Decorating
8 Ways to Decorate With Summer Sunset Tones of Pink and Orange
For the best way to work this vibrant colour scheme, simply look to Mother Nature
The warmer months and longer days mean that more of us are out and about when the sun sets, and what a colourful show the sky puts on for us during those hot summer evenings. Many artists look to nature for inspiration and it’s here that you can discover the most beautiful colour combinations to recreate indoors. Be inspired by these sunset décor ideas, brought to you by the dusky pinks, oranges and yellows of the warm night skies.
Go one step further with blending
This bolder version of the ombre effect works just as well, and more accurately captures a summer sky, when it’s blended from one colour to the next. Try painting golden yellows running into burning rose hues and sun-bleached pinks.
To get the best blended effect, use a wide brush or a paint roller. Paint the wall from the top downwards in your first shade (or on the right side if you’re going for a sideways effect as shown here), until you hit the spot where you want the colours to merge. Then paint the bottom part in your second shade. Keep the edge where the colours meet uneven by using upward (or sideways), criss-cross and diagonal strokes to join the shades together. For the perfect finish, blend again with a roller, going lightly over the blended area for a more graduated effect.
This bolder version of the ombre effect works just as well, and more accurately captures a summer sky, when it’s blended from one colour to the next. Try painting golden yellows running into burning rose hues and sun-bleached pinks.
To get the best blended effect, use a wide brush or a paint roller. Paint the wall from the top downwards in your first shade (or on the right side if you’re going for a sideways effect as shown here), until you hit the spot where you want the colours to merge. Then paint the bottom part in your second shade. Keep the edge where the colours meet uneven by using upward (or sideways), criss-cross and diagonal strokes to join the shades together. For the perfect finish, blend again with a roller, going lightly over the blended area for a more graduated effect.
Add subtle accents
If painting a wall in pink or orange is a bit too extreme for you, why not dabble in sunset tones via a piece of furniture or smaller accessories? Here, a dusty pink sofa, orange accent cushions and a warm orange rug create a layer of sunset style, but the crisp white wall behind keeps the room feeling fresh and bright.
If painting a wall in pink or orange is a bit too extreme for you, why not dabble in sunset tones via a piece of furniture or smaller accessories? Here, a dusty pink sofa, orange accent cushions and a warm orange rug create a layer of sunset style, but the crisp white wall behind keeps the room feeling fresh and bright.
Echo sunset shades outside…
If you enjoy watching the sun go down from your garden, make the most of it with a warm, welcoming wooden terrace and seating area, plumped up with cushions that reflect the shades of the fiery pre-dusk sky. During the day it’s a bold and fun look, while at sunset, it’s beautifully harmonious. Include some mirrored elements as well to capture the sunset within the scheme.
Want to make your small garden look bigger? Check out these clever tricks to do just that
If you enjoy watching the sun go down from your garden, make the most of it with a warm, welcoming wooden terrace and seating area, plumped up with cushions that reflect the shades of the fiery pre-dusk sky. During the day it’s a bold and fun look, while at sunset, it’s beautifully harmonious. Include some mirrored elements as well to capture the sunset within the scheme.
Want to make your small garden look bigger? Check out these clever tricks to do just that
…and in nature itself
Choose plants for your garden that echo the tones of the sunset. This purple-pink Japanese maple or acer looks radiant peeking through a Corten steel wall. This alloy, also known as weathering steel, is designed so that you don’t need to paint it. It’s perfect for the garden and provides a striking orange rust effect.
Choose plants for your garden that echo the tones of the sunset. This purple-pink Japanese maple or acer looks radiant peeking through a Corten steel wall. This alloy, also known as weathering steel, is designed so that you don’t need to paint it. It’s perfect for the garden and provides a striking orange rust effect.
Capture a particular sunset
Just as artists are inspired by nature, you can filter that down and be more specific when it comes to your home décor. Look through your favourite holiday photos – is there a particular image that holds dear memories? There are worse places to start when it comes to creating a colour scheme.
This room, for example, could easily have been inspired by a snapshot of an African evening after a day’s safari.
Love travelling? See how to showcase that wanderlust in your home
Just as artists are inspired by nature, you can filter that down and be more specific when it comes to your home décor. Look through your favourite holiday photos – is there a particular image that holds dear memories? There are worse places to start when it comes to creating a colour scheme.
This room, for example, could easily have been inspired by a snapshot of an African evening after a day’s safari.
Love travelling? See how to showcase that wanderlust in your home
Introduce dusky blues
Navy blue is a popular colour choice right now. However, instead of seeing it as a softer, more liveable alternative to absolute black, imagine its role in a sunset when night falls, along with the other colours such a scene suggests. You could match it with pale pink or lilac – the colour of fluffy dusk clouds – as shown here. Or perhaps go for burnished orange and pinky red accents. Go on a recce with your camera at dusk and take some snaps to help you colour match.
Navy blue is a popular colour choice right now. However, instead of seeing it as a softer, more liveable alternative to absolute black, imagine its role in a sunset when night falls, along with the other colours such a scene suggests. You could match it with pale pink or lilac – the colour of fluffy dusk clouds – as shown here. Or perhaps go for burnished orange and pinky red accents. Go on a recce with your camera at dusk and take some snaps to help you colour match.
Think about pattern
Pink and orange are not shrinking violet colours, so if you’re going to combine them, make a real statement. Bold prints and clashing patterns add warmth, fun and vibrancy to this cheerful bedroom scheme.
TELL US…
Would you recreate the colours of a sunset in your home? Or have other natural elements inspired you? Share your pictures and ideas in the Comments below.
Pink and orange are not shrinking violet colours, so if you’re going to combine them, make a real statement. Bold prints and clashing patterns add warmth, fun and vibrancy to this cheerful bedroom scheme.
TELL US…
Would you recreate the colours of a sunset in your home? Or have other natural elements inspired you? Share your pictures and ideas in the Comments below.
Capture the gentle pink haze of the early evening sky with this clever dipped effect. To create the look, mask off your wall all the way around and paint it in two different tones of the same colour.
This is an unusual approach as colour stacking effects are typically designed with the darker, “heavier” colour on the bottom and the lighter shade at the top. Here, it’s the other way around, mimicking the paler tones of the summer sunset at the horizon line. It works because the colour is balanced by the black framed artwork that goes all the way to the skirting, the dark wood furniture and the deeper orangey-yellow shade of the throw on the bed.