Burnt orange is what happens when orange ages and deepens — the colour of autumn leaves past their peak, of smouldering embers, of terracotta in afternoon sun. A muted, sophisticated relative of pure orange.

Burnt orange is warm without aggression — the orange that has been tempered by time. It is autumnal, nostalgic, and grounding. Associated with harvest, with endings that are also beginnings.

Burnt orange became a signature colour of 1970s interior design — harvest gold and burnt orange dominated American homes. It returned in the 2010s as part of the warm earthy palette trend. The University of Texas at Austin uses burnt orange as its official school colour.