In a room full of neutral tones the addition of an accent color can make any room come to life. When decorating, find one bright color you want to try – like tangerine. The goal is to use different shades of colors in this palette. This is called an analogous color scheme. Use dark orange, gold, or brown tones in pillows, or an area rug, and use the lighter, bright tangerine color in small quantities to give make everything pop. Use it in a wall painting, vase, lamp or lamp shade, etc.
A great rule of thumb to follow is the 60-30-10 ratio – 60% is the primary color (walls), 30% is the secondary color (furniture), and 10% is the accent color (small items). Don’t forget to use black. It will balance everything out, and give some weight to your design.
On the opposite side, if you want to use orange in a more subdued manor, try using a rust orange. This bedroom has a great balance of brown. black and neutral tones, while using a calming sage green as the secondary color. The accent color once again is paired with analogous tones from the color wheel, and plays off the orange tones in the carpet and nightstands, imparting a warm, inviting sanctuary for you to enjoy.