Thursday, July 29th, 2010
I found myself craving Oreo cookies the other day, which is unusual for me. It’s not my usual cookie of choice, but cravings must be satisfied or they take on a life of their own. While enjoying a couple of DoubleStuf Oreos and appreciating their simplicity, it struck me that they were a great inspiration for the quintessential color palette combination: black and white.
So here are some of my favorite black and white rooms. I tried to find spaces that only used those two colors. It’s interesting to see how often people choose these colors for their kitchens and bathrooms and how well these colors work in both traditional and contemporary rooms.
This palette works well in any room of the house, even outdoors.
Alexander Wang, a successful product designer/artist, who tragically lost his life earlier this year (in what some believe was the result of his sleep disorder), created playful spaces with a unique mix of textures and forms in his loft in NYC (upper right picture). I love the black trim around the windows in the upper right photo. It’s a trend that’s been emerging over the past couple of years and it can really change the feel of a space.
The white on black paneling on the lower right photo adds a great graphic element. Most people would be terrified to have black walls, so they have guts.
The desk at right is another Alexander Wang piece. What an office that would make! All the other rooms have dark walls, but all of the white trim, artwork, magazines and other design elements create balance to temper the darkness. The dining room at the bottom has classic bones and proportions, but mixing in the contemporary chairs and art hanging over the table keeps it young and fresh.
This final group showcases the power of wallpaper. The graphic nature of these wallcoverings adds instant personality to each room. The background in the dining room in the middle of the top row is actually a wall of patterned curtains with a valance above, but it creates the same type of effect with such a solid wall of pattern. Powder rooms is a great place to experiment with bold colors and patterns since we spend so little time in them and they are small enough that no pattern will seem to go on and on. My favorite room is the dining room with the wall covering of a forest in black and white. I love the juxtaposition of it with the traditional moldings and chair rail and the completely funky dripping chandelier off a natural branch style form. And the table settings in black are so minimal and modern. Brilliant mix.
I love color. But the restraint of a limited color palette can push you in new directions that can be a fun challenge. Remember to include a variety of textures and shiny and matte surfaces. The eye needs visual variety, and if it’s not through color, make sure it gets it through textures and different tones.
Could you live with even ONE black and white room? Which room would it be?
Tags: Alexander Wang, Bathroom, black, contemporary, dining room, Kitchen, living room, patio, table settings, traditional, wallpaper, white
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Friday, May 21st, 2010
As much as I adore design magazines and blogs for inspiring images, sometimes the perfect color palette can hit you over the head when you look at a beautiful photograph or piece of art.
As a self-confessed image junkie, I frequently change up the background image on my computer as an ever changing reflection of my current interests or as a reminder of a wonderful experience I had. Yesterday I was looking for old photos of a close friend, which required digging through my electronic photo archives. I think we should ALL remember to do this periodically because there are gems hidden in such places. I stumbled across this photo taken by Dan Buettner, the owner of the Lake of the Isles showcase home, on one of his research trips. Appropriately, it’s one of the featured photos in his kitchen.
But looking at it blown up on my computer screen, that tomato red against the beautiful color and texture of the woman’s hands blew me away. All the rich earth tones offer such a warm color palette to work from.
So how would I use it? The tomato red works well as a bold but approachable element on a large piece of furniture. Various shades of brown from light golder brown to deep chocolate would be used on everything from floors to furniture. Hints of green from the tomato stem and the black of the dirt under her finger nails would balance out the room in accessories and other accents. Perhaps painting the trim in black as a surprise (usually seen in cooler color palettes against whites and grays).
Here are some other examples in all different types of rooms.
Sometimes the red is on a major piece of furniture.
Other times, the red works as a strong graphic statement through wallpaper.
Or red can be used as an accent against the natural wood tones of a beamed ceiling or a backyard patio. How great is that red umbrella?!
How would you use tomato red in your home? A cozy enveloping dining room with deep red walls? Red accent pillows on a couch for a tiny pop? How bold would you go?
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Picture credits: Top composition, clockwise from upper left: Patrick Connor via DesignSponge, unknown (possibly InStyle magazine), unknown (possibly FLOR catalog), Katie Kirk via DesignSponge, Traditional Home magazine 4-09, unknown.
Bottom composition, clockwise from upper left: Cookie magazine, Cookie magazine, Otto Baat Design via DesignSponge, Apartment Therapy, and unknown (possibly NY Times).
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Tags: ASID Showcase Home, black, brown, green, Red
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Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Ok, so I’ve been told that all that floorplan and elevation talk the past couple of weeks was a bit heavy. So this is a sunny breath of fresh popping color to break up the floorplan talk and make you smile (unless you hate orange, like my mom).
It all started with the receipt from my neighborhood dry cleaners (1). I loved that it was bright orange, therefore easy to spot the pick up reminder on the fridge, but also just so darn peppy!
That got me noticing all the other orange items I surround myself with, and quickly realized how much it has become my go-to accent color for personal accessories. So here is a detailing of some key orange items I use on a daily basis.
(2) My favorite pencils ever! These are orange, have a pattern, sharpen easily and the eraser actually works. Amazing. I love the size & dimensions of the coordinating notepad. Great for my to-do lists (which keep each day in order). [Source: Office Max DiVoga line]
(3) Next to my desk is a tall file cabinet. I love these hook magnets in orange for keeping my frequently used tools within easy reach. I literally have a pair of these little orange scissors in every room of my house. They are perfect for everything from cutting off price tags (bedroom) to cutting out furniture templates (office), etc. [Sources: Mini Spot On Magnets - Container Store, Scissors - Target]
(4) I couldn’t resist the opportunity to add color to my CPU. [Source: Dell]
(5) Since I’m always on the go, having my files with me and handy is essential. But the nice compact jumpdrive I have is easy to forget when it’s hanging out in the CPU down by your feet as you are getting ready to leave. So I added this ribbon to make it easy to spot in my computers, my purse, and to ensure I never leave it behind again!
(6) I was frustrated with my previous tape measure which never locked in place (I think I would need to be a big burly construction worker to break that one in!) Since this is a key tool in an interior designer tool kit, that just wouldn’t do. I spotted this in a bin at Home Depot recently and loved the functionality, color and ease of use, and the bonus low price (I think it was under $3!) [Source: Home Depot]
(7) I picked up this cart at IKEA years ago (probably at the Chicago store, before Minnesota even had an IKEA) and it fits a variety of storage needs and has evolved nicely with my needs from back when it primarily held sewing supplies to now storing my less frequently accessed office tools. [Source: IKEA, no longer available]
(8) Even my wallet is orange! [Source: Target]
(9) I still like to sew occasionally, and this is one of the pouches I’ve designed and utilize to keep all my odds and ends organized and easily accessible. This one holds coupons for groceries, another holds all the coupons for clothing stores, and I have two small ones in my purse that have cough drops and Werthers hard candies in them, respectively. They are all in different bright, fun patterns that make me smile.
(10) Finally, this is my water bottle that helps me keep hydrated while running around town picking up tile samples, returning fabric samples, visiting construction sites, etc. I confess I’m a water-aholic … I think I drink between 8 – 12 glasses a day, on average. This was a “free” gift with a donation to WWF (one of my husband’s favorite organization to support) and was thoroughly broken in on our trip through Japan last summer.
So those are my orange accessories, I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into my office and purse! So my question to you is – what’s YOUR go to color? What colors always draw your attention flipping through magazines, catalogs, browsing at shops, watching other people? I know my mom’s partial to purple, and my friend Kate can always be spotted holding at least 3 things that are bright green. Where do you use color in your life to express your personality?
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Tags: accessories, color, orange, organization
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
The long Minnesota winter has hidden the grass, trees and flowers for too long. I’m itching for bright green as far as the eye can see. But since Mother Nature isn’t ready to start spring, I guess these rooms filled with bold greens will have to inspire me for now.
It’s easy to see the power of tile in these kitchens – talk about a wow factor! But are you bold enough to not only tile the walls to the ceiling in shades of green and blue but also paint your cabinets a bold green? It may be too much for some, but that kitchen certainly packs a lot of personality.
These living rooms have just the right balance of green and neutrals. The armoire and coffee table add punch to this casual living room on the left. The pillows on the couch serve to pull the palette together.
The living room in the middle might be one of my favorites, if only for that kelly green armchair. I would consider breaking and entering to make that mine (if I knew where the house was in the first place). But I guess the look could be achieved with no criminal activity by finding the right vintage chair and reupholstering it in the perfect shade of silk velvet. Notice how the large plant adds height, drawing your eyes up to the high ceilings, accentuated by those silky spring green curtains. Wonderful!
Finally, why not treat green as the focal point – upholster a sofa and ottoman in rich shades of green, add coordinating pillows and window treatments, and then top it all off with plants that provide the variations of green that nature does best.
Now these bedrooms clearly demonstrate the power of paint. Without that vivid saturated green on the left, the bedroom would be nice, but not eye catching. By using two shades of green paint, a “headboard” was created on the right to give height and interest to an otherwise simple bed (though the bold pink bedding is hardly tame). But it is the kelly green bed in the middle that I can most see recreating in my own home. The bold color is perfect for a guest room, where it won’t overwhelm, especially when tempered with lots of white. I appreciate how the woven shades on the windows and the cowhide pillows add texture and whimsy, respectively.
Green can add a punch to other rooms as well. A bright cushion, throw and accessories liven up this corner of a home office. Kids tend to be more comfortable with bold colors, so their rooms are a perfect place to experiment with mixing together bright shades. But since they tend to tire of a look quickly, be sure to implement this palette in easy to update accessories, like the bedding and stool, as seen above.
Finally, green can be incorporated into a home in truly breathtakingly surprising ways. For pure wow factor, the winner would have to be this ivy wall in a Manhattan apartment! The (all-white) kitchen is just up the stairs, where the homeowner can look down on their reflecting pond and enjoy their own private calm oasis in the city.
So how can you going to bring green into your home? Or how have you already incorporated green in your home? For example, I’m sitting in my office with walls in two shades of bright green with accents in white, brown, pink and orange. It’s bold, cheerful, and stimulating (just what an office should be, especially in a dreary Minnesota winter).
Tags: bedroom, chocolate brown, color palette, green, Guest Bedroom, kid's room, Kitchen, living room, office, paint, texture, vintage, white
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Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
Color Palette - Sunny Yellow with Greys, Bright Blues and Crisp Whites
So last week I showed you how chocolate brown and white can ground a palette with accents in sunny yellow. This week is about taking that sunny yellow and balancing it with saturated blues, all layered over a backdrop of muted greys and whites. It’s amazing how different it looks in these rooms with the added drama of those bold blues. As you can see, you can go more towards the turquoise end of the spectrum, or stay with a true blue, just don’t pick a washed out shade…. it needs to stand up to the saturation of the yellow as an equal.
Tags: Blue, color palette, Grey, sunny yellow, white
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Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Baby it’s FREEZING outside here in Minnesota, so I decided to warm things up with a cheerful sunny yellow color palette to remind me of warmer places.
The chocolate brown and white elements in these rooms help ground the vivid splashes of yellow. In most of the rooms the yellow is used as an accent in the accessories and artwork selections. But I’ve always loved the bold choice of the yellow dining room chairs at the top. It looks so inviting, and the glossy white floors and crisp table cloths offset them perfectly. Bonus: they’re probably really kid friendly with a quick wipe up after a messy meal.
Tags: chocolate brown, color palette, sunny yellow, white
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Colleen Fox Slack | email: colleen@colleenfoxinteriors.com | phone: 612.868.0348
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