sorry, not sure where I found this picture………..

With white and turquoise again, but this time the scheme is more pastel and light with floaty curtains and wicker furniture……..

Homes and Gardens Magazine

Orange also looks very good when teamed with touches of black, or darker shades. Here, the graphic patterned cushions and rug and the deep black frame look particularly effective. Source of picture unknown…….