Name: Melissa
Location: Chicago
Type: 2 bedroom, rented
Why I use color: Simply put, when a dog sleeps on your sheets, bleach is your friend. I tend to keep all my bedding pure white so that I can easily keep things clean. When the biggest piece of furniture in the room is white, you have to have color almost everywhere else. Yellow makes me happy, and dark blue makes me sleepy. This way I go to bed every night tired and with a smile.
2 good color tips:
1. I love contrast and I find that when you paint corner to corner on all walls, or an accent wall, you really loose a lot of the interaction between colors. I prefer to always fall shy, in some interesting way, of the edge, just to keep the tension up
2. Another trick is to use molding or wood trim. It's cheap, it's easy to install, it provides another surface for color, and kicks up the dimension in your walls.
2 good color resources:
Your favorite stuff & beautiful fabric. I think it's always best to start with a point of inspiration. This room's entire color scheme was drawn from one of my favorite dresses. I think a color palette is pretty much assured to be a success if you pull it out of something you already love. Don't over think it.
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The use of colour is quite nice- and this is coming from someone who doesn't like primary yellow very much. I wish the artwork above the bed was bigger- but that's more about proportion than colour. Good job here!
Hi Melissa,
This is a great bedroom (and cute dog!). I've been searching for the right dark blue for my bedroom wall -- can you please tell me what color this is? I'd be hugely grateful!
Thanks,
Margaret
I have 2 dogs and they sleep on (and all over) our bed. Because of that I've stayed away from white bed linens, but your contradiction here is making me really re-think my stance.
I really like how this looks. It appears really luxe but without being fussy. I love the blue!
LOVE this room! Instant finalist!
I put a folded tan & brown coverlet at the end of my bed for the dog to sleep on, that way I can wash it and put it back really easily. I don't know if I could stand bleaching it all the time, wouldn't it smell bleachy? I think I would break out in hives.
Wow, I would of never thought that a navy blue and lemon yellow would ever go together but it's really sweet & sophisticated. I think you did a very nice job. What great entries this year! Good Luck!
The black edging on the curtains & blue rectangle is perfect. This is gorgeous.
Is the blue wall purplish or gray-greenish? The two photos have different tinges on my screen.
Nice room. Great use of colors. I wish you had shown us two different views. What do YOU see when you are lying in the bed? Whats on the far wall? Super cute dog.
I really like the color in the room. It's very fresh, yet extremely traditional (thinking French provincial, Louis XIV, etc.). You'll get big points because it's not AT green :)
Navy blue and lemon yellow are such a classic! Not really my style, but I love this combo.
Wow, I love this room. Love the combination of this awesome blue and yellow, and the fresh white bed and ESPECIALLY love the black detailing. I think it grounds the colors, (especially the bright yellow) and looks synchronized without being "matchy". Very creative use of color! I vote Insta-finalist.
I love this room. Is that molding marking off the blue square or is it just black paint. And is that an actual headboard, or did you build it out of molding?
I like the first photo because there was less white and I like the lighting better. The blue and yellow are very nice together. I love the headboard with those through pillows, very nice touch. Good job.
Hey all,
Thanks for the comments. I really appreciate everyones point of view.
Paint color is Behr called Rain Storm. It's less navy in person and more a smooth, dark teal.
Sorry about the vantage point. It's really the only place to stand in the room to take any kind of broad-range photo.
The bed is a stock pine Ikea bed which I upholstered in yellow velvet and then painted white.
I made the curtains from a lovely print I found, and then trimmed them in black quilt binding.
TULIP you totally got it!
I thought it would be fun to do a French inspired room since my French Bulldog loves to hang out there. A little taste of home.
Thanks again
Melissa
The colors look great together. I don't think the mirrored sconces compliment the wall though. Maybe a larger picture hung lower, but using the same colors as the current print.
-In cont.
Lovely wall color.
A really interesting color combo that could have gone horribly wrong in less skilled hands. Nicely done!
well done!
great use of two strong colors with personal significance.
thumbsup.
This is definately one of my all time favorites. Really original and unique, and well executed. I thought your tips were great, too. And, of course, a fabulous dog! Insta-finalist!
this looks very good. however, i would hang the picture at eye-level.
Very nice room. Great amount of bright colors but still very warm and comfortable.
Cute pup too!! :-)
so glad to hear that the first picture is closer to the true color because it is AWESOME in that photo. very, very nicely done!
This is lovely. It looks very elegant, yet cozy & completley welcoming at the same time. I LOVE the deep blue and yellow color combo. The fabric on either side of the bed is very well chosen too. Beautiful! Bravo and nighty-night.
love that dog!
I LOVE IT!! White is right up my alley and I love the crispness of the room! The doggie is precious too. :) Great job!
Love IT! So fun an yet so solid and clean. You win sister. I love to decorate small spaces too, they're way more fun! Love the headboard and the fabric panels. Way to be stylish and not just a copy of a west elm catalog!
melissa, you're brilliant and I would love you to design my next home. your style is very comfortable and expressive at the same time. I love your place and can't wait to spend more time there. that's how much you rock.
karleigh
Wow, I am really not much of a yellow fan myself, but along with the strong blue, it looks absolutely fantastic. Great color combos, makes room look alot more cozy, yet luxurious, new, interesting, and original, and obviously without having the "POTTERYBARN PAGE 14" feel, which I am so sick off! Huge points for Jacques as well, give him a squeeze from me.
Hope you win!
I like this. Interesting use of color. And I like the dog. Looks like four legged little bat! How gosh darn cute!!
this color combo is fantastic! and i adore the explanation given as to why it was used - happiness and sleep (are there 2 better things?).
i do agree that the artwork above the bed isn't quite right. my suggestion would be a vintage mirror, oval or rectangular - to "french-ify" it even more.
and i'm totally with you on the white linens - nothing beats them (and we have 4 cats) to compliment a colorful bedroom.
and lastly, the headboard. i cannot beleive it's that ikea pine. very inventive - well done!
Love the contrast between the dark blue as the focal color on the wall with the pristine white bed linens. Crisp, elegant and modern with a splash of quirk...all the qualities I look for in design! PS - the sweet dog makes for the icing on the cake. Well done. :)
Very nice!
Great job Melissa!
This is cool with the dog in the picture
You did a great job with your colors and the arangement of the room
LOVE LOVE LOVE :)
Great color combination. The yellow and white in the bed really pop off the blue.