Colour it

Carol O’Callaghan looks at how orange can create the right look for your interiors, even if diluted

IT seems a little early in the year to talk about orange, that zingy colour we associate with golden autumn days and the horror of Halloween. But when a colour appears on the fashion catwalk, as orange has this season, it’s only a matter of months or even weeks before the influence slips into interiors.

To use orange successfully, you may need to deploy the more muted grapefruit versions and tones of the colour, which means darker versions of it. Also think about tints which have white added to make them less weighty, paler and a more appropriate approach to smaller spaces, especially if you’re considering a decorating project. Consider peach, a much gentler version of orange and easier on the eye than tangerine or terracotta, so beloved by the first glut of ‘90s home makeover programmes.