apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Orange chairs in a cream/brown room? Lordy, yes! As for tying it together, my personal choice would lean toward finding a patterned rug with the colors of the room in it, but if you opt for a solid rug invest in some funky throw pillows for the chairs and sofa that tie all three of your primary colors together.

Can I put bright orange chairs in a room that is predominantly cream and dark brown?

Not only can you, you should. Even I, Princess of All Things Beige & Square, believe in the occasional jolt of color.

And what's a good way to tie it all together? A solid colored rug?

A patterned rug with the orange as one element and at least one of your neutrals in it... and/or a similar orange in your accessories or pillows elsewhere in the room... and/or a jolt of orange in your art works. Essentially, the orange needs to appear a couple other places in the room, so it appears to have been invited in, rather than just showing up.

OR -- other way to handle it -- same technique with accessories or rugs BUT you use a spectrum of neutrals that connect your cream and brown to the orange but never or rarely hit the orange itself. So you'd have orange-y browns and burnt orange in your accessories, but the TRUE ORANGE would appear only in the chairs and maybe two other small places in the room.

Option 1 is more minimalist; option 2 probably ends up calling for a larger quantity of accessories, but the accessories themselves are more visually restrained.

Unfortunately the answer is no. It cannot be done.

Bright orange pairs great with camel. Warm flannel-y Camel. And sometimes just a hint of a mint bluegreen can really make it pop. Trust me. I own a large bright orange desk. It's a challenge, but can make the room a show stopper.

Rick, that made me laugh out loud.

One or two pillows on the sofa in the same orange and you are good to go.

There are also some great orange lamps around these days... base or shade. Try CB2 and Chiasso to start.

But remember, a little orange goes a long way.

Is that upholstered chair a rust color? If so, just be careful what color orange you introduce, unless you find a textile that combines the rust and a truer, clearer orange.

Tie it together with a patterned rug that has earth tones will help. A tribal Persian rug like this one for example (just happens to be one I have for sale - selfish plug admitted but I'm a long way from New York) :

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/fur/343383447.html

Yes!!! Pillows, a great chair, a throw, some art...

i don't know... it might start to look VERY '70s. be careful!

It probably would also be good to introduce a couple of small, not-warm accents, for a little spice.

Absolutely, I agree with Maryja. Find a great patterned rug that you love which incorporates the orange and your neutrals and if a new rug is too much of an investment, throw pillows will tie it all together. Here is a link to room and board, just one of the many many places you can find modern, playful pillows with orange and neutrals incorporated. Good luck..
http://roomandboard.com/rnb/category.do?method=get&id=33

I am so glad to see this posted- I too have this problem. I have a large dark brown harvest style dining table, with dark brown flooring. I have 4 orange Herman Miller shell chairs. I would love to use them (cause if I don't my Mr. wants them sold) and can't figure out if I can put them in that room. (there are pics of all of this on flicker) I love the idea of brown, cream and orange together. I just wonder about the retro (and not in a good way) aspect of this color scheme.....

Um, aren't the chairs themselves "retro"?

i agree with Joan A. i don't see orange as being a "color pop" in a room that is beige and brown. blue would be. thats not to say you're orange chairs wont' work, they probably will - you'll just need a completely different color to add to the mix to make it not just different shades of poop.

i recommend going with a blueish color. then find some pillows or a rug that has a neutral beige, a little orange and a little blue in it and you'll be good to go.

The question wasn't "What color will pop?" but rather "will orange chairs work?"

Lorijo -- The difference between "classic retro" and "creepily un-redecorated since 1967" is in the mix and the accessories. Your Flickr shows you have a lot of interesting goodies around the house... mix in pieces that blend well, but that reflect other eras than the chairs.

Wende - well said! My brother's wife said once that she liked my place "because nothing matches". LOL

live plants will tie it all together, I think.

well then, in my opinion, orange WON'T WORK unless you add another color to the mix...

happy?

didn't realize there were such strict rules about commenting.

Perhaps denise123's idea of live plants would work for a not-warm color accent.

Personally, I don't feel you need another color. The orange will look great with your neutrals, but you do need a pattern to pull it all together. Regarding the comment about another color...you could add several more colors, not sure if its going to make a huge difference unless you want more colors. A light blue, with the orange and the neutrals, would work but so would the right shade of yellow and green etc etc. Find a pattern you love, whether its a retro pattern or more conservative stripes, that incorporates your color scheme and your room will look cohesive. The pattern could be on pillows, a rug or even find a large wall painting. :)

Not only would your orange chairs work in this room, they will look great. I don't agree that you need more pattern or another color, unless you want it.

I would probably buy an orange pillow or two and maybe an orange vase.

Your room is quite lovely, and I think you are on your way to making it even lovelier.

Wende- THANKS! that's why I love this forum.

I know! I know! Tie the room together with a purple accent or two.

Not the 3rd grade purple kids love, but an adult, lilac-y one. I love Kevin McCloud's book on color, because even though brown is a really good tie it all together color, it can quickly get too 70s. And since purple is the sum of all colors, one of its many nuances can be just the right thing to get a room together.