Name: Maya & Michael
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Type of Home: Rented Loft Apartment

What inspired you to use color? We have huge, south-facing windows that let in tons of light, which makes saturated colors look great! In fact, we used color to mute our bedroom and make it more cozy and tranquil.
Color Tip: Our apartment has a [mostly] open plan, so we've become really aware of peripheral color relationships. The colors in a home don't need to match, but they should all work together because they're all part of the same spatial experience.
Colors Used: Littleton and Wolf's Run from True Value
Welcome, everyone, to our Fourth Annual Fall Colors Sharing & Contest. We're looking for the most beautiful & colorful home in the world and sharing all of the great ideas we get with our readers. This year we're amping things up and hoping to do things better than ever. There are two basic phases, the Sharing Phase and the Voting Phase...
1. Sharing Phase - you comment, judges decide
The 40 best, completed entries will be posted on a daily basis for three weeks. You can view them all at anytime via our new, improved contest pages under ALL ENTRIES. During this time your comments are VERY IMPORTANT as our six judges will be choosing 16 finalists from each region based on comments and their own colorful opinion.
2. Voting Phase - you vote til you drop
Starting October 20th, finalist voting will begin on a daily basis through our new bracketed voting system, which will pit our 16 finalists against one another until only one remains. Sound exciting? We hope so.
Best, Maxwell
Really lovely home. LOVE the coffee table!
view oakland's profile
I love your place. It looks great, but livable. I really, really love the sofa. What is it?
view superbeetle's profile
Okay, THIS is how it's done. They've used color in a way that works seamlessly with everything else and plays up the furniture.
Too many other entries are just "Look, I painted a turquoise accent wall."
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
P-e-r-f-e-c-t !
Graphic designer?
view yul's profile
Stunning! I love all the plants!
view ilovebc's profile
Well said Lisa. Lovely space. THIS is well edited.
view Josh's profile
I adore the green walls and small red pops. They work beautifully with the wood tones to make a cohesive space which is tough with an open plan. I adore your big blank office wall of 'latest inspirations.'
view Spacesha's profile
Handsome
view LoriSF's profile
On a lot of the apartments the color seems to either be the only focus or is so over the top that it makes the small rooms feel cluttered. I love how they weren't afraid to put items in the room and on the walls and the color makes the items look better instead of taking away from them. I would love to lounge in that loft.
view aks3000's profile
I love the green wall and the plants - they bring so much life in space.
view Danijela's profile
So unique! What an amazing combination of shape and color. I've yet to see anything else quite like this entry.
Incredibly habitable, but strikingly original.
view Ashleigh's profile
Lovely, great job using just the right amount of color. Plus I love the hanging pendent!
view Signe's profile
It all works together. Well done.
view CityKin's profile
I love it! It's incredibly well-edited put together with just enough bright and muted colors in all the right places. The home office looks like such a fun and inspiring place to work! Cute cat, too! Is it me, or do all the great entries feature cute animals? It must be a sign of greatness.
view ClaireW's profile
thats a nice avocado
view matchjames's profile
Pea greens, yellows, and oranges are so harmonious together. These colors relax me, and so do the images of this house.
view CJ26's profile
Your home is extremely inviting. I love the color combinations and the pendant above the dining table is beautiful!
view lola1981's profile
No colour zaps you but they blend to attract and warm the viewer's eye. Thanks for the tour!
view JennyEdwards's profile
awesome
view hanako66's profile
I really love this space. The colors are fantastic and the layout is perfect.
view modernguy's profile
Love the green and the whole living room. A definite winner in my book.
view Nina79's profile
This place is great! There's an abundance of color but it never overpowers the furniture or artwork, and it seems like a very comfortable, lived in space. I love all the art on the walls, especially the Charley Harper print!
view fabframes's profile
I find that lamp curious yet irresistible!
view Andy Andy Andy's profile
do Siamese cats come in saturated colors?
view JBrahms's profile
this place is a real treat. the collection of art and furniture is entertaining and personal. dig that crazie lamp. I could be real comfortable here. show more!
view stevejohngus's profile
really lovely - i'll move in next week. could you mention where the kitchen table was purchased?
view zoo's profile
I hate the couch the cushions are flat and should be replaced. Avocado again why?
view gail.gaby's profile
Thanks, everyone, for your comments! Some answers:
Superbeetle, the couch has a metal label on one of the leags that says "Indiana National Corporation." That seems to be a previous owner and is the only mark I've found. We have a matching armchair.
Yul, yes, we're both designers!
JBrahms, Siamese cats don't come in very saturated colors, but their saturated personalities are plenty for us!
Zoo, we made the dining room table ourselves, by painting a piece of MDF and attaching legs. It was a simple DIY, and we love to idea of one day switching the top for a different look [or a different size, if need be].
Gail.gaby, we're really happy with the color but also open to changes. We like the couch, so that stays -- any ideas for a different wall color that could work in the space?
Maya
view visualingual's profile
well done! I love the coffee table too and the bench by the green wall.
view birdseyechili's profile
Great place! Love the green and all your furniture. I have the exact same armchair (the tan one with the wooden arms and legs). My husband and I found it on the street in our neighborhood and had it refurbished and recovered. Do you know anything about this piece?
view mishmiranda's profile
This one is my fav of all, I am painting my walls this colour green this week, thanks so much for the inspiration!
view topia7's profile
Mishmiranda, our chair is unmarked, and we got it for $10. One of these days, we'd like to reupholster it, but there's no rush -- the tan is sort of boring, but it's in perfect condition.
view visualingual's profile
Beautiful.
view Elizabeth II's profile
Really gorgeous. Love the avocado color especially and the way the wood tones really glow against it. Can I ask if you know anything about the lamp on the bedside table to the right? I have the same one in turquoise and absolutely adore it but have never seen another.
view still life mercantile's profile
I'm so disappointed that this home lost to one that used very little color and didn't do a whole lot with the color it did use. This home has color and uses it in a great way!
view fabframes's profile
Still life mercantile, both of the lamps in the bedroom are by Jane and Gordon Martz for Marshall Studios. I love their work! You can learn more about them here:
http://marshallstudios.net
I would really appreciate you adding a photo of your lamp to this Flickr group I created:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/marshallstudios
view visualingual's profile
gail.gaby clearly has not sat on flat cushions such as yours. Invite her over - she'll convert. Your couch is woooonderful!
view suzycue's profile
Maya & Michael - Beautiful house, I love the corduroy look of your couch.
view LukaGage's profile