Name: Maurissa
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Type of Home: House
What inspired you to use color? I wanted all who entered the house to feel joyful and comfy. The structure of the interior is already wonderfully open - each space flows generously into the another. Design-wise, I felt each room should both have its own identity and feel a part of the whole. A pink room flows into a green room that flows into a yellow room, but the gray undertones of each color bring them together. In addition, I use the primary color of one room to act as an accent color in the next. I like to think the inclusive design reflects the welcoming spirit of the house.
Color Tip: While red, green, and purple might not traditionally make a good color combination, they might find harmony if the tone is right. Nab those paint cards from your local hardware store and marvel in the fact that there are actually warm greys and cool yellows. I paint not only my walls, but my thrift store furniture, hardware, the frames of pictures and mirrors. There isn't a permanent item in my home that retains its color by default, and for that reason, the design feels all that much more thoughtful.
Colors Used: Newborn Blue, Macaroni & Cheese, Candy Mix, Wet Coral, Grass Cloth
Fall Colors Introduction -------------------------------
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 till 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
I appreciate how she focuses on the flow between colors in adjoining rooms--that's one of my biggest challenges in decorating.
I really dislike the Mac & Cheese color, though...sorry.
view madsarah's profile
I like the hanging light in the little pink room. That's it.
view littlebrownbird's profile
There is a LOT of color, but I believe in quality over quantity. It looks kind of like a Victoria's Secret store to me.
view medenver's profile
Tip: Don't have an Easter egg hunt indoors at your space.
view K T G's profile
A) It's SO unfair that she has a whole house.
B) LOVE the exterior. It's so early 20th Century.
C) While it wouldn't work for me (because I'm too much of a HE-MAN) I kind of like the pink stripes in the foyer.
view Mr. Dangerous's profile
I love the outside of the house!
view Monica's profile
u have a really cute thing going here and i love the pink stripes!
view SD913's profile
beautiful home. fun colors but i think it takes away from the craftmanship of the home.
view k8theriver's profile
the structure of the home is beautiful but the colors are a little much, comes off kind of like easter eggs.
view bprophs's profile
I love black and white kitchen and the outside of the house is lovely.
view Tabitha (From Single to Married)'s profile
This home is very joyful!
I love the pink strips and I love the ruffle curtins behind the blue sofa.
view rhianna's profile
I love the exterior of your home, the color choices inside and the chandeliers...
...but the Dining room is so SAD and DRAB - Who died??? Those lace curtains look like they were left behind by the previous owner's Grandmother - and the too-narrow/too-long tablecloth needs to GO. So does the Fun-Fur on the cheap blue IKEA sectional...
...and where's the rest of the furniture in that TV room? Why is that sofa against the wall when the rest of the room is Empty?
The IKEA sectional in the Living Room with the Shabby-Chic slipcover is the wrong choice for that room too - completely blocks the flow of that space - and doesn't work with the Orange Shag rug or the cheezy 80's plaster pillar. Where are the tables to place a drink? Why is there only one lamp in the room?
I'd love to see this when you're done - but you've got a long way to go...
view bepsf's profile
These color choices are bold and fun. The pink stripes paired with the mustard wall is so unexpected!
Some of the furniture and color choices I don't care for (I'm not crazy about florals and pastels). But I think that if Maurissa is happy in her home, that's what matters.
view StudioStarter's profile
Love the mirrors you have. Where did you find them?
view danze's profile
winner, winner, winner!!! I think that this home is so fun and the exterior...swoon!
view hanako66's profile
it's cute. the chandelier in the lavender room is great.
the furry couch kinda creeps me out, but i'm going to assume that's for pups or something.
view mariegael's profile
If you want to live in a MacKenzie Childs world, this is the place. It must look better in real life.
view Palmetto's profile
i got kind of hopeful when i saw the photo of the foyer (although I wondered where the furniture was), but the rest of the colors in the house don't seem to go with each other.
view jeunessedoree's profile
The colors don't have any flow...they weren't chosen in correlation with each other..Pink stripes with orange? Pastel yellow with navy blue and grey fur? It looks like you tossed in those two pillows sitting on top of the sofa just to say "Hey look! More color!" Nothing belongs. It really takes away from the style of the home, too. You have a very specific style that should be treasured and these colors don't do it justice. You can make this a colorful home, just do it in conjuntion with the style of the house itself. I've always let my homes tell me what color they wanted to be...if you force it it just looks strained and uncomfortable.
view amiencc's profile
It seems like there's some furniture missing in a couple of those pictures. Did you remove pieces so we could see the paint colors? I do love the stripes!
view oakland's profile
I like the pink stripes and the checkered floor.
view La loca's profile
I think your home is daring, delicious and down right dashing! Way to go... not any person has the courage to try these colours and patterns (you have to look closely to see that it works). Tidy & fun!
view ilovebc's profile
The exterior is great. The colours clash and there seems to be no theme through out the house or any consideration to at least keep the intensity of the colours the same. some of it is 1982 laura ashley, some of it is 1950 grandma, there's a little bit of horrible 70's style. just too much.
view TheoJ's profile
The colors are way over-the-top for my monochromatic life, but that foyer is crazy cool. It reminds me of an ice cream parlor. Thumbs up.
view Joey's profile
I am loving this house. The pink stripes are wonderful. The chandelieres are lovely. Just fabulous overall!
view kuroneko's profile
Good color, but needs a little more refining and sophistication.
view Modfan's profile
Oh my, I don't know where to begin. The house has great bones, the kitchen is simple and lovely, but the rest of the 'shabby chic' stuff is way too cheesy for this beautiful home. Simple is best, lose the drapes and the flowered furniture. You have a great canvas to work with, go the sophisticated route rather than the one you've taken.
view midge123's profile
Is that an Anthropologie shower curtain on the window behind the blue sofa thing with Chewbacca's skinned hide on it? You have a great house, absolutely beautiful, I don't see the need to kaleidoscope it to death. You have great architectural detail without going fun house crazy. I love color, but this feels a little extreme to me.
view SweetRosieBrown's profile