apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That seems a bit much for that apartment... I would try it in a chocolate brown instead... maybe do some orange accents to the chocolate. And maybe just one wall?

What orange are you thinking? In my opinion, a salmon orange, or any lighter shades will not work with the carpet or your furniture. I think high-contrast colours would work better - a burnt pumpkin orange accented with black. You will need to paint those closet doors black too. Still, I think the sofa you have may look out of place. Perhaps another colour?

i'd be curious as to the exact shade of orange you're considering -- but initially, my concern would be the height (or lack thereof) of your ceiling..

Hmmmm. I say if you love the look go for it. BUT...

Make sure it is just the colors you are responding so positively to. It may also be lighting and flooring and many other factors that make you swoon in that space.

Your taste looks more traditional than that color scheme might lead. If you are looking for sweeping change, I say save up and dive in!

OR... talk to a designer and see how you can translate your love of that look into a reality you can walk into.

And although some say an accent wall is the chicken's way out of color commitment, it might be a way to test your at-home love of such a strong color.

I've tried chocolate brown and chinese red in my space. I have some notes of caution:

1. Experience proves one of the many points made in The Cure. Lighting is everything. Intense colors at night with spot lighting are dramatic and amazing.

2. However, intense color on the walls of living spaces is very difficult because a living space is 24/7, not only dining hours. Not only does lighting change, room use changes througout the day, every day.

I started with a palette of chinse red, celadon blue/green, and gold. I painted my walls chinese red and the other colors were accents. My room looked great at night, but the rest of the time it felt like a cave, or like I was beating myself up with color.

When I started to make the room over, I kep the same palette, but wanted to paint the walls chocolate brown. At night, the walls looked almost black.

I finally changed the walls to a taupe shade that looks velvety in the evening, and it a great backdrop for all the other colors in my palette.

The lesson I learned: for me, bold color is more effective in small splahes against a neutral ground.

Suggestion: Orange, sand, and black are a great palette. Stick with a neutral and get a fabulous tribal rug in those colors, and then repeat the colors like rhythm in a poem or song, e.g., with the black woodwork, picture frames; ceramic or glass vases or lamps in varying shades or orange; art or pillow that repeat all your colors, along with complimentary shades like green and blue.

It's hard to make a suggestion without knowing the type of orange you wish to use in the room. If I were to use orange it would be a subdued lighter hue, modified with another color, perhaps brown. I would not recommend using a bold orange (i.e. safety orange, tangerine) in a living room as it could result in a kitcheny look. Remember that wall colors that look great in one setting can look horrible in another so get paint swatches, and after whittling down your selection, sample bottles of the oranges you like and test them out on all of the walls you wish to repaint. On a sunny day when you're going to be home from dusk to dawn, observe how both natural and artificial light react with the paints and choose the one that works best.

Good luck!

whatever you decide to do, do get rid of the vertical blinds, please.

I think Domino had a feature recently- could have also been Philadelphia Home- where black floating glass frames were hung on a bright orange wall. It was wallpaper though, not paint...

If the color proves to be too much, what about painting stripes? You could be as conservative/daring as you like, and it might still be more subtle...something like this?

http://www.dominomag.com/howtos/diy/2008/01/paint_stripes

is this what you have in mind?

http://www.paperbean.com.au/blog/decor8orange.jpg

(lower right hand photo)

What about your bedroom?

I'm not sure if the openness of your living space could really handle such bold color without some serious investment in furniture and accessories as well.

But a smaller room might be able to handle it.

PS

Why not reupholster your couch in orange instead? that way you get to take it with you. :-)

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/stores/la-store-the-loft-michael-levines-upstairs-044362

I say go for it. :)
The trick with really bold colors is to make sure that you have plenty of light so that you don't get that cave-like feeling. It looks like light won't be a problem because you have that very large sliding door right there. You can always repaint if you don't like it. I was afraid to use bold color and I finally did and I love it! Since your couch is so light I would make sure some of your accent pillows pick up the orange so the couch isn't your main focus when you look in the room. I would also pick an accent color that falls somewhere between the orange and your beige carpet and couch...maybe light yellow? It will help marry the two. Good luck!

I don't have overly-specific recommendations for you Veronica, however if you find the interior of the restaurant inspiring then why not go for it and make it a project to complete, bit by bit, over the year? The image you describe of the interior is quite different from your current place of course, but you currently describe your digs as "sad" so perhaps they don't represent your style or preferences... just what you've felt stuck with.

You'll eventually want to replace your vertical blinds and the light fixture in your dining room. I'm not sure how the orange walls would work with the white double-doors (nor do I know whether you can paint them too--I wonder what color?). You also want to remember that the colors on your walls need to coordinate with the beige rug and couch (unless you plan on replacing one or both) which isn't always easy.

But again: it's your home. Get some advice occasionally if you need an objective eye regarding colors, coordinations, etc. Don't let someone discourage you from making it yours, though.

I just saw an orange room on the decorno blog: http://decorno.blogspot.com/
this is also a great site I might add. The room is orange but the furniture is dark brown. I think this works much better then black furniture, that I personally find looks cheap and hard. The orange and dark brown of the wood gives a more natural and softer look.
Can you also paint the white doors? they might look very bright against an orange wall. If you are not sure, why not start with painting one wall and go from there? I would not pain the ceiling though as it's very low and might make the room feel a bit claustrophobic.

So Veronica....how do you feel about Halloween?
If it's your favorite holiday, I say go for it....

If you do something as bold and modern as the orange walls, you definitely will need to do something about those vertical blinds. Sliding doors are difficult, but I'd recommend going with a curtain... maybe something simple and cheap from Ikea that fits your color palette. Best of luck.

BLINDFinder.com
"Everything you could want to know about window treatments."

Kissen Tempura Bar?

Also, if done right, in no way does orange mean Halloween.

I say, if you know what you want the end goal to look like (take a photo of the actual restaurant!), then pick out the aspects you love the most and go for it! (Like someone else said, lighting is everything, so keep that in mind, too.)

Good luck!!

Yes! Go for the Orange! I may even do a line of white at the top of the wall (like a border, in white/or the color of the ceiling 3-4") to bring the whole room together. I think it will look great!

Good luck!

If you can see the result clearly in your head, I say go for it. If you hate it, you can always repaint.

Keep one thing in mind: paint color and picture frames are usually some of the last choices you make after you have everything else the way you like it. I get the impression from your description that you aren't particularly happy with the other choices in the room (carpet, window treatments, furniture...) and are hoping a can of Benjamin Moore and some frames will offer a quick fix. While color can greatly improve a room, it won't change the elements you are not so fond of. If this is the case, address the bones first: floor color, then furniture, then windows and walls.

I would suggest baby steps. How about buying a big orange pinata of a pumpkin instead? Live with that for a while. If you still have this orange fascination after 30 days just think about how much work it would be to do the place over. Wouldn't you rather watch TV or go out to the movies? Or better yet, go to a bar and look at cute guys?

What I'm trying to say is: Orange black = trouble.
Don't do it. Sorry. Some pikers are encouraging you to do it but it would be a mistake.

Are you good with Photoshop?
Take these pictures and change the colors to see if it works.
And don't forget those Benjamin Moore sample pots - they could be helpful too.
It sounds good to me but it's a bold move.

I'm surprised that so many people think it's not a good idea. I think it's great! Go for it. Personally, I think you can pull it off because your couch and carpet are so neutral - it would lighten the whole look. Again, if you don't love it - paint one wall white. Some new pillows and some plants will liven it up too. Have fun and let us know how it turns out!

I painted my kitchen a kind of "burnt mango" with black and teal accents. I only did the upper half of the walls (above a chairrail), and I have to tell you, I don't think I would like the color as much if I had done entire walls all around the room. The color is gorgeous at night, but during the day, it can be a little harsh on the eyes. I would suggest an accent wall or a stripe to bring in the color in a subtle, yet still noticeable way.

Listen, it's just paint. You'll shell out a couple hundred bucks and a whole bunch of person-hours if you're doing it yourself but if you've got the cash and the time and will to experiment then why not? You can always change it back.

Personally, I'm dreading our upcoming attempt to rid our 1/2 bath of some *orange venetian plaster* that someone left behind in this house. I don't know how to do that without re-drywalling but with paint you wouldn't have that nasty problem.

I recently went to a friend's home where she painted walls that faced eachother a beautiful rich marigold color (it took three coats) and had one large black framed artwork on one of the walls. it worked very well. i say if you want to try it go for it- worst thing- you won't like it and will have to but more paint. Do it!

Paint a sample square and live with it for a week or two, watch the colour and see how it feels/changes in the light etc. If you like it, paint a full accent wall, and then on to the rest of the room.

Orange and black are quite a strong combination. Chocolate brown may get you the same look without being sooo stark (I'm thinking the west elm chocolate brown) I think you could brighten it up with some gold accents, either in a modern way (sunburst mirrors, vases etc) or a more traditional french brasserie look.

If you love the look, give it a shot, worst thing that will happen is you will decide you dont like it and redo it in 3 months. which is better than debating it for 3 months!

Paint and frames are low committment. Furniture is a bit more involved, buy new table and chairs because you love them, regardless of what you do with the rest of the room. What about painting or spray painting your existing set to see how it fits? (if you like it that is....)

Super quick and dirty concept, using more of a burnt orange colour - Image link. Upon seeing it together, I actually think it works with the carpet better than one would expect.

As well as replacing the dining set, I'd also suggest keeping an eye out for accessories and textiles (pillows, window treatments, etc) that would give the room brighter pops of colour (tangerine orange or in contrast teal/blue) to balance out the neutrals and the black furniture and avoid the possible halloween look. I'd also want to update that chair in the corner if it holds no sentimental/antique appeal, it gets lost against a orange wall. I think you could rock it, but it would definitely require careful planning. Good luck with whatever you decide.