Color Collision: Orange you glad you met Emerald?

A Dutch Orange walks into a bar...

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to one of my favorite colors, Green. Verte, Verde, Grün - oh, how I love this color. It has so many stunning shades, and compliments so many colors, but today I am going to start with a bright combination. Don’t worry, I have about 50 more in mind. Let’s begin with a stunner of a green, Emerald. Does it get more classic then that? Emerald is not only a color, but also a gem stone one can hold, making it all the more precious. Dutch Orange on the other hand is rooted in the ground, literally. Its origin dates to the 16th century when farmers were developing an orange varietal of carrots. Yes, carrots were not always orange.

The Vegatable Stall | Werner’s Nomenclature of Colors | Portrait of Wiliam I

It’s not hard to correlate the Dutch with the color orange. It’s the color of the ruling family, known to this day as “The House of Orange.” The colors symbolism has its roots in religion, when William the Silent, “Prince of Orange,” led a rebellion to free The Netherlands from fanatic Catholic rule. In gratitude to William I the Dutch took the color into their hearts and homes. They even conceived the orange carrot to bring this flavor of orange to dutch tables, and now carrots are ubiquitous with the color orange. In creating this new vegetal varietal the Dutch helped not only a nation, but the world, to embrace the bright hue of “The House of Orange.”

Funny enough because the orange dyes of the time faded too fast, the national flag now sports a red stripe (in place of its original orange). Let it be known, that at its beating heart, The Netherlands flag is white, blue and orange. Dutch Orange did make it onto another infamous flag, and for my New Yorkers out there this is especially for you. If you’ve ever lived in New York you know the state flag, flying proudly across the city, its colors blue, white and orange. Did you know the orange is a reference to the Dutch? In 1673 the Dutch captured the city of New York from the British, and baptised the city with a new name, New Orange. The name didn’t stick, but the color did in the form of that orange stripe on the NY State flag. So while the Dutch Orange didn’t make it onto The Netherlands flag, its mark was made across the Atlantic in New Orange, I mean New York.

Werner’s Nomenclature of Colors | Victorian Era Ad | Bahia Emerald | Van Gogh

When we think emerald we almost immediately think of gems and jewelry, perhaps even the lengendary Bahia Emerald discovered in the early 2000s. Emeralds are both rare and fragile, but thankfully the paint color is less so. The Romas used to grind emeralds into a powder that was used in eye balms, as they believed green to be restful to the eyes. Eventually I think they realized it’s more restful to look at it.

As a pigment Emerald Green was first produced in 1814. In the Victorian Era Emerald was the height of fashion, from clothing to home decor Emerald was sought after. Unfortunately to make Emerald Green at the time it was a toxic recipe that eventually was banned in the early 1900s. It is said that Napoleon’s death was hastened by the toxic cocktail that tainted his Emerald wallpaper. Luckily Windsor Emerald was later developed which was safe to use, and allowed emerald lovers like Gaugin and Van Gogh to paint their own emerald cities.

Henri Rousseau | Queen Anne of Great Britain | Hermes | Hawa Mahal

Now to the good stuff, the collision of these two gems, well, one gem and one fruit ;). I have found numerous combinations of these colors out in the world. From an orange tree to Hermes Eau d’Orange, these two are quite the duo. A striking example of this combo can be found at the Hawa Mahal palace in India, where Emerald green windows adorn a sandstone exterior making an orange hued exterior. Nature abounds with examples from the Birds of Paradise flower to Orange trees as depicted in Henri Rousseau’s 1904 painting, Women Walking in an Exotic Forest. Another great example is in the Vila Carminati, designed by the architect Romeo Moretti between 1938 and 1939. The warm orange of the wood paired with emerald walls and textures is the perfect harmony.

1 | 2 Farrow & Ball | 3 & 4 Villa Carminati | 5

If you feel daring enough to embrace this duo, look no further than the inspiring images above¹. You can pair the two subtly, adding dashes of these colors to add more flavor to a bland room. You can also immerse yourself in these jewel tones. If you want to warm up your home you can dive in with Dutch Orange by Farrow & Ball (this is as close to the color as you’re going to get). Following the Villa Carminati’s example, you can layer emerald textures in with warm dutch orange toned wood. The emerald tones will help to ground the room, while the dutch orange will help warm it up, like the light emanating from the harth of a fire.

If you want to keep the room on the bold but cool side, why not opt for Benjamin Moore’s Emerald Isle paint. You can paint an entire room to make your own emerald city, or perhaps just a wall, or demi-wall to dip your toes in it. To balance these bold jewel tones you can always use more neutral furniture. Maybe make a statement with an orange coffee table or perhaps a display of orange pottery to collide against the emerald. You get the idea, the world is your oyster.

If you are looking for more inspiration, check out this pinterest board where you will find more inspiration. And if you dared to decorate with this dynamic duo, do let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear how it turned out.

1. You may note these colors appear to differ in hue. I remind you as with any color, the shade of it and it’s vibrancy shifts depending on the application, the texture, and how the light illuminates a space.