Some people are not so keen on its in your- face exuberance, but orange as an interior colour has been in the good books for a while now – particularly in its clear, true form like Resene Hyperactive or the slightly burnt versions like Resene Vesuvius.

Because orange is such a strong colour, it has often been reserved for use as an accent for feature walls and splashbacks. But there are many ways to include its brightness in your home.

Resene Cumin feature wall with other walls in Resene Joanna; house designed by Irving Smith Jack Architects.

From peach to pumpkin

Orange is a hugely adaptable colour: it starts at soft peach, then ranges through coral, melon to carrot, then goes on to deeper shades of terracotta and rust. It transcends the seasons, too. In its pale bright form, like Resene Koromiko, it’s a peppy spring and summer shade, but turn it pumpkin, like Resene Porsche, or rust, like Resene Fire, and it becomes quite autumnal and wintry. Orange looks great with all forms of blue – turquoise, teal, ice-blue, true blue, slate blue – as blue sits opposite orange on the colour wheel. As with any scheme based on the use of complementary colours, make sure you get the saturation and balance of colours right.

Orange has a cool retro appeal that goes with mid-century style interiors. It’s also a good colour to use in children’s rooms if you don’t want to fall into the unisex stereotypes of pink or blue. Make sure you tone it down a little though, or orange’s stimulating power will keep the kiddies awake.

You can go all out in the kitchen though, where orange’s warmth can be channelled to create a inviting social space.

Try these colour combos

• Burnt orange and teal for a sophisticated take on a retro scheme
• Orange and charcoal for urban edginess
• Pale pumpkin and icy blue
• Bright orange and hot pink for something racy and fun
  
• A two-tone orange scheme of soft golden orange and deep gingery orange
  
• Terracotta and rust tones for rustic, Italian-style interiors

Left: Resene Flashback chair with Resene Afficionado weatherboards. Center: Resene Kamikaze door with Resene Half Bison Hide walls; designed by Lizzie K & Co. Right: Resene Whizz Bang walls, Resene April Sun table, Resene Outrageous floor.