Halloween is coming. It’s the season of pumpkins and pumpkin spice, and the color of the season is orange. Soon we’ll be seeing a lot of orange in homes.

However, the arrival of November 1 is no reason to bid the color goodbye. You can celebrate orange all year round. Orange is a vibrant and cheerful color that’s a good guest in your home in any season. From decor to area rugs to actual furniture, there are plenty of options to add some orange to all 12 months of your yearly life.

The Versatility of Orange

For starters, orange is fun. There’s something impish about an orange chair or a piece of orange decor in an otherwise staid room. But orange can be more than just an accent. As a theme color, orange is vibrant, exciting and playful, and it overflows with energy and warmth.

Orange can change the complexion of an entire room without being the focal point. Depending on the shade, it can be an inviting statement without demanding us to be overwhelmed by it.

Bright shades of orange burst with joy and add excitement to any space where people gather. Rusty or burnt oranges carry an undertone of gentle warmth. Lighter tones – think pinkish or salmon – aren’t out of place in quieter spots such as bedrooms. Darker oranges may not be as dramatic but they’re no less interesting. Consider the comforting look and feel of a subtly orange chair.

One tip for deploying orange: the brighter the shade, the smaller the dose. Choose rich oranges for accents and less aggressive tones for wider use.

Rhyming with Orange

There may not be a word that rhymes with “orange,” but plenty of colors are happy to pair with it. Orange blends with earth tones such as taupe and beige. It stylishly contrasts with grays of all descriptions.

Orange and blue is a classic combination. Blue is calm where orange is intense, and together they offset one another. They can lead the theme for a playful room or pump some merry life into a more conservative space.

For an adventurous “wow,” consider orange and white. There’s a combo that practically shouts sunshine and cheer!

A Statement in Furniture

Few things are as self-confident as orange furniture. Whether it’s a bright chair in a sunny room or a darker sectional in a living area, an orange piece practically dares you to say it doesn’t belong. How does an orange sofa look to a visitor? The answer is warm or warmer, depending on the hue.

The color is great for benches and footstools as well. And furniture doesn’t need to be a solid orange. Patterns and paisleys also fit the bill, especially in rooms where there’s decor that echoes the orange motif.

Spice It Up with Accents

Pumpkin spice accents the Halloween season, but any shade of orange enhances a space year-round. Use orange more than just once in your room. For example, orange throw pillows plus orange wall art create a sum of orange that’s greater than its parts!

Consider the visual impact of one orange accent chair plus one piece of orange decor. Changing the location of a few orange accents often changes the entire vibe of an area. A reading nook with an orange chair and an orange vase on the side table looks different from orange balanced throughout the room. Experiment and discover what orange decor does for your favorite space!

Grounding with Orange

The best place to start “oranging” a room is often with an orange area rug. If you choose a multicolored rug you can begin your adventure with as much or as little orange as you like. Once you have your splash of orange laid down, you won’t want to stop there! Make orange a background layer by adding a few pieces of decor and perhaps an accent chair.

Orange can be an anchoring color in a kitchen. Consider an orange backsplash against a gray countertop. Or orange kitchen chairs pulled up to an industrial-style gray table.

An Orange Strategy

Orange, particularly in its more forward interpretations, works best in places where people gather, especially living rooms, rec rooms and kitchens. In quiet space such as bedrooms it’s best to stick to the subtler and softer orangish shades.

The best news is, you don’t have to spend a fortune or redo your entire home to enjoy the advantages that come with orange! Even a few pieces in one or two rooms will bring in the joy of orange and add a little sunshine wherever you put it.