Name: Lee and Phil
Location: Chicago
Type: 1 bedroom mid-rise soft loft condo, owned
Why we use color: Immersed in urban contemporary, we like colors deeply saturated that set a feel for the space. Depending on the room, we want energizing or calming colors. What we generally look for in a color is how much it changes with natural morning, midday and sunset light as well as artificial and accent lighting; and how color combinations work together. Also, color helps frame and/or complements our art, flooring, cabinetry and furniture.
Color is what ties an interior design together, and helps express who we are and what we like. We have our favorites colors in our wardrobe, why not extend that to our walls?
As soft loft dwellers, we spend the majority of our home-life in our 'big' room, which serves as the kitchen, living room and office. The colors we have chosen are Sage Green, Eggplant and Marigold. The Sage extends past the kitchen into the bedroom, while the Marigold extends down the hall to our entrance. The Marigold certainly grabs guest's attention when entering our home for the first time.
2 good color tips:
1. Whatever you see on the color-swatch at the paint store looks far bolder on the completely painted walls - consider pulling back to a lighter tone from your first choice and you will likely end up with result that you intended.
2. Always use premium brand paints over designer labels; start with a tinted undercoat and two full layers of topcoat.
2 good color resources:
1. We look for reoccurring colors styles and combinations as they appear in design magazines, art galleries, apparel and specifically visual art that we own.
2. Artist and designer friends are always a great source of inspiration for us - in the past we have inquired with one particular artist-friend before purchasing paint. This gives us a chance to think out loud and have our ideas challenged.
Love the Buddha wall art. I like you choice of bold colors but what this lacks is unity. As is I see four bold walls that stand opposite one another. You need to bring the color IN to the room and mix it up. I think you should paint the cabinets and bar one of the wall colors.
Ok. What's a "soft-loft"?
...a lot of color, yes. a bold use of color, yes. but that does not make it a great usage of color. it feels like a mish-mosh of color.
love the Budda -- there's nothing to tie your color selection together. There's a lot of clutter.
Jackie, I can't speak for this owner's particular condo, but in Atlanta we usually use the term "soft loft" to refer to a condo that is new construction but has loft-style details. This might include a mostly open floorplan with combined living/kitchen/dining/office space (like shown above), exposed ductwork, high ceilings or lofted areas or mezzanines. A genuine loft, as opposed to a soft loft, is usually a conversion of manufacturing, warehouse, office or commercial space into apartment or condo units.
I didn't vote on this one. Love the first picture, but I have to askif there was a color shift in the second photo. It looks rather flourescenty (yeah...like that's a real techincal term).
Independent of the design, the colors are nice, but really, there is no design. I think there's a long way to go on this one.
Too much clutter for my taste.
The first scenario could be improved by glass panels, maybe obscure glass, in the upper kitchen cabinet doors. Or perhaps adding a color glaze to the cabinets because they're flying off the walls in an unpleasant way, and emphasizing the tendency to cluttered look. But give them credit for being bold.
It's alive, interesting and inviting. I would love to have you two as friends. That is if you were to invite me.
The colors are daring and the furnishing is straight from: You can keep that if I can keep this. You have made a statement and made a home for each of you.
I really love the eggplant with the blonde wood!
i very much like the reverb of the marigold, sage and eggplant -- really good colors apart and together.
i'm afraid i think the colors of the oriental rug, the office chair, the breakfast bar stool cushions are so out of hue that they sort of kill the reverb. it seems as if reverb can only occur if a space is policed for clutter and other colors. one good example is the catshouse that the cat people have built for their kitties -- all bright mexican colors reverbing together in a small space, with very carefully placed and edited objects, furniture and rugs. the other stuff has really to be curated carefully.
http://www.thecatshouse.com/
these people really have the bright reverb thing down pat. their house is one of the most uplifting in the use of color reverb that i've seen, a la frida kahlo casa azul.
LOVVVEE the orange wall .. but I don't see where it fits in. Nothing is really melding in this room .. no sense of a unified space.
the color makes a bold statement of somebody who immerses their soul in the waters of life.......i like how it grabs you without offending you, the colors stimulate without making you edgy..........nice progressive welcoming....
Jackie/Erin
That is how I understand the term to be used as well in most urban centers.
" A genuine loft, as opposed to a soft loft, is usually a conversion..." This is known as a hard loft.