Name: Susan
Location: Washington, DC
Type: 1 bedroom, own

Why I use color:

I love the color problem; it is of the x, y, and z dimension. What colors are best for a given room contour, natural light, furniture and art? It is endlessly challenging, and I think that I work in some middle ground that seeks to integrate the different elements harmoniously...

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I tend to like primary colors but in a subdued hue. I prefer wooden furniture and this apartment came with lots of cherry wood shelving. I chose some colors to bring it in sharp relief and others to provide a subtle difference. The terra cotta walls in the dining room remind me of the lower floor of a building Frank Lloyd Wright designed, in the town I grew up, where his color idea came from red clay soils.

2 Good color tips:

1. Avoid trendy color combinations, they detract from your long-term personality

2. Don’t buy home furnishings from the internet that involve color unless you can see a swatch first. Colors look so different in real life or in the particular light of your own room.

2 good color resources:

1. Fauvist paintings

2. Sales/advisors at Benjamin Moore paint stores