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Design Dilemma: Transplanting to a Southern Climate
Michele grew up in the Detroit area. Yay! Recently, she and her husband relocated to Miami (also yay!). Michele is hoping her stay on Florida won’t be permanent. Nevertheless, she has purchased a home in one of the few historic districts of Miami where the houses remind her of home.
“We brought with us our furnishings from up north. The new house has a lovely living room with fireplace, but is shaded by a large tree in front and a carport over the windows next to the fireplace. Thus the room tends to be dark except in the late afternoon (it faces west),” says Michele.
She had arranged a lovely, classic room and is wondering what to do with the windows. Michele’s thought was to have only a top treatment to maximize the light, as there is no problem with privacy. She’s already purchased fabric and trim, but stuck on whether her idea is the right solution. It may make the room look too formal.
The Solution
I think Michele is on the right track and should follow her instincts. While one can move furnishings to a warmer climate, one can’t take the quality of light, and the general atmosphere. This means that Michele should bring a little bit of Florida into her formal living room. As you can see, color and window treatments play a role. Here’s what I recommend.
Adding Color
Before we get to the window treatments, let’s look at the light. Michele feels there’s not enough. (Many people worry about this). There are many ways to address this issue. One is to add color to the room to create contrast and better reflect the existing light. The second is simply add additional ambient light for rainy days.
I decided to painted the ceiling blue - Tibetan Sky from Sherwin Williams. Michele will need to check this color in real life. The blue brightens the room, and helps the formal room look more at home in Florida.
Window Treatments
Similarly, the window treatments need to reflect the fact that this is a southern climate. The room can remain classic, but it needs a more relaxed attitude. Formal cornices would create the stodgy look Michele wants to stay away from.
I recommend a formal, yet light and airy solution. Full, linen drapery panels are the perfect answer. The color should be ivory. A bronzed rod would fit the scene perfectly. They can be hung from rings and left open so that the sunshine can shine through. Fullness is the key. If Michele has enough trim, she can add it to the inner edge of the panels for a custom look.
Restoration Hardware’s Sheer Belgian Linen Drapery ($89 - $119) comes in various lengths and colors. William Sonoma Home sells a similar linen style ($150 - $175). I think with a more substantial hem (which effects the way the drapery hangs). It also comes in various sizes. Their rod choices are also good and worth checking out.
Final Thoughts
I would also like to suggest that Michele change out some of her accessories to invite the sunshine in. A large glass vase filled with Hydrangeas would both brighten and soften the room. Place it on the round table. Do something similar with the vase across the room. I added a Pygmy Palm by the chair as well. Think of it as Colonial in the Tropics.
Your Thoughts?
I can’t possibly be the only one with a good idea or two. Do you like this solution? What would you do?
Color Expert, Sonu Mathew, Talks About Aura
Here’s the final chapter of the interview with Senior Manager of Color & Design at Benjamin Moore, Sonu Mathew. Today’s subject? Benjamin Moore’s new product, Aura.
Design Hole: What makes Aura special and why should customers be excited about it?
Sonu Mathew: To begin with, resin is the “glue” that binds the liquid together. Benjamin Moore is distinctive in that it makes its own resin. The secret to Aura’s technological advance is the all-waterborne colorant system which Benjamin Moore created – Aura, the paint, only becomes whole once the colorant is added.
Aura is quite simply the finest paint we’ve ever made- and considering we’re celebrating our 125th anniversary, that’s saying a great deal in our perspective. Aura relies on a proprietary technology that our technology group developed over the course of three years. In a way it’s like deciding you’re going to make the best cake the world’s ever seen, but you decide not only to make it from scratch, but to create a new combination of amazing ingredients to do so.
Our goals in developing Aura were to create a highly durable paint that can meet or even exceed federal regulations for volatile organic compound (VOC) compliance while being offered in unlimited colors. This is key because across the industry traditionally, if paint became environmentally responsible it was with some sacrifice. We’ve developed a product that has become stronger through our technology while achieving our goals.
Design Hole: What were your goals with regard to Aura?
Sonu Mathew: We had several, such as durability. Our patented Color Lock Technology essentially allows color pigments to be “locked in” to the resin. With our water based paint and water based colorant, the two work well together and the pigment is protected and so we end up with very usable features such as minimal color rub off and burnishing.
Essentially, you can brush up against it without worrying about color coming off the wall or leaving your mark on the wall. Durability also allows the surface to be washable and scrubbable. Also, since the color is locked in, you can touch up seamlessly after you’ve painted. The color will match perfectly.
Improved coverage was another. You’ll never use more than two coats, regardless of the color - even reds. And, if you need a second coat, the first will be dry in about an hour, so you can complete your project faster.
Design Hole: Low VOCs was another goal wasn’t it?
Sonu Mathew: Yes. Aura has low VOCs. We looked to the West Coast, as they adhere to the most stringent regulations on VOCs and we made sure that Aura met those regulations first. VOCs are naturally occurring in our environment at all times. They’re the “off gassing” from new furniture, a new car smell, carpets, etc. Basically, our effort to reduce VOCs is similar to the reason you wouldn’t want your children around when you are using a kitchen cleaner. Clean, fresh air is what we want to linger in our environment.
Design Hole: Typically, low VOC paints are limited less saturated colors. How is Aura different?
Sonu Mathew: Where other environmentally focused paints are limited in their color choice, Aura can be made in any of our 3500 colors. A little known fact is that VOCs are measured for a can of paint before it’s tinted or colored to the color of your choice. Essentially, when you add colorant to it, traditionally, that colorant has it’s own VOCs that are now being added to and therefore increasing the total VOC content in that can.
In other words, you may have started out being green-focused, but end up with a can of paint that has more VOCs than you anticipated. With Aura, our colorants are entirely water based and have zero VOCs, which is why we’re able to say it’s available in any color without increasing the overall VOC content of the can.
Design Hole: Oil based products have such a beautiful, brushless look to them. But, due to their high VOCs, they’ll soon be a thing of the past. How does Aura compare to oil?
Sonu Mathew: No product can be an exact replica, but contractors who used Aura say it’s one of the closest alternatives on the market today. Our various finishes from matte to semi gloss offer you the choice of luster and sheen.
Design Hole: What’s the best way to create a sense of depth to a painted surface? Can this be achieved without a special technique? In other words, does Aura have more depth than traditional latex?
Sonu Mathew: As you referenced, one way to create depth to any painted surface is to use special techniques (an entirely separate interview, indeed!). With Aura, we created a new set of colorants all together- they are sophisticated and complex with a natural depth to them. We also introduced a color collection called Affinity to really play up these properties in the technology.
Affinity is an amazing collection of 144 colors that are quite beautiful. They’re what I like to call chameleon colors, because you can essentially pick any 3 of the 144 and they will (about 9 times out of 10) work together and the color formula is such that the colors shift and adapt slightly according to the colors you combine it with. Is Wenge a plum or a chocolate? Well, it depends on the context, so you always have a look that’s your own.
Aura has a quality about it that I’m not sure can be described in technical terms - it simply looks like it’s integrated into the wall itself and so offers a depth unlike anything I’ve seen in paint.
Design Hole: Does Aura require any special or extra prep work?
Sonu Mathew: Actually, Aura is a self-priming product. For a minimal number of colors, we would recommend a partner primer product called Color Foundations. However, by and large, Aura eliminates the need for priming.
Design Hole: Does Aura look different on the wall? For example, would an eggshell Aura finish reflect light differently than eggshell latex?
Sonu Mathew: Generally, paint will always appear differently on the wall than on a chip and depending on the sheen, you again have variations. A couple of rules of thumb:
- A higher sheen will reflect more light off the surface and so will appear lighter than it’s lower sheen counterpart.
- When selecting a color for the interior, the color you choose will be influenced by your lighting situation and will appear slightly darker on the wall than your chip. It helps to select an interior color against a white background.
- Alternatively, when selecting a color for the exterior, the color you choose will be influenced by natural daylight and will appear slightly lighter on the building/home than your chip. It helps to select exterior colors against a black background.
- A trick to working well with Aura - don’t overwork or roll back into the coat that’s already drying. Simply roll or brush once and let the paint do the rest.
Thanks Sonu for taking the time to answer all our questions over the last three days. Aura sounds amazing and I can’t wait to give it a try on my upcoming hallway project. You can read the first two posts to find out Sonu’s color forecast for 2009 and to learn about color palettes.
I’m wondering if anyone has tried Aura yet. If so, what was your experience? Send pictures!
Discussing Color Palettes With Sonu Mathew From Benjamin Moore
Last Friday, I ran the first in a three-part interview with the Senior Manager of Color & Design at Benjamin Moore, Sonu Mathew. We discussed the fine art of color forecasting, and the bold color palette they’re promoting for 2009.
Today, we’re talking about color palettes and the most popular color choices at Benjamin Moore. Here’s what Sonu had to say.
Color Palettes & Favorite Colors
Design Hole: Color palettes are a hot ticket these days. Creating them is the number one request I’m asked for in my Design Dilemmas, a regular feature on my blog. Do you have any thoughts on how this trend emerged?
Sonu Mathew: I can imagine how many people find your advice invaluable! We’re all looking to make color our own and personalize it. Anyone can have a red dining room, but when you pair it with an orange ceiling and copper accents, you’ve made it your own analogous scheme that will surprise your guests. I think it has a lot to do with both self-expression and the fact that people see in fashion and auto design the power of color in context. That same red dining room would feel entirely different if paired with pale blue table setting and camel colored upholstered chairs. Our clients are having fun and looking to experiment to create the right “Mood” for their space.
Design Hole: What advice would you give a homeowner who wants to ensure their room colors work together? Is there a something you suggest they start with?
Sonu Mathew: Really, I always say, “Start with what you love.” If there’s a painting, a vase, a quilt, a heritage piece such as a chest, look at the colors, textures, patterns, and finishes in that item for inspiration. Draw from that as a starting point because at the end of the project, you have simply amplified something that you were passionate about to begin with!
Design Hole: My number one rule in decorating is to choose the paint last. If you had to create a rule, when it comes to choosing color, what would it be?
Sonu Mathew: When you select color, look at it against a primed surface (NOT against the existing color in the room) and in context with the other things that will go into that room & you’ll find the right color for you.
Design Hole: What are the best selling colors at Benjamin Moore?
Sonu Mathew: Actually our best sellers are many whites - we have 180 toned, tinted and off-whites - since so much white is used when you account for ceilings, trim and other architectural features:
The top five whites are:
Our perennial favorite collection is our 174 Historical Color Collection, which debuted in 1976 for the country’s bi-centennial and are an interpretation of the historic palettes found in historic houses under the auspices of the National Parks Service.
Our top colors start with:
A Final Question on Color Forecasting
Design Hole: Before we end today, I have a question about Color Pulse, your forecast directed to the trade. Specifically, it predicts colors 2 years into the future. What factors do you look at to create a long-term prediction?
Sonu Mathew: Color Pulse is a very special forecast that is directed exclusively to the industry because many professional projects and industry introductions require time to bring to market. Our color and design selections in the publication revolve around year round research conducted by our North American Creative Design Team of Color & Design Professionals at Benjamin Moore. We look at many of the factors I mentioned before in the US and abroad.
We literally attend fashion shows in France, design shows in Germany/England, or furniture shows in Italy, as well as paying attention to our own backyard and reading up on issues of the time. The influences are global and the result is local. Our goal is to evaluate color and design introductions in global markets and anticipate what evolutions will come in the next two years. We’ve enjoyed great success through Color Pulse over the last several years with designers coming back to purchase the upcoming forecasts. Also, industry professionals- designers of interior design related products such as tile, carpet, laminates, etc. reference our forecast for their work.
Tomorrow Sonu and I discuss Aura - Benjamin Moore’s innovative new paint. Stay tuned!
Color Forecasting with Benjamin Moore
Sonu Mathew has a name that fits in perfectly with her position as Senior Manager of Color & Design at Benjamin Moore. Sonu is a Hindu word meaning Gold. What could be more perfect? Sonu was gracious enough to take time from her busy day to discuss a number of color-related design subjects with me.
We talked about color forecasting, an industry unto itself, and one that I find fascinating. We touched on creating color palettes and Benjamin Moore’s revolutionary new paint, Aura. I’ve divided our interview into three parts. The first topic is color forecasting, which poses the question: how do you know what colors will be hot two years down the road without using a Ouija board?
Benjamin Moore’s Sonu Mathew
Design Hole: You’re promoting really bright colors, like yellow and fuchsia. Why brights?
Sonu Mathew: We’re really promoting the idea of optimism in 2009 - It’s a year of transition in the economy and politics which will have an effect on design. The expression of colors that embrace this transition in a positive way is what we’re excited about.
Design Hole: What areas of influence do you look at when forecasting. Does the economy play a large role? Fashion?
Sonu Mathew: When we look at trends, we look at socio-economic movements, fashion, technology, and political climates and how they all come together to create culture in society. For example, the current down economy may influence the number of new colors a car manufacturer may be financially able to introduce in a given year. This will likely mean fewer experimental colors and more basic neutrals. If that’s the case, we can argue that self expression should not be lost, but reinvented in the home with a greater degree of vigor, personalization and customization.
Red is a traditional color for weddings in China. White rules the day in the West.
Each society has associations to color (i.e. red for weddings in China, white here) that you can use to stimulate a connection through color to represent what’s to come in that culture.
A more global color trend example is an entire color family like Green. It is an easy color for the human eye to adapt to and it’s also a color that has become the representative for the ecological movement globally. Going Green has become both figurative and literal. Therefore, the Green Family has come to the forefront of design and has essentially become a neutral (you’ll find Wales Green in our 2009 collection to represent this).
Green works well as a neutral.
Also, we tend to see a rejuvenation of color in a cycle too. What changes is the tone, value and intensity of a particular hue each time the color comes back. Lastly, sometimes technological advancements (like making synthetic processes) allow for us to discover a new color- think of mauve- and the newness of that color catches on in our culture.
Insights to the colors we’re looking at for 2009:
We find a new optimism in 2009- we are on the verge of new beginnings politically, socially and culturally speaking. As we’re faced with changing times, we chose to embrace and experience it fully. We express that through our color choices for 2009- they are a combination of bright colors like St. Elmo’s Fire, Peony, and Wales Green balanced by grounding colors like Ebony King, Dior Gray and Stone Brown.
Benjamin Moore’s forecast is drawn from paints in their existing wheel.This palette is designed to work together.
Yellow attracts many of us- it radiates warmth and energy. Deciding on the right yellow can be challenging. St. Elmo’s fire is both a great transitional color and its namesake is a weather phenomenon that’s representative of a light that leads the way in times of uncertainty. It pairs beautifully with Dior Gray for a sophisticated effect. We’ve been seeing fashion designers play with it on runways in unique combinations like gold, silver, pink, etc. It’s the very subtle hint of green that is the key to St. Elmo’s compatibility with these colors.
Green is easy for they eye to process and so is deemed a calming color. Because of environmental focus, it’s also representative of nature. Green has been gaining speed over the last 5 years and is now basically a neutral. It goes with any color. Wales Green is a nice variation on the acidic greens we’ve seen in the past. It’s relaxing and fun!
Peony is that representation of Fuchsia- punchy, exciting and can be treated as a color for an accent wall or an entire room filled with dramatic influence. It’s a blue based red and colors in this family have been associated to luxury in the past.
Design Hole: What is the goal of promoting seasonally trendy colors while still keeping in mind that homeowners will only repaint once every 5-10 years?
Sonu Mathew: We all look for transition and refreshing ideas at different times or seasons in our own lives. By offering edited selections of color, we keep our clients up to date on what’s happening in the exciting world of color & design (tying into home fashion and accessory collections that are introduced throughout the year) while finding new and fun ways to highlight just a few of our over 3500 colors. Inspiration can strike us at anytime and we hope to help each individual find it through our work.
It’s also important to recognize the difference between a trend and a fad. Fads are a “flash in the pan”, an idea that’s over before it begins and that leaves someone with regret. Trends and their purpose are to be evolutionary. You’ll see a family of color that you can certainly live with for years. As I mentioned earlier, tone, value, intensity may shift, but the colors we select are meant to be livable.
Lastly, we find where homeowners used to be on a longer cycle, about 4-6 years between repainting, they’re now repainting every 3-5 years on average and not necessarily repainting the entire home at one time. Rather, we work on smaller projects more regularly now.
Design Hole: How much does Benjamin Moore take climate into account when predicting popular colors? For example, bright yellow is a bold choice. Will it play well in the frozen north as well as the sunny south?
Sonu Mathew: We consider lighting in environments when suggesting colors and recognize that every situation is different. The context of color actually plays a large part in how any given color will live in any location. For example, when looking at our yellow, St. Elmo’s Fire, we also offer accompanying colors. There are the brights such as Peony and Wales Green for the environment that craves a bold combination of color and there are what I call grounding colors in the selection such as Ebony King, Dior Gray, and Stone Brown that can offer a very comforting and rooted influence in combination with that same yellow. Also, as you reference, light, even artificial, is of extreme importance. A poorly lit interior environment is often the culprit of dissatisfaction when it comes to our spaces.
Also, we are advocating our optimistic yellow as an accent color – if you are going to paint one wall next year, consider St. Elmo’s Fire.
Stay tuned for part two of our interview on Monday! In the meantime, what top three colors would be in your color forecast? Have you seen enough newscasters wearing purple ties? Is that a trend or a fad?
Danielle Bokor wins Benjamin Moore’s HUE Award
Color is being celebrated along with the 125th anniversary of Benjamin Moore - a long time. I thought paint was “hand made” back then. This year’s honorees include Danielle Bokor, from Woodmere, NY, for Residential Interiors; STUDIOS Architecture, San Francisco, for Contract Interiors; and, Donald Lococo Architects, Washington, DC, for Residential Exteriors. They competed in a field of nearly 100 entries and each receive a HUE sculpture plus $5,000 cash prize. I think I’ll enter next year.
Danielle Bokor
I thought I’d focus a little bit on the work of residential winner, Danielle Bokor - a designer who’s fearless in her use of color. She has an affinity for strong, intense hues, particularly purples and magentas, and is highly artful in using unexpected yet expressive combinations. Basically, she’s my kind of girl. (And, like me, she doesn’t have her portfolio on line. Now I don’t feel so lazy.)
Via a variety of materials and furnishings, she introduces color into an environment, from flooring and textiles to tiles and paint. For instance, with the daring interjection of a neon orange leather easy chair and footstool in a space with a vibrant kiwi green wall she created an irresistible visual dynamic that thrives on the tension of the contrasting colors.
In another of her projects she demonstrated her color virtuosity by designing a calming bathroom shared by three pre-teen sisters. A wonderful mix of soft, watery greens and blues created the desired serene ambience. The perfect thing to counterbalance all the chaos pre-teens can create - especially in a bathroom.
In another project, she applied color to add whimsy and humor, personally painting a mural on the walls, doors and nearly every available vertical space of a child’s bath, skillfully depicting Dr. Seuss cartoon characters in shower and bathing settings. I wish my painting skills were that good.
Bokor graduated, in 1994, from The Cooper Union School of Architecture. She now owns her own firm in New York where she does both commercial and residential work. Raised in a family of interior and fashion designers, Bokor is an architect who believes that use of color and material is integral to interior architecture, and she tries not to leave any space “nude.” I couldn’t agree more.
So my question to you is: When you design a room, is color a starting point, or the after thought?
Mama Mia! What Colors
Like Rachel, I also saw Mama Mia! the other day. Even if you don’t like ABBA, you can’t get those songs out of your head. And they do have some sort of bizarre appeal. The movie was a lot of silly fun at a time when I really needed some.
I thought you’d enjoy reading Rachel’s take on the color palette from the movie. Here it is:
“What struck me the most (surprise, surprise!) was the brilliantly sparkling colors of the costume and set designs. One review articulately nailed them as “over-polished, glitzy texture”. (source) Would you expect anything less from a movie based on ABBA songs? Now, I’m sure there must have been quite a bit of post-production digital manipulation to get those crazy effects. But the end result sure was impressive when all was said and done.”
Read the rest here.
New Project! An Entrance Hall
I’ve begun a new project that I thought would be fun to write about from start to finish. It’s my own entrance hall. I expect the project to take several months to complete since I have to work on it in my spare time and I know just what I’m looking for.
Of course, what I’m looking for probably doesn’t exist. So, the project will involve some sleuthing and thinking outside the box. More to the point, since it’s a personal project, I can write about all the decision making, pricing, that goes into a job without worrying about a client’s privacy. I’m hoping you’ll find it both interesting and helpful.
The entrance hall may look great from the photo here, but the wallpaper has some water damage, the ceiling is looking ragged (especially upstairs), the lighting needs improvement, and it’s time for a change.
I’m looking into using a bold color - purple. The hue will blend better with the others in the home. It will also bring out the red tones in the wood. This is my rather quickly done Photoshopped image of what it might look when it’s done.
I love the color, but the walls need some depth. I’m looking into wallpaper, including (perhaps) a custom print. My idea is very specific - a purple ground with an indigo damask sort of print. The pattern is traditional, but the color palette is contemporary. If I can’t find the right paper, or custom is too expensive, I’ll have it stenciled. Egads - don’t want to think about that right now! :)
I’ll write about all of this in much more detail when I return from vacation in a week. In the meantime, let me know what you think. Is purple way too “out there”? Don’t be afraid to comment. That’s what blogs are for and we all need some fun in our lives. Purple isn’t for everyone. So give us your thoughts. I thought it would make a good topic for conversation.
Purple Love
If you like to read shelter magazines, you may begin to notice that purple is making its mark in the design world. The trend began in France and is becoming a major trend. Personally, I love it. It’s a bold color - one that can transform a room tremendously with just a can of paint.
This room is from French magazine, Maison Francaise. Notice the way the designer used three colors to create a wonderful sense of drama. He used purple on the walls (”Brinjal” by Farrow and Ball) and coordinated it with indigo on the doors and furniture to create depth. The final touch is the turquiose used for the back the armoire. the turquiose is reflective and makes the glassware pop.
Also, notice how the purple and indigo play off the orange tones in the dining table. The wood is accentuated because the blue tones are complimentary colors of the orange tones in the wood. Zip!
Finally, the light colored carpet and fabric on the chairs add light, so the room isn’t too dark. This is also where adding ambient light comes into play. A chandelier is wonderful, but if the room is still too dark, adding some simple downlights will brighten the room on a dark day and add even more drama if used creatively.
Here are a couple of other rooms in the same home. Again, look at the way color is used to work together. The indigo doors are aged so emphasize the decorative molding. I love the way the fabrics aren’t matched to perfection. Lots of stripes - but they work so well together. It’s this more casual approach (for lack of a better word) that creates a sense of a “real” room for “real” people. It looks like humans with an opinion live here. Not like a decorator super-matched everything to death. Those types of room always wind up looking like hotels to me.
If you’re interested in trying purple in a room, here are some paint colors to consider:
- Mythic’s #016-5 & 016-6
- Pratt & Lambert’s Shaded Climatis and Anchusa
- Benjamin Moore’s Grape Gum and Starry Night Blue
I couldn’t find the Farrow and Ball colors on their American website. We haven’t caught up with this trend. I”ve contact the company to find out if and when they’ll be introduced here and will update when I hear back.
UPDATE: A reader corrected me about the “Brinjal” color, which is on their website. I was working too fast and didn’t see it. My bad.
Photos: Jean-Marc Palisse
Design Dilemma: Red Bedrooms
Martha asks, “How can I use red in my bedroom? It’s my favorite color and I’d like to use it everywhere. But how much is too much?”
It’s true that red rooms are a bit more difficult to tackle. Intense colors are stimulating, which is why red is often saved for restaurants, dining rooms, and other public spaces. But having said that, the truth is red can be used in any room. In a bedroom the results can be dramatic. And sometimes we could all use a little extra stimulation.
The important thing is to follow a few basic design principles.
First, know who you are. If you’re adventurous, you might like sleeping in a room with all four walls painted a red-orange room like this one. But most of us would find such a saturated color too blinding. Red-orange shades are more reflective and, therefore, harder on the eyes. This makes it difficult to do things like read a book, which many of us do before sleeping. Also, such bold saturation will affect all other colors, including your make-up and clothing.
Paint just one wall and coordinate with accessories. If you’re really into a red-orange (or a warm red) painting an accent wall this color is a good choice.
Choose a cool red. This means one that has more blue in it. A cool red, like a raspberry, is much easier on the eyes.
Add contrast. White offers a wonderful contrast to the boldness of red. Paint the ceiling white and use white bedding. Also, here only part of the wall is red. Adding a frieze with a pattern will give you the bright, bold color you want without the need for sunglasses.
Play with pattern and texture. Here, a beautiful toile de jouy wallpaper, in a cool red, works nicely with the pattern on the bedspread. The gray accent color also offers the contrast I spoke of earlier. This room is soft and inviting.
Red is a wonderful color. I say go for it. Try a few shades on some sample boards and look at them in the room. Once you know what you’re going for you can select your bedding and other textiles. Choose the actual paint color last. Good luck and don’t forget to send me the photos of your finished project.
Moroccan Style in a Cotswold Style Home
Interior Designer, Katie Ridder teamed up with her architect husband, Peter Pennoyer, to create a near-east interior for their home in Westchester, New York. Katie and I share a love of color and pattern. Her home was featured in this month’s Elle Decor. I thought I’d share it with you.
I love the mix of colors throughout the home. And the way they all work together. This is done by mixing textures and patterns - then taking colors from those patterns and repeating them in other rooms. The living room is primarily blue - and a rich blue at that.
But there are touches of orange and gold tones in the room’s accessories and in the color of the wood coffee table, above. Adding little touches, like the red books and the red in the floral toss pillows help to round out the play of color elsewhere.
I also love the way Katie and Peter mix up antiques with modern elements. This home is professionally decorated. Yet it doesn’t look decorated. By that I mean everything isn’t matched to death. Each piece sort of stands on its own, yet works together. It’s the difference between buying a matched living room sofa set and buying several things that just go together. Antiques and contemporary forms can live happily side by side.
As for color, what doesn’t really come through in the photo is the red railing with silver leaf touches. The repeat of red throughout the home works so well. And I love the soft blue against the black tile floor.
The Zam Zam Room (what we’d call the family room) is a Moroccan masterpiece of color. I adore it in every way. The owners used lighting and accessories from their travels to Turkey and elsewhere and combined them with Jens Rinsom chairs from Knoll.
I love the Moroccan lattice work over the fireplace. It’s from Mosaic House. Some of the pillows were found on eBay. Notice how the blues and golds and reds are all in play here.
Finally, the dining room. It’s always a great place to add lots of drama because, unfortunately, most of us only use the room when we’re entertaining. I think this is my favorite room in Katie and Peter’s home. They painted the floor black (a big money saver). And they covered the ceiling with a foil wallpaper from Roger Arlington. The crown molding is a gloss red. I love those chairs! What a great idea to repeat the blue on the seat and the orange and red on the back.
Can you see yourself creating a home like this? Would you like me to write more about how to go about doing it yourself? It takes practice and some gumption (at least for me it did). But it can be done. Let’s hear your opinion.
image source: William Waldron
DIY Paint: Color Visualizers
One of the most difficult things for clients to do is visualize what a change in decor will look like. This is especially true with color. Especially when I come up with something outside the norm - which is fairly often. I love color and like to use it in unusual ways. I’m proud to say that I haven’t a had single client reject the end result. In fact, it’s typically quite the opposite.
This is largely due to two reasons. First, I’m a design genius (at least in my imagination, so please don’t burst my bubble or it’s the paddy wagon for me). Second, I know how difficult it is for many people to imagine what something will look like without some visual help. A little paint chip often isn’t enough.
I’m not the only one to understand this. Paint companies figured it out long before I did. And most have come up with paint visualizers to help you out. They all work the same way. You choose a room from one of their samples and paint the walls, trim and ceiling using their colors. You can save the result and print it out.
It’s a nice tool to help you get started. Here is a list of links to several sites that offer this service.
Be aware that the color on a computer screen will not look the same in real life. You may need to tweak your selection. And I’m a big fan of testing a color first. Regarding the visualizers, I wish they offered a larger choice of rooms to paint. Really, how difficult can that be? Also, don’t waste your ten dollars on Bennie Moore’s program that allows you to upload your own photos. It’s a pain to use and they should be giving it away. But they make a good paint.
Have any of you had experience with these? What’s your opinion of them? I’m also wondering how many of us have weekend DIY projects planned for this weekend. I’m making over the gravel pit.
Mixing Colors in the Dining Room
Maybe you’ve seen dining rooms which use a variety of chairs to create a single look around a dining table. The idea has been around for a while. Here’s a take on the same idea that I love. Use the same chair, but mix it up by using color.
This room is from last month’s Dwell Magazine. The owners of this Amsterdam apartment used furniture from Piet Hein Eek. I love them. And the use of four colors around the large table is the perfect number to create a nice mix. For a smaller table, I’d use either three or make them all different.
Piet’s table and chairs are awesome, but pricey. So I thought I’d take a look at some other options out there. Here’s what I found.
LL Bean has some very nice Cottage-style furniture at good prices. A lot of their things are painted, too. These chairs would be a good choice for a small room, where you need something small in scale.
Maine Cottage has some great styles with more than 20 color choices. Their quality is good and their prices are affordable. This is a good custom look with good value.
Finally, good ‘ole IKEA. This Norvald Chair comes in three colors and the price is great. I also love the contemporary look. The scale is perfect. These are my favorite.
I’m wondering if anyone has tried something like this already. Send me photos! Also, what is your experience with painting furniture. Is it tricky? I usually send mine out to the auto body shop. I get a sprayed-on, showroom fresh finish.