What screams 70s, Y2K, and fun-loving-energy like the color orange? Orange might not be everyone's favorite color, but it might be yours. And if it is, you might be asking yourself how you can incorporate it into your dorm room this fall semester. Maybe you’re wondering how to tie in a bright or even rustic shade of color to fit the theme of your new room. Or maybe you and your roommate both love the color and are looking to incorporate decor that will make any orange lover gush. You could have the hippie room of your dreams, or simply put a modern spin on a color that will make your friends wonder if the preppy orange aesthetic is fit for them too.

Whatever your situation, if you want to incorporate orange into your decor in an aesthetically pleasing way, the key is to find a style of decorating you like and put your own personal, orange spin on it. You can pick from many different styles and aesthetics depending on what vibe you’re trying to create, but below are five different approaches to get you started on the track of having an aesthetic orange dorm room!

1. Seventies Vintage

An easy way to incorporate orange into your dorm room is through a vintage lens. You may want to stick with a simple rustic orange route or even incorporate some different shades of orange to spruce up the space, it’s up to you! The seventies were all about expressing yourself through fashion, music, and even something as simple as home decor. Home decor in the seventies featured retro colors, funky chairs, and a whole lot of expression in the shape of wallpaper, animal print, velvet everything, and fringe. Funky patterns like mushrooms were all the rage, so one way to incorporate the vibes is a groovy mushroom pillow.

When embracing the vintage style in your dorm, you don’t have to go all out putting wallpaper on the walls, which will get you fined at the end of the year. Instead, focus on the color pallet and add little touches through your decor. There are many options you can go with but if you’re aiming for that seventies vibe. One way to incorporate your own personal touch is by adding more colors alongside the various shades of orange in your dorm. 

The color combination of orange and pink complement each other all while paying homage to the vintage looks of the 70s that we all know and love. While the rustic, mute orange color is a beautiful color on its own, the addition of various shades of pink brightens the groovy space. To incorporate more of this orange and pink seventies-style decor, you could add some fringe wall art or some velvet throw pillows on your bed. Another simple, yet great way to incorporate that burnt orange color into your room is through your organizing bins or your desk supplies. A simple lamp or two, even an encouraging poster hanging above your desk might be all you need to pay homage to the vibes of the 70s. 

You can also incorporate orange in a seventies-style by getting unique accent furniture pieces. If you have room, adding a small chair or ottoman footstool are fun ways to add color and they often come in various shades of orange. An ottoman footstool will also offer you extra storage space, perfect for those extra extension cords or any other miscellaneous items you never know where to put. If you want something more vintage, you could even thrift a wicker stool and DIY it orange or stick with a simple bohemian stool that pays homage to the rustic, orange vibes.

The seventies were all about peace and happiness, so consider incorporating other colors besides orange and pink as well. You don’t have to go full rainbow, but picking out two accent colors to your orange can help give your room that seventies vibe you might be looking for. A simple way to do this without it being overpowering is to add some wall art to your room. Picking out some seventies-inspired designs, such as a flowery neon wall hanging can help give your room that seventies vibe while still including orange into your look. 

This wall print is a fun way to include other colors into your orange aesthetic to give it a seventies feel. 

2. A Modern Approach 

If bright orange is more your vibe, then a modern approach to decorating might be for you! When most people think of modern, they think of a room with a clean-cut hotel style. Clean lines, bright colors, minimal patterns. With a more modern approach, you can incorporate bright orange colors through accents and leave the rest of the room more plain. This can mean using a dark orange bedding set and a few bright orange accents, while the rest of the room is a subtle color to make the orange really pop. 

A modern way of decorating also focuses on simplicity. This doesn’t mean you can’t load your bed up with the throw pillows of your dreams. Rather, when looking at decor items try to stray away from too many conflicting patterns. If you have a strongly patterned rug for your room, stick with solid colors for the rest. On the other hand, if your bed is a solid color then get some patterned throw pillows for some contrast.

A way you can go about decorating while using modernized bits and pieces with accents of your favorite color is by picking a few orange focal points (like your bedding, rugs, or pillows). By using a bright orange bedding set or rug you can use that as the main point of focus and make the rest of your dorm a color that compliments the orange such as yellow or different shades of brown. Using a darker against the orange, such as a brown will draw the eye to the brighter color and complement it well, while the yellow subtly brightens up the space differentiating it from the typical hotel-like style of orange.

Having a darker shade of orange as a comforter over white sheets makes it stand out, but still sticks to the modern design. Image courtesy of 

Your choices on the rest of the decor really depend on your personal style. Even if you like the more modern vibe you don’t have to follow it exactly. The fun part about decorating your own space is that you can do whatever you want. Though a modern aesthetic is more about minimalism, you can stray as far from the rules as you want. Another way to incorporate orange into this style, while sticking with a modern simplistic design is by adding orange curtains, an orange desk lamp, or a rug with orange decals that add a pop of color.

If you intend on sharing a rug with a roommate who may not like the color orange or simply have no floor room, another fun way to add pops of orange in your room is by using drawer liners. Drawer liners are great for adding color and protecting your clothes or other things from scratching or ruining your drawers. You can pick out a bright orange to add a pop of color every time you open your drawers.  

3. Monochrome 

Okay, so taking the more muted or minimalist approach isn’t your style, so what do you do next? You need not to worry. If you love orange and are looking for a way to incorporate it into your dorm room in a more obvious, eye-catching way, then a monochrome approach is perfect for you! A monochrome approach to decorating is all about keeping within the same color. The best way to do this is to pick a single color and incorporate different shades of it. In this scenario, the color would be orange. This pairing is even more perfect for you if you love different shades of orange and want to have them all included in your bedroom. 

The key to getting the perfect monochrome look to your room is dimension. You don’t want to just have one shade of orange for everything, that simply wouldn’t do. This can make your room look flat. Instead, try mixing different shades to add depth to your room. Doing this will allow you to flaunt your love of orange without it being too overpowering. 

To begin, picking your perfect bedding is a good place to start. If you want your bed to be the main focus of your room, then building off of the colorful bedding set you pick is key. By choosing your bedding first, you can then decide on your accent pieces. Consider picking out some orange throw pillows in a darker or lighter shade than the bedding. 

Using sheets another shade that differs from the pillows or bedspread is a great way to help give your bed dimension. From there, picking different shaded rugs and wall decor will allow you to have the orange room of your dreams without it just looking like the Nickelodeon icon blew on your side of the room. When looking for other orange facets, try to find them in a different shade from your bed, which will be the main eye-catcher of the room most of the time. If your bed is the focal point, having various shades displayed throughout the room will enhance this. 

Creating dimensions with different shades of orange also helps to prevent you from becoming sick of the color. Orange is such a bright color that being surrounded by it daily might end in you despising it. Having different shades and dimensions means your eyes aren’t forced to just focus on one bright color. Instead of your room being just one shade of bright orange, your room will look chic, bohemian, or preppy with different shades, all depending on your own personal style. This will make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. 

4. Orange Bohemian 

If bright colors aren’t your favorite but you have a soft spot for orange, then taking on a bohemian approach to decorating might suit you. If you like bohemian-style decor, chances are you’re a fan of everything natural looking, light colors, and fringe. But the bohemian style is so much more than that. If you think this is the vibe you like, focus on decorating with light colors that work with one another. No one color should overpower another, instead, they should flow together and look as natural as possible. Focus on incorporating orange in subtle ways. Starting with a light base for your room will make the orange pop. 

However, unlike the modern approach, a bohemian style of decorating doesn’t focus on clean lines and simple designs. Rather, this is your chance to let go and really express your style with patterns and decor. Just try to keep the base of your room light and airy and then really make the orange pop with subtle decor, or by getting pieces that have orange in them. 

A white throw blanket with fringe accents is a good way of incorporating a light, solid-colored item into your bohemian bedroom in contrast to the orange. It’s both simple and classy, all while evening out the orange, no matter the shade used.

Another way to incorporate this style is if you want an orange bedding set, maybe opt for a lighter orange with other shades or colors mixed in as well. Then, offset that with another lighter color in your room. The goal is to make the decor light and airy so that it isn’t overbearing. If you go for a more plain bedding set, add in some decorative pillows with a lot of designs and orange accents. 

Consider also picking out a tapestry to hang in your room. Picking out a tapestry is a great way to really incorporate your own personal style. You can get one with a lot of patterns, or opt for a plain one. A tapestry is also an amazing way to incorporate a lot of different shades of orange into your room without it being overpowering. If you don’t have enough wall space for a tapestry, have no fear! A fringe wall hanging or pennant will do just the trick, no matter the shade of orange.

Another idea is to get a large area rug, like the one shown above, that has a lot of earthy tones in it and some light shades of orange to complement your bedding. Orange bohemian decor can also be added to your room by getting wall art that is simple, with light pops of orange in it to tie all your pieces together.

5. Your Own Personal Style

Now, forget everything you’ve learned and just remember this one rule. Have fun with your decorating choices and just let your own style shine through. Maybe your personal style doesn’t fit into a category but you just know what you like. The best part about decorating is that there are no set rules. So if you want to let your style shine through in your dorm room, then pick your decor accordingly. Fill your space with pieces that match your vibe and make you feel as comfortable as possible. College is filled with uncomfortable moments, but having a space that brings you comfort and you look forward to coming back to and spending time in makes all the difference!  

Fun and crazy patterns might just be the trick to make you yearn for those moments in your dorm room. If you’re a fan of crazy patterns then consider getting a rug with an orange base color and different designs on it. Pair your patterned bedspread with throw pillows that feature even crazier patterns. If you like your look more simple, think about keeping it plain with little to no patterns. This will allow the orange to stand out and make a statement on its own. If you want your room to be all white with just touches of orange, then focus on finding smaller pieces like an orange clock or an orange desk trinket to set out to add pops of color. Adding an orange throw blanket to your bed is also a way to incorporate the color. 

When decorating your dorm room, it is important to just remember to have fun and to let your creative side shine through. Incorporating orange into your room can be challenging, but it can also be a fun way to experiment with different styles! And if you don’t find a specific style you like, then you can always make your own!

Orange might not be a color for everyone, but if it is your favorite then adding it into your dorm room is a no-brainer. How you add it is up to you! Whether it be a few small, simple bits of decor or a full-blown orange room, if you’re looking to make your room aesthetically pleasing then just follow what you like. If you decorate your dorm the way you want now, then you’ll always have a place that you’re proud of and love.

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