Heritage Chickens

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Above: the professional sheep shearer is hard at work. Maryfaith takes the giant fleece and puts it in the bag.

So I went to help a local farm with their sheep shearing a couple of weeks ago and had a great time. I’ve always loved lambies since I was a little girl, and sheep aren’t quite the same (bigger and less cuddly) but it was still a great experience to try to wrangle sheep on the farm for an afternoon. 

The farmers also have a lot of chickens roaming around that come running when people approach in the hope for more food.  I was taking pictures of the chickens because their heritage varieties have really beautiful subtle coloring.  Unfortunately, it didn’t come through as well as I’d hoped in the photos.   As I was taking the pictures my mom jokingly said “You’ll probably turn this into a blog post.”  Challenge? I think so.

So here is my ”Heritage Chicken Inspired Rooms” post. I always say you can find inspiration all around you. Here’s my proof.

Notice that the chickens are not one solid color. They have a tonal range of colors across their body, plus an occasional accent color on their tail feathers.  These rooms employ the same philosophy to create visually interesting rooms. Here we have the different tones of browns and reds of one breed of chickens with accents of black from the other breed.   Plus you have to have the pop of red from the chickens’ faces!

More tonal brown and red rooms, but I love how the concrete pulls in the gray of the paths on which the chickens run around the farm by their coop.  The green and cream of the painting in the living room on the right reference the building behind the chickens and the grass (or what was left of the grass in Minnesota in October).  The rough materials and broken in finishes in these rooms give the relaxed vibe that subtly references the chickens’ habitat.

A kitchen can be refined or rustic, and I love them both.  On the left, the granite countertops remind me of the pebbly gray ground the chickens hang out on.  The copper hood is similar to the color of the cabinets, but the sheen adds variation.  I’d love to see this with a patina (did you know that copper turns brown before it turns blue-green?)

In the kitchen on the right we have the dark brown-black cabinets that remind me of the darker breed of chickens. The wood slats on the walls convey a rustic farm feeling.  The cream ceiling warms up the room and pulls in the color of the farm building behind the chickens in my photo.  I’m sure they don’t gather the chicken eggs in a wicker basket, but isn’t it fun to think they do? Those high back wicker chairs are a great casual accent. Just add a wicker basket filled with fresh picked brown eggs in the middle of the table and you are set!

Finally, these are two rooms that really show off the power of tonal variation and texture. On the left, the graining in the wood floor is highlighted by the medium brown stain. The wood on the walls looks to be a shade lighter than the floors, which helps to keep the room from feeling like a brown box.   The textural stone on the fireplace pulls in the organic and rough feel of the pebbly pathways.  The lights over the table remind me of the fluffy sheep. And the red cabinet in the foreground?  That definitely gives you the pop of the rooster’s red comb.

  On the right we have a wide open space with oodles of natural light pouring in. And you can see there are a lots of trees outside, so this must feel like a kitchen tucked in the woods.  Because of all that natural light they were able to use dark colors throughout the space without it feeling like a cave. (Notice how different the small rustic kitchen above looks with the same color palette in a much smaller and darker space.)  The angled soffit over the cabinetry is a darker brown than the wood paneling over the refrigeraotr (to the left of the stove).  They also mixed in black cabinetry, stainless steel and a fun mix of black chairs (love those Panton curved profile chairs!) I think the clock on the soffit is brilliant, except when the battery dies and you need a huge ladder to change it.  But it’s the deep orange-persimmon ceiling color that makes this room special.  It might be a plaster finish because it has such beautiful color variation as the light hits it. 

So, do you see the chicken inspiration in these pictures?  What inspires you in nature?

Sources:  Entry – Traditional Home April 2009, Dining Room – unknown, Living Room - Metropolitan Home June ’08, Living Room – InStyle Home, Kitchen – unknown, Kitchen – scandinavian via The Kitchen Designer, Kitchen – Ultimate Kitchens and Baths, Kitchen – scandinavian via The Kitchen Designer

Tags: black, brown, chickens, concrete, Grey, Kitchen, living room, Red, texture, Wood
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