Name: Christine Chitnis
Location: Providence, RI
Type of Home: Rental Apartment
What inspired you to use color? I have always loved color, but when I got married, my husband, who is Indian, convinced me to try adding even brighter colors to our home; oranges, pinks, greens and blues. I love the global, eclectic feeling that combining these colors gave our apartment. I also love to decorate the walls with textiles, especially brightly colored saris. It can be a great alternative if painting your walls is not an option...
...I often look to the changing seasons for color inspiration. In the spring and summer, fresh bouquets of flowers add pop to a room and during the fall, colorful gourds and pumpkins can make cute dinner table displays. Even the whites and blues of a still winter day can inspire a clean, clutter-free space.
Color Tip: Many people think that colorful walls will make a tiny room feel even smaller. I think that a soft color on the walls makes even the smallest room seem warmer. If you are a renter, ask your landlord to allow you to paint the walls, with the promise that you will return them to white when you move out...it is worth the extra effort!
Colors Used: The bedroom paint is C2’s LoVo paint and the color was specially mixed based off a chip of Benjamin Moore’s Tide Pool.
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We have the same bed, so gorgeous, love it!
Its hard to tell what the place is like because all the photos (except the last one, sort of) are little vignettes.
Your place is beautiful! Very soothing, and wondering photos all around.
ps: how do you get your orchid to have so many blooms? Mine recently flowered, but it could only muster 3 buds...better than nothing I suppose!
Too many vignettes and not enough overall space shots. However, I totally agree with you about a) color making small rooms feel better b) it being worth the effort to ask the landlord. Worst that can happen is you're told 'no'.
I really like the soft green walls - very subtle, and plays agains the punches of lime (altho I'm SO done with lime in my house)
I also agree about too many vignettes because I really wanted to see how you pulled together a whole space and not just a small corner. But what I can see I like very much.
I love the painted details on the radiator!
Where can I find that owl?
Oh! I covet that coverlet on the bed (sorry, couldn't resist). Those blues would be lovely in my own bedroom. Where's it from?
This place makes me want to snuggle up with a good book or perhaps a fun art project. Has a very open and relaxing vibe. I love the sea-foam green with the white book shelf in front. Something about that photo just makes me happy. Maybe because it reminds me of a lovely beach house on a saturday afternoon.
this is one of the best-styled AT contest entries I've ever seen...well done! your bedroom is lovely and that cover is fantastic.
another great entry! the contest is off to a great start this year. i love the neutral background and all of the colours throughout - in every day items (books, plants etc.) the vignettes are lovely and well done.
as my little apartment said, this is very well styled and even though it's a lot of vignettes and not enough of the rooms, I like the feel of it!
I love this! This is exactly what I want my apartment to be.
That is the perfect shade of aqua...
charming
oooh nice! lovely photos and beautiful colors. finally.
ditto on the charming, especially the blue bedroom.
the pegboard looks fabulous!
This looks great! The first two pictures are my favorite.
Hi everyone! Thank you for your lovely comments. I know there are quite a few vignettes, but you would not believe me if I told you...this is the whole apartment! It is very tiny, so really... this is it!! Anyway, as for some of the questions- my bedding is from ABC Home in NYC and was a very special splurge. Both the grey comforter and the blue throw are from there. That store is my dreamland!
As for the orchid, no secrets there! This was my friends that I borrowed because mine had lost all of its flowers and looked like a twig sticking out of a pot! So I am no orchid master, trust me!
The owl is from Frog and Toad, a local store on Hope Street in Providence, RI. It was made in Mexico by Erandi...you might try googling it!
Let me know if you have any other questions and I will do my best to answer them! Thanks again for all of your sweet comments!
I was wondering where you got your pegboard? I've been searching everywhere for what I want and you have it!
Thanks so much and your place is beautiful!
Emily
Hi Emily,
I made my pegboard! All you need is a slab of pegboard (which you can get at Home Depot), a few two-by-fours to anchor it to the wall, a drill, and some dry wall or stud nails. I painted mine (before you hang it) with some acrylic paint I had laying around! Just to let you in on a secret, it is a two person job, especially if you are going to make it as large as mine!
You can find a great tutorial here: http://www.dominomag.com/howtos/diy/2007/05/howto_pegboard
Hope that helps!
This house is beautiful! A favorite for sure! I know this is supposed to be about color, but I love the textures of your home! You use color in such a tasteful way that color is not the only thing people think of when they see your house - bravo.
Every picture is an inspiration. I never know what to do with my "active" purse in my bedroom. I love how you tucked it away in that great night stand. It looks tidy and stylish.
thanks for sharing this great space. your home is lovely, and ditto on the bedding/bed. the pegboard drew me in. not my favorite colour, but your application did the trick--a spark of life.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Christine! I very much appreciate your info and link. And I do have an extra set of hands around the house!
We rent, also, so to create storage and decoration at the same time, pegboard has been high on my list of non-permanent projects.
Enjoy your beautiful home and Providence (my birth city!).
Emily
these colors are so happy...such a cheerful space.
i'm in the round w/ you today! it's so crazy because our tastes seem so similar. we even used some of the same colors. i'm glad to be in such good company.
Lovely!
i love your apartment because it is so relate-able! you don't have to have a million bucks or "designer" furniture/accessories to put together a classy home. very personal. lovely.
You have some great ideas in how you utilize your living space. The pictures that you've chosen, however, leave me wanting to see the rest of the room instead of small parts.
Thanks.