Name: Bezecknyc
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Type: 1 bedroom apartment/rental
Why I use color: My apartment is my home, not just a space where I live. I live, rest, create, entertain, love and relax here. The room I am submitting is my kitchen, which is the most calming and cheerful daily space to me. I painted the 2 adjoining dining area walls in 12" vertical strips using buttercream yellow and sunrise orange paint (both in eggshell finish). Fresh, clean, satisfying - the yellow/orange walls create a comfortable contrast to the black dining table and chairs. Accent color - sage green - is seen in cloth placemats that create texture (while matching the large Audrey Hepburn canvas print that adorns the main wall) and the large tree at the end of the dining area. Black and white lace-printed dishware adds the perfect balance to the table's shade. The mirror on the right wall picks up the natural sun/skylight from the large window on the other side of the room. I love keeping my home clutter free yet full of personal whimsy and character. My main living space is mostly white furniture with accents of black/sage/rose. The interesting colors and stripes in the kitchen add a surprise yet an anchor to my home. I love it here!
2 Good color tips:
1. Paint just one accent wall. Leaving the other walls white allow the accent wall to pop, adding drama and style.
2. Paint looks different in natural light and when it dries. Try to do a paint test on a small part of the wall to see the outcome.
2 Good color resources:
1. Love Home Depot! The Sales Associates are so helpful and really invest in your project, adding insight and direction and TLC!
2. Love travel magazines! Every page is filled with a brilliant spectrum of colors that are showcased in natural environments - water, beach, sky, trees, mountains, cities, etc, Real life + real people = style an energy that can inspire any person's home!
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Ercol Bar Stool
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
This is very nice and bright, sure, but the accent colors are barely visible. Is it the picture? Or is your sage green really very beige-y? I feel like I"m not getting the whole story, maybe it's my monitor.
Fun room with cheery colors -- and what's not to like about Audrey Hepburn? I'm not sure I'm seeing the accent colors either, though; while I like this room, mostly it just says "nice stripes" to me.
This is fun, and a great use of stripes, BUT. This is not a kitchen. This is a dining area. And the 2nd pic is so similar to the first; I'd like a different view or room (like the kitchen?).
I like the use of stripes to make the room appear larger, but I don't think the choice of colors is calming in such a small room. With the lights on you might be blinded! I would have suggested more muted colors to achieve the desired effect.
These colors still give me that fast-food vibe even when they're less bright. I bet if that painting was used as a starting point, something really interesting could happen.
That first pic looks a little like an optical illusion!;-) I have never thought about putting stripes on the walls until I started following this contest. What a concept.
i like the colors, i like the stripes, but i'm not sure i like the two together here. i think maybe the black table and accessories make the colors seem more harsh than they need be? in any case, kudos for going bold.
Where is the kitchen?
I'm seeing a lot of these creatively painted walls, and while they're neat, I feel like I'm seeing a one-trick pony. A great paint job does not make a skillful use of color -- it's just the first step! Start with great walls and build from there.
yes, i want to see the kitchen.
I personally love the walls and the Audrey.
Cheery, sweet & fresh
c (NW #36)