MyHomeIdeas.com has declared orange the "new neutral" and I'm not sure I can disagree.
"This color of spice, fruit, and Gaugin’s island oasis is an antidote to
all the cool blues and grays of the past few years," says the site, the online spot for photos from Coastal Living, Sunset and other great design mags.
"Like a cold glass of juice, the color of a Buddhist monk’s robes suddenly seems just right."
In this Coastal Living photo by Jean Alisopp (from MyHomeIdeas.com), there's nothing loud about the orange, even though it's on the floor, in the wallpaper and on the beds.
There's nothing new about orange. It's been creeping into our homes for several years now.
But that's how it has arguably become a neutral. It's no longer the standout that commands all attention.
In another MyHomeIdeas.com room at right (photo by Roger Davies), the orange seems brighter, punchier.
But the hue still doesn't feel overwhelming or bold. It's just right.
Even the orange, wood-grain pattern on the sofa doesn't seem like too much.
“We fell in love with the chairs, and everything played off them,” the homeowner says on the web site.
In the BHG room below, the orange on the sofa is a little subtle and muted, almost a curry color. And the paint is so harmonious with the woodwork that it doesn't scream either.
Yet, it's still bright and colorful enough to make this room feel happy. (And don't you just love those bird prints on the wall?)
Don't worry -- orange can still be that amazing shot of color you fell in love with. It doesn't have to be a neutral!
Below are two Coastal Living shots by Jeff McNamara that remind us hold bold and beautiful orange can be.
So what do you think? Is orange a new neutral?
