Orange: 21 shades, names and colour codes

Orange sits between red and yellow in familiar colour wheels. Terracotta is more muted than bright orange, although both belong to the same family.

Orange can appear as a vivid accent, terracotta or light peach. Choose that direction first, because it determines how much space the colour takes beside its companions. Saturated orange benefits from a clear role; an earthy version may be easier to extend across a larger surface.

Orange and blue: adjust the intensity

Navy and bright orange create a distinct opposition; greyed blue and terracotta offer a more restrained direction. In either case, avoid starting with equal areas. Make one blue-led version and one orange-led version, then choose the one that genuinely supports the subject or furniture.

Orange and brown: work with materials

Terracotta can accompany brown leather, wood and a sandy background. Distribute lightness to prevent the result from becoming one undifferentiated mass: dark brown, medium terracotta and light sand. Materials can vary, but compare their colours together; three appealing individual samples do not automatically make a palette.

Orange and green: choose a companion that does not compete

Try burnt orange with olive or forest green. Green can frame an orange area rather than occupy an equal one. For an illustration, add a cream background and assess the drawing without its small details first. If the main arrangement works, accents can enrich the composition instead of having to rescue it.

Light peach is not simply a lighter replacement for terracotta; it can also shift towards pink or yellow. For a wall, compare generous samples with the planned textiles. For a digital background, place the photographs and text on it immediately so that you assess the colour in its actual role.

Test 60% sand, 30% greyed blue and 10% terracotta. For a more orange-led version, exchange the blue and terracotta areas. Compare both using the same images or objects.

If the button, background, headings and illustrations all use the same bright orange, no element keeps a distinctive job. Reserve the most saturated version for one function and use neutrals or softer variations elsewhere. Check the readability of each piece of text placed on orange separately.