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How To: Create a Contemporary Color Accent
David & Christina's February Jumpstart Project 2009

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Title: Contemporary Accent to Mid-Century Modern
Name: David & Christina
Time: 4 hours
Cost: $65

David & Christina prove that those funky bulkheads can be put to good use to help define a space and add character (paint does amazing things!). Click above for the pics and head below for all the instructions. Give David & Christina a THUMBS UP if you find this project helpful....

 
 
paint-accent
BEFORE

TOOLS:
paint (Behr: Shy Violet)
brushes
tape
PhotoShop

STEPS:
1. photographed the space and used PhotoShop to try different colors on the wall
2. approximated the desired color and got similar paint chips
3. moved the furniture, marked up the space, and painted
4. put everything back and re-organized a bit


Give David & Christina a THUMBS UP if you find this project helpful....

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Comments (29)

How did this end up costing $65? That seems high for a quart of paint.

posted by MiklakMiklak on February 18th 2009 at 3:51pm
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Perhaps they bought really nice brushes so they didn't end up with brush hair in the paint?

Looks fabulous, and is a great alternative to painting an entire space.

posted by grafxnerd on February 18th 2009 at 3:54pm
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Looks great! I'm sure the sofa, rug, plant and bookshelf didn't hurt your after pic...

posted by mikebrown17 on February 18th 2009 at 4:22pm
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Something that seems so obvious but you don't think of, I like the color choice, as well as the idea, brings depth to the room.

posted by sarrazak on February 18th 2009 at 4:29pm
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The room in the first picture does not appear to be the same room as the one in the other pictures.

posted by sypage on February 18th 2009 at 4:35pm
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I have that coffee table! Wow. It's in storage now because it's too long, but I got it at a thrift store. I like what you've done with this room.

posted by AngelaPeregrina on February 18th 2009 at 4:38pm
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I have these, too. I wonder if I should paint it the same color as the wall below or the ceiling. Sometimes I see the bottom of the soffit the same color as the ceiling, but I think that creates too many lines.

posted by jlg on February 18th 2009 at 5:24pm
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A bulkhead is a wall, typically aboard a ship or an aircraft -
- This is called a "soffit".

posted by bepsf on February 18th 2009 at 5:27pm
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Excellent color choice. Love the mid-century pieces.

posted by designclique on February 18th 2009 at 5:58pm
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Love it! Also love that twiggy sculpture!

posted by SherryBinNH on February 18th 2009 at 6:33pm
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I would usually try to ignore or disquise a soffit, but in this gorgeous space it's like a lovely frame for the room!

posted by tam-tbag on February 18th 2009 at 6:37pm
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nice! house tour! house tour! house tour!

posted by amandaja on February 18th 2009 at 8:29pm
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In theory it sounds like a terrible idea but in practice it's magnificent! What an improvement.

posted by TaniaTingel on February 19th 2009 at 5:03am
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Cheaters! You've got no KIDS!!

posted by AaronDC on February 19th 2009 at 11:27am
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Looks fabulous, great idea!

posted by aiheid on February 19th 2009 at 3:43pm
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House tour please!

posted by H L I on February 20th 2009 at 1:20pm
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I call that a bulkhead. Maybe it's a Canadian thing, or used in reference to the entire compartmental structure rather than just the underside (soffit). This "it's not a bulkhead" business has stumped everyone in my office.

However, I will tell you that each time I showed the photo to the other designers, they said "Nice painted bulkhead!", so I'm going against Wikipedia's ship/aircraft wall definition on this one.

posted by estydesign on February 20th 2009 at 3:18pm
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I second HLI ... house tour please... I'm in the middle of updating my mid-century apartment... need some color inspiration...

posted by ElvisPresleyNews.com on February 20th 2009 at 8:03pm
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Looks great!

In reference to the person wondering why it cost $65, I'm sure that included the price of the painting supplies as well. The little things add up fast!

posted by Erin Lang Norris/Yellow Canoe on February 21st 2009 at 11:06pm
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What a gorgeous couch! Gimme plz.

posted by missdk on February 22nd 2009 at 3:15am
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I love the new color! I'm actually looking for a couch and some dining chairs very similar to yours. Could you tell me where they are from?

posted by teevee616 on February 22nd 2009 at 11:44am
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I second all of the above. Great living room.

I'm looking for a rug exactly like that. (i know it's a rather common variety, but that one looks especially comfy). Could you tell me where you got it? Much thanks.

posted by zeemer on February 22nd 2009 at 9:21pm
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Thanks all for the comments! Yes, we bought too much paint (and other supplies) and in hindsight, could have spent less. Sorry that the pictures don't seem to go together-- I was limited to how many I could post. But the couch is diagonally across from the wall with three posters. The couch is from DWR and rug is from World Market. I'll have to have my fiance weigh in on the dining chairs. And sadly, this is all the color we've got in the house (except for a lovely green bathroom).

posted by kilikina on February 23rd 2009 at 10:17am
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Yes, the rug is a Flokati rug. I just happened to get it on sale at World Market, but a lot of retailers have them. The dining chairs are Arne Jacobsen replicas.

We're happy to do a house tour in about a year or so. We know you AT readers have high expectations, and we won't let you down. The bar is set pretty high, but I know we and our fellow Washingtonians can rise to the challenge!

posted by DF on February 23rd 2009 at 12:13pm
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Thumbs up! Let me know if you need a model for the house tour -- you know, to lounge around in your lovely place, looking effortlessly fabulous.

posted by angelaindc on February 23rd 2009 at 3:09pm
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in architecture we would refer to that as a bulkhead as well...looks great, not my choice of color but the idea is well represented

posted by hood on February 24th 2009 at 12:57pm
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It looks great. Makes me think of all the color possibilities that can make this type of "problem" into a wonderful decor accent.

posted by housefulloffur on February 24th 2009 at 4:36pm
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I think the place looks great. I especially like the use of the chrome bookshelves. As for the person who asked about the $65 cost, I ask, why does it matter? It drives me crazy that
readers get so caught up with details that are beside the point.
Same with the "no kids" comment. FYI: There are plenty of people out there who have children and live in attractive, neat homes.

posted by 5slx on February 25th 2009 at 10:03am
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Gorgeous home! You have so many beautiful pieces!

And 5slx, why so angry? I've read your comments on other AT posts, and we get it; you have money and like good design. But this is a site for ALL people to share and learn and have fun with beautiful interiors. If you are upset by the range of readers (those that with money to those on a budget) then maybe this isn't the site for you.

posted by emiliam on May 23rd 2009 at 1:04pm
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