What Colours Go With Burnt Orange? Palettes for Every Room
Burnt orange is a deep, toasted orange with a warm, autumnal feel. The colours that go best with it are teal, navy, cream, chocolate brown and mustard. Teal and navy give the boldest contrast, while cream and brown keep it calm and cosy. Use burnt orange as a confident accent against softer neutrals.
Below: eight colours that go with burnt orange and where to use them, the combinations to avoid, and how to bring burnt orange into your wall art.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
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Colours that go with burnt orange
- Teal. The classic pairing. Teal sits almost opposite burnt orange on the colour wheel, so burnt orange and teal make each other look brighter. Try teal walls with a burnt orange sofa or cushions, or a print that uses both.
- Navy. Blue is orange's complementary colour, and navy is the calmest way to use it. Navy and burnt orange feel smart and warm at the same time.
- Cream and ivory. The easiest base for a burnt orange colour palette. Cream keeps the room light and lets the orange glow.
- Chocolate brown and walnut. Deep browns make burnt orange feel rich and settled. Wood furniture and leather are natural partners.
- Mustard and ochre. An analogous palette: warm neighbours on the colour wheel. Together they give a cosy, 70s-inspired look.
- Olive and sage. Earthy greens balance burnt orange's heat and keep the room grounded.
- Blush and dusty pink. A softer, modern pairing. Blush takes the edge off burnt orange in bedrooms.
- Charcoal. A cool, neutral backdrop that makes burnt orange stand out without competing.
Colours that don't go with burnt orange
- Bright tangerine and neon orange. Two oranges at different strengths clash, and the burnt orange looks muddy.
- Pillar-box red and hot pink. These sit too close to burnt orange without matching it. The result feels loud.
- Lime green. Too sharp beside a warm, earthy orange. Olive and sage are the greens to choose.
- Every warm colour at once. Burnt orange with red, yellow and pink all together can overwhelm a room. Pick one warm partner and one cool contrast.
How to use burnt orange in wall art
Burnt orange is a strong colour, so it often works best as the accent. Use the 60-30-10 split from our decorating rules: about 60 per cent neutral on the walls, 30 per cent in a secondary colour such as teal, navy or brown, and 10 per cent burnt orange. A print is the easiest place for that accent.
On cream or white walls, burnt orange prints add warmth and energy straight away. On teal, navy or charcoal walls, a print with burnt orange in it really glows. Mid-century graphics, Bauhaus-style shapes, retro posters and earthy abstracts all lean naturally on this colour.
Check the undertone. Redder burnt oranges suit navy and blush; browner ones suit olive, cream and walnut. Above a bed, try one A1 above a double, or a pair of A2 prints above a king size.
Browse our burnt orange wall art, or add contrast with teal and blue-green prints. For more ideas, see 70s decor ideas and orange bedroom ideas.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
