Donna Sauers Designs: Dreaming of Spring...It can't come soon enough!

I look forward to spring each year for many reasons. It means that little green shoots will be popping up in the garden, art fairs will be right around the corner, and designs will be ready to debut for the new season. When my furnace went out last week I had a new reason to want to "spring forward". So I thought I would heat things up a bit with my designs in various shades of orange.

Fruit Compote

Orange is my favorite color! Even before it was on-trend, I painted my kitchen orange and my two favorite chairs are are mid-century modern in vibrant orange. Well, some call it mid-century modern, however, I grew up with these two chairs so they are actually a part of my childhood. I love wearing orange and it is sure to make my day brighter. I have to agree with Frank Sinatra who said "orange is the happiest color!"

When I first started working with orange it pushed me out of my comfort zone because I usually work in softer palettes. But I quickly warmed up to it and it became a customer favorite. It adds a pop of color to blacks and grays and looks fresh against a white t-shirt. The palette I call Fruit Compote combines fresh colors of spring and summer including pinks and greens. It is fun and flirty!

On a more sophisticated note is the palette Orange Obsession. Deep orange is paired with gray pearls, Tourmalinated Quartz, Pyrite and Carnelian. I love this combination and feel it has a lot of depth.

Orange Obsession

Every shade of orange is popping up on the runways for Spring 2013. From subtle shades of coral to vibrant orange that tends to read a little more like red. Orange can sometimes be a hard color to wear, however, try a skirt, purse, or cute pair of shoes to be on-trend if it doesn't work with your skin tone. Or try a subtle coral. A pop of orange will make you smile!