How to Create a Burnt Orange Living Room

Transform your living room into a warm and inviting sanctuary with the rich, comforting tones of burnt orange. This versatile hue works for modern and traditional interiors and complements a range of shades, offering endless styling possibilities. Our guide is here to help you create a rustic burnt orange living room, whether you want to add subtle warmth to your existing design or give the space a complete makeover with bold orange paint.

Choosing your burnt orange shade

Burnt orange offers a versatile palette, ranging from rich, vibrant hues like Earths Core to more subdued, earthy tones like Copper Blush and even deep reddish oranges like Brick Red. You can tailor the intensity to suit your preference by layering different shades within the orange colour family, adding dimension to your living room.

Alternatively, pair burnt orange with complementary colours to create contrast and balance within the space. Some of the best shades that enhance burnt orange are teal, navy blue, grey and warm neutrals. 

Burnt orange living room ideas

Burnt orange radiates warmth, making it ideal for living rooms. Its earthy undertones complement rustic interiors, blending seamlessly with natural materials like wood and metal. Discover our top burnt orange living room ideas here, from high-contrast colour palettes to cosy and inviting living room designs. 

1. Create contrast

Wondering how to create contrast in a rustic orange living room? Burnt orange and teal are the perfect pairing. As complementary colours on opposite sides of the colour wheel, they offer a balance of warm and cool tones. Burnt orange infuses the space with warmth and energy, while dark teal provides a calming and elegant contrast.

Create a focal point by painting a feature wall in a rich burnt orange shade, such as Toasted Clay. Balance this with a smaller accent wall in Teal Lux, adding interest to the room. For a fresh, airy feel, paint the ceiling and trim in crisp white. This brightens the space and provides a neutral backdrop, allowing the bold colours to shine. 

2. Use burnt orange to highlight features

Burnt orange paint is ideal for highlighting architectural features in your living room. We recommend painting a single wall or nook in burnt orange to add depth and interest to the room. Then, paint the rest of the room in pale, neutral tones like Timeless to let the orange stand out. 

This technique is also highly effective when used to highlight wooden features, whether exposed beams, mantelpieces, shelving or doors. A warm hue like Frosted Papaya naturally complements the rustic charm of wood, creating a snug space to unwind in.

3. Try colour blocking with orange

Colour blocking is an impactful technique that works well in living rooms. Not only does it create a unique aesthetic, but it also lets you define zones in open-plan spaces. You can place different shades side by side on adjoining walls or create a feature wall by painting the bottom half of your walls in a muted orange like Copper Blush and the upper half in a lighter shade like Absolute White. 

Keep furniture and accessories neutral and introduce natural wood to balance the design and achieve a rustic feel. In contemporary living rooms, black pendant lights provide further contrast without overpowering the orange palette. Alternatively, consider copper or gold accents to complement the burnt orange and add a touch of luxury.

4. Pair orange with earthy tones for a Scandi feel

Create a Scandi-inspired living room by blending burnt orange accents with soothing, earthy tones. Paint your walls in a calming hue like Cappuccino Candy 2, as this soft, neutral shade serves as a perfect backdrop for orange. Then, use a rich, burnt orange as an accent colour to inject warmth. 

To finish off the design and ground the space, incorporate dark brown or black furniture. Add wood and metal furniture, lighting and accessories and soft textures like rugs, cushions and throws for a rustic touch.

5. Opt for a rust living room

If you have a neutral living room and want to introduce a subtle splash of colour, consider painting your skirting, door frames and windowsills in a deep burnt orange or rust. Rich hues like Monarch and Brick Red make a striking impact when used on wood trim – we recommend keeping your walls neutral to let them stand out. 

Wondering if burnt orange could work in your living room? Download the Dulux Visualizer app to try your favourite shades from your smartphone and watch the space come to life in seconds.