Does Fall Have to Be Orange? Not When There Are So Many Colors.

I love pumpkin orange. I really do. But does pumpkin have to do all the work?

Living in North Carolina, I get a front-row seat to fall every year. The trees don't exactly stick to one color. There are yellows, golds, reds, rusty browns, deep greens, and some surprisingly pretty shades that are hard to name without sounding like a paint catalogue.

Maybe our tables deserve the same freedom.

That is what I started thinking about when I looked at Colonial Candle's taper colors. There is Pumpkin and Amber, of course, but also Cranberry, Mulberry, Evergreen, Mocha, Ivory, and more. Looking at all those colors together, I started wondering why we so often think of fall as one very specific palette.

So instead of picking one “fall color,” let's have a little fun with the whole palette.

Pumpkin Gets the Attention. Amber Gets the Glow.

Pumpkin is probably the first color most of us think of when fall rolls around. There is really no arguing with that. A few Pumpkin tapers on the table can make a room feel ready for October without much else.

But Amber has a different personality. It has that warm, golden quality that works beautifully as the days get shorter. Light a candle at dinner, and Amber almost seems to pick up the glow around it.

Then there is Caramel. It is a little softer than Pumpkin and a little less golden than Amber. I like it with wood, linen, neutral dishes, and pretty much anything else you already have on the table.

These are the colors I think about at the beginning of fall, when the evenings are getting cooler, but I'm not quite ready to give up summer.

Then Fall Gets a Little Deeper

Have you noticed how fall colors seem to get richer as the season goes on?

Cranberry, Mulberry, and Mocha all have a place here, but they each do something different.

Cranberry feels familiar. It has that deep red that works beautifully on a November table, especially as Thanksgiving gets closer. But you don't have to save it for Thanksgiving.

Mulberry is a little moodier and less predictable. It has more depth than Cranberry, and you don't need many of them to notice the color. A few Mulberry tapers mixed in with lighter shades can be enough.

Mocha is the easy one. I have a soft spot for this one. Maybe because it gets along with almost everything, it is the kind of color you don't notice right away, and then you realize it is quietly making everything around it look better. Put it next to a brighter fall color, and it settles things down a little. Put it with Ivory and the table feels warm without looking too busy.

These are the colors I want around when dinner turns into another glass of wine and a longer conversation.

Green Still Belongs in Fall

We sometimes talk about fall as if every tree wakes up one morning and decides to turn orange. But plenty of green is still around, and some of the most beautiful fall combinations start there.

Evergreen, Colonial Green, and Bayberry bring that connection to the outdoors. Fall isn't only about leaves turning orange. There are still green trees outside the window, evergreen branches in the garden, and plenty of green tucked into the landscape. That makes these shades feel right at home on a fall table.

Evergreen with Amber is one of those combinations that simply works. The green keeps things grounded, while the Amber brings warmth. Add a little wood or linen, and you have a table that feels autumnal without trying too hard.

Ivory Deserves a Place at the Table

I have to give Ivory its own moment.

It is probably the least “fall” color in the group, which may be exactly why I keep coming back to it. Fall tables can get busy quickly. Add orange, red, brown, green, and a few seasonal decorations, and suddenly everything is competing for attention. Ivory gives the stronger colors somewhere to breathe.

Put Ivory next to Cranberry and the red feels richer. Pair it with Pumpkin and the whole palette feels lighter. With Evergreen, it becomes quiet and classic.

Sometimes the color that seems least interesting is the one holding everything together.

What About Mixing Colors?

The fun really starts when you stop trying to match everything. You don't have to choose one color and stay with it. In fact, some of the combinations I like most are the ones that don't look perfectly matched.

Pumpkin and Ivory bring an easy, cheerful feeling to the table. Amber and Mocha make a warmer, quieter combination, especially with natural textures. Cranberry and Ivory feel a little more traditional, while Evergreen and Amber bring together two sides of the season.

Want a little more depth? Add Mulberry. A few of these tapers against Pumpkin, Amber, or Ivory can shift the whole table without making it feel overly decorated.

There Is No Official Fall Palette

Maybe that is what I like most about fall colors. There isn't really a rulebook.

Your fall might be Pumpkin and Amber. Mine might be Cranberry, Evergreen, and Ivory. Someone else might look at all of that and ask, Where's the orange? Fair question.

The nice thing about taper candles is that you can change the color without changing the whole room. You don't need new dishes or a completely different tablecloth. Sometimes a handful of different tapers is enough to make the table feel new.

The fun is choosing the colors that feel like fall to you.

With so many Colonial Candle® taper colors to choose from, you don't have to settle for one version of the season. Mix them, keep them simple, or let one color take the lead and bring in another as an accent.

If you want to get more comfortable with tapers, take a look at our  Ultimate Guide to Taper Candles. And when you are ready to put your fall colors to work, our Thanksgiving Table Décor Guide has more inspiration.