Autumn isn’t the only time to incorporate rich warm colors into your home (although it’s likely when those tones, looking their finest in nature, pop into your design dreams). Vibrant oranges, cozy reds, and sunny yellows infuse spaces with energy and warmth, two things that are always good to have in a room, no matter the season. For an instant and impactful transformation, pick warm paint colors or go the subtle route with warm-hue curtains, pillows, and upholstery.
Before we get to the pictures, a little crash course in color theory: Warm colors are specifically defined as red, orange, and yellow tones, while cool colors are blues, greens, and purples. Understanding the difference between warm versus cool colors can help you figure out color combinations and color schemes for your living space depending on the mood you’re going for. Warm shades can help make a space feel cozier, whether used as dominant shades in a room or as accents. To figure out complementary colors of the specific shades you’re looking at, look to the opposite side of the color wheel from the tone you’ve decided on.
We delved into our favorite AD–featured home tours to find the most stunning examples of these colors in action—in living rooms, offices, kitchens, and more. Read on to see just what impact the tones have on interiors.
