14 Best Orange Paints for the Perfect Pop of Color
Think less Halloween, more marigold.
From Summer Squash to Orange Sky, pick a paint from one of these top designers and prepare to be dazzled.
The Look
In the 19th-century suburban New Jersey home of Michael Maher, color brings a modern energy. Walls painted in Charlotte’s Locks by Farrow & Ball envelop the parlor-turned-living room in warmth and drama, while a Stark sisal rug tones down the formality of the antiques. The archway retains its original sliding pocket doors.
Color Inspiration: Charlotte's Locks
“For an unexpected dash of personality and warmth, add a shock of color to the back of your cabinets. I know this is bright, but when it’s behind glass doors and acting as a backdrop to all your dishes, it livens things up nicely. And it’s easy to change in a few years, if turquoise starts calling to you.” — Douglass Graneto
Make it yours: Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell Charlotte’s Locks 268
The Look
Amanda Lindroth gave the exterior of a gorgeous Bahamas home a “showstopping personality” with big splashes of bold orange. The vibrant bench and awning perk up the white facade.
Color Inspiration: Baja Orange
“I’m Italian, and it’s very Italian to use orange. Think of those luxury brands with orange logos — Hermès and Pratesi. I see it lacquered on a ceiling, with cream walls. Or you could get that faded Tuscan feeling by using it as a wash in the living room. A lacquered orange library with black bookshelves would be totally sensational. Supermodern, superchic.” —Milly de Cabrol
Make it yours: Ralph Lauren Paint’s Baja Orange IB62
Color Inspiration: Summer Squash
Golden-tinged oranges also brighten any space. "Orange is our go-to color, because it makes a room feel young, fresh, and modern. We use it where other people might use red. I would feel really happy in a room painted this pretty golden orange, with navy, turquoise, or pink as an accent. And I love Portola Paints because their colors are just slightly off, like the designer colors you're always trying to get and don't often find." —Heidi Bonesteel
Make it yours: Portola Paints Summer Squash 022
The Look
Accessories in vibrant orange can help add vintage whimsy to an interior — like in the bedroom of a cheery beach house by Krista Ewart.
Color Inspiration: Orange Sky
However, this delightful shade doesn't always have to read as retro. "Orange is far more versatile than most people think. You don't have to put it with marabou feathers and 1960s furniture. Try it with a Louis XV carved giltwood console and see how sophisticated and European it looks. This is a Veuve Clicquot orange that we used inside kitchen cabinets, for a bon vivant whose signature pour is Champagne. Coat the paint with beeswax if you want an antique look." —Maureen Footer
Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Orange Sky 2018-10
The Look
In this fantasy apartment inspired by Edie Sedgwick, midcentury modern pieces mix with contemporary pieces. “I’m not afraid of color,” designer Heather Moore says. “I knew I wanted to use orangey autumnal tones, and I chose Ralph Lauren’s Cork for the walls. It’s a burnt umber, a saturated color that doesn’t read as flat. It has more reflectivity and depth than that.”
Color Inspiration: Autumn Orange
“I go for the warmth and earthiness of a certain version of orange — like this inside of a Japanese persimmon. It’s not loud or brash, and it’s a beautiful backdrop for other colors like hot pink, chartreuse, olive, aqua, and baby blue. Almost anything looks good against it. It has the quality of embracing and holding.” —Jackie Terrell
Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Autumn Orange 2156-10
The Look
The brown-tinged orange in a vintage-inspired apartment by Heather Moore takes on a different cast based on the light in the room.
Color Inspiration: Corlsbud Canyon
"It's easy to get a great orange when you're working with a skilled decorative painter doing a multilayered custom glaze job. But if you're trying to pick a ready-made color from a paint deck, I find the darker, more subdued shades work best. This color has great impact without looking like that garish NFL orange. I'd use it with ivory, black, and brown for a sophisticated classical look, or with cobalt blue, navy, and white if you want to go bolder, younger." —Markham Roberts
Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Corlsbud Canyon 076
The Look
A bold orange hue sets off the Palladian details of a bookcase in the library of an Atlanta home by Kay Douglass.
Color Inspiration: Blood Orange
"This quickens the pulse and excites the eye. It brings back the hue and the scent of blood oranges piled high in the market stalls of Tuscany. With a black-and-white floor and Benjamin Moore's Linen White trim, it would be the perfect foil for an array of drawings." —Marcy Masterson
Make it yours: Sydney Harbour Paints Blood Orange
The Look
In a New Jersey beach house by Mona Ross Berman, a retro shade of orange brightens up a utilitarian space.
Color Inspiration: Orangery
"I love the orange color of the stucco I grew up with in the warm Mediterranean sun. There's a very soft feeling about it, but at the same time it's quite strong. This orange has depth and a touch of shadow, so it looks as if it's always been there. It lends itself very naturally to browns and greens and watery turquoise. Orange is kind of an underdog in this country. It's more a color of the East." —Mona Hajj
Make it yours: Farrow & Ball Orangery 70
The Look
In a Hillsborough, California, kitchen by Melanie Coddington, a spicy shade of orange is a refreshing alternative to the usual neutrals.
Color Inspiration: Audubon Russet
"You can't let orange scare you. I rely on it to punch up a dreary corner. Paint this warm, bricky orange on the inside of a bookcase and it will add unexpected depth to a small space or make a big room seem more intimate. One of the most fascinating rooms I've ever seen had ivory walls and a ceiling painted this color. Very cozy." —John Peixinho
Make it yours: Benjamin Moore Audubon Russet HC-51
The Look
When Justine Cushing moved into her New York apartment in 1970, she had the living room painted a custom orange — a color she has never considered changing.
Color Inspiration: Yuma
For a similar look, choose an orange with depth. "You need a little brown in your orange to keep it from getting too circusy. This reminds me of saddle leather. I've seen it in those great Palm Desert houses, with midcentury modern furniture and a flokati rug. But I'd jazz it up with hot pink, apple green, or peacock blue. And a heavy dose of white or cocoa brown would really soften it." —Erinn Valencich
Make it yours: Ace Paint Yuma B21-6
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