I remember 2008 fondly — when I rented my first apartment, solo. I had no money, and dove right into meshing curbside drag-aways with yard sale treasures and family hand-me downs. I splashed paint on anything that would hold it (as we did in the earliest days of Pinterest) and improperly prepared every surface. But, I had a good time and flexed my design eye in the way that you only can when you’re single, living alone and binging (read: pirating) design TV shows on a brick of a laptop.

As I picked, stripped, and reimagined, I found myself grabbing pops of orange and layering them with neutral tones. Once I found a pull-out couch at a store that resold out-of-use hotel furniture, I was hooked on the bold tone. Spot the 1. Handmade pillow covers in discount tweed fabric, 2. flea market wall tapestry, 3. Ikea Loveseat 4. Urban-outfitters rug where I paid more for shipping than the item 5. brass lamp that I spray-painted canary yellow, 5. Multiple furniture pieces that I painted slate gray.

(Those photos are at the maximum resolution my camera could capture.)

Jonathan Adler and Happy Chic

Around that time, Jonathan Adler became well known for his 10 Commandments for a Happy Chic Home:

#1 Thou shalt embrace maximalism. Thou wilt find minimalism to be something of a bummer in thy abode. Thou wilt grow tired of an endless sea of beige and thou wilt long for a splash of color & a dollop of pattern! Bargello pillows, Furnace bottles, and rustic modern lamps – these shalt be the accessories that add some panache to your pad.

 

#2 Thou shalt not deny thyself hotelish comfort at home. Thou shalt furnish thy rooms with paw-pampering, hand-loomed llama wool rugs, luxurious lighting and our fabulous furniture. Thy rooms shalt feel like the most opulent hotel rooms in which thou hast ever stayed. Thou art worth it.

#3 Thou shalt buy an X-Bench. Then, thou shalt buy another. Thou shalt use them in pairs, perfect under thy console or placed near thy sofa. Thou shalt rest thy feet upon them & so will thy guests. In fact, thy guests might even fight over who gets to rest upon them. Therefore, thou shalt establish house rules about thy X-Benches. Perhaps thou should consider a sign up sheet.

#4 If thy nest needeth zest, consider thy crest! Thou shalt emblazon with thine initials wherever possible.

#5 Thou shalt mix fancy with frisky. Thou shalt not be overly formal, for if thou art, thou will be sad. Conversely, thou shalt not be overly whimsical, for if thou art thou will not feel chic. Therefore, thou shalt embrace a mix, pairing the chic classical foundation – excellent proportions, classic furniture – with a layer of playful punctuation. Then thou shalt rest.

#6 Thou shalt honor the funsters of yore. David Hicks, Alexander Girard, Piero Fornasetti, Bonnie Cashin, Bjorn Wiinblad – if thou dost not knoweth them, thou should. Thou can use Google Images to learn more about them and thou shalt channel their fun, idiosyncratic, playful spirit in thine own interiors. Thy home will be fun, happy, and chic.

#7 Thou shalt not commit murder, unless thou art murdering for a decorative accessory. If thou should find thyself at one of our stores and seeth the last bird bowl on our shelf, thou shalt feel free to use whatever means necessary to obtain that special something.

#8 Thou shalt not be afraid of orange. Thou shalt use orange copiously in thy interior, whether it beeth in an orange breakfast room or via the zing of an orange lacquered box. Thou might even consider painting thy front door orange to pique thy neighbor’s curiosity. Thou shalt also covet chocolate brown.

#9 Thou shalt play ping pong. Better still, thou shalt have a ping pong table in thy living room. Then, lo, thou shalt play ping pong with thy spouse rather than sitting around watching thy tv.

#10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house. In fact, after following these 10 commandments, thy neighbor might covet thy house.

Commandment 8 stuck in my mind as something current. Rooms with his designs just popped with those little bursts of orange — especially in contrast to minimalistic or traditional designs. Soon, everyone was adding bright or rich orange to modernize their homes.

Tangerine Tango Pantone Color of the Year 2012

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Color Ideas with Tangerine Tango

Revisiting Tangerine Tango gave me a chance to think about all the ways I like to pair this color.

Additional Reading

Help from a Lynchburg Media Agency

I am a writer first. I specialize in content-heavy websites, bringing together my 15 years of marketing background with my imaginative aesthetic. Most of the time, I optimize small business websites for search and social media. Through Verderame, LLC. I offer my services to small businesses who need assistance with their websites, content, and search engine optimization.

In 2023, I launched a boutique Lynchburg Media Agency under Verderame, LLC. And it’s all focused on retail. Our small team specializes in marketing services for makers, eStores, and retailers. We’re ready to maintain, manage, and promote your store on any platform including WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Square Online (Weebly), Comment Sold, Pinterest Shops, and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Shops. If you’re looking for a Lynchburg Media Agency, email me at danielle@theshopshop.co.

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