#14 Lulu + C.R.'s Bold Post and Beam

Name: Lulu + C.R.
Location: Hollywood Hills, CA
Type: Post + Beam home/owned

Why I use color: There's no denying that spaces affect us. I find that unexpected color (even lack thereof) can shift my mood instantly. It is also the simplest way to completely shift the dynamic of any space, whether it's adding a bright red rug to a living area, changing the color of the sheets and pillows on a bed, or most dramatically, painting your walls. I'm convinced each room's color scheme should reflect the mood you want to evoke; I prefer whites and browns in the bedroom where I like calmness. I love greens in kitchens and eating areas and blues for libraries and bathrooms. I like to add purples to unexpected places like guest bathrooms. To us, there's nothing fun about being bland- life's too short.

2 Good color tips:

1. I love neutrals like beiges or whites mixed with bold bright colors like blood red or lime green. It reminds me of the surprise of color you often get in nature - birds with bright orange crowns or cactus plants with bold pink flowers.

2. Change it up and change it as often as you feel. Color doesn't need to be permanent – allow yourself to indulge!

2 Good color resources:

1. Magazines: National Geographic, any Italian or British home magazines, and Conde Nast Traveller.

2. Vintage fabric- buy it and let it set your palette.

Comments (15)

Those dining room chairs a fabulous! Love what you've done with the place!

posted by Melissa on 2006-10-15 12:47:12

The room has gorgeous bones and I love the green.

To my eye, there is an unfortunate visual effect created in the second photo. The many white items and borders are creating a lot of oddly-shaped blocks of black (?). I would recommend looking very carefully and deciding which shapes you want to emphasize and which ones you don't and reduce contrasts where needed.

posted by Ksenia on 2006-10-15 14:55:59

It seems like that damned apple/lime/acid green is everywhere these days. Its bold, but I still wonder how it will weather over the next few years.

I applaud your use of bold wall colors. The next step is to bring some harmony into the room by matching colors throughout. Essentially what you've got here are two walls: blue and green, but that seems to be where the color stops. Really start thinking about connections between the colors to bring the room to life.

posted by Modfan on 2006-10-16 09:06:31

I'm totaly in LOVE with your dining room. It's just so perfect! I like the office area too (it is an office right..I see the lap top and I can't really see the desk to well...) I'm crazy about contrasting colors, so I'm loving the green and black and the dark dark blue with the white. It's fabu-lous! Insta!

posted by Cassandra in Canada on 2006-10-16 12:53:24

The first image was so awesome. But then everything falls apart in the second.

posted by charlene on 2006-10-16 20:19:10

thank you for your comments! just so you know, the second image of the daybed/library/office room is not the one I intended. That said, if I had a wide angle camera I could show you how I pulled the color scheme in through various elements in each room. I wanted it to be clear that the blue room and lime green room were next to each other, which is why I submitted that other photo. I'll try to clean up =- but thank you anyway for your comments and support!
Lucie

posted by lucie on 2006-10-16 21:20:27

Fantastic space! Interested in being on HGTV's Small Space, Big Style? Email me for more info - nicole@brainbox.tv

posted by Nicole on 2006-10-17 08:13:42

your inspiration about the birds and the surprise of color is one i totally agree with. i love that design strategy.

it also looks like you'd get plenty of light in that Eichler-esque (?) home of yours. i'd like to see the "blue" room in the daylight.

posted by alex (haiku) on 2006-10-17 20:58:43

I see so much potential. The room in the first picture is completely fun with the chandelier and the bird decals, but the second pic was a bit of a let down. It just looks so cluttered. I do like the bright, bold colors with the white accents and the rich wood furniture. I also like the Ghost chairs with the chrome table. But it feels like this entry tried to cram a bunch of decorating trend into a very small space without much thought. Overall, I said "in contention."

posted by angela on 2006-10-17 21:11:30

What angela said!

posted by Elle on 2006-10-18 21:01:19

Well first of all I love the Green room hands down.As far as the second room I think that the camera angel is not doing it justice.This is a working room and if you really pay attention to the lay out and not the angle then it doesnt really look clutterd like someone said,and so with that I say goodbuy.......Tony Panterra

posted by Tony Panterra on 2006-10-18 22:53:16

Honey! I'm home!!! How was your day? Mine was fabulous now that I'm in my awesome house. Hmmm... let's see... I think I'll hang out on the sofa for a bit and read my domino, then get on the laptop in the beautiful green room and look up some tips on apartmenttherapy.com.... la la la la da la la .... happy happy... joy joy!

Hey, I don't live here? You don't know me? You're calling the cops? no! But I want to live here!!!!!

posted by kenji on 2006-10-19 17:25:16

i like wit in decorating, but the whole jeans/$800 manolos/thrifted lingerie cami thing has gotten a little too ironic. i'm sick of irony. here we have kicky lime (jeans)/ghost chair ($800 manolos)/retro chandelier (thrifted lingerie cami).
the chrome table and the palomas are just....one trope too far.
and it doesn't come together. it looks....hard. cold.

posted by purejuice on 2006-10-22 12:08:40

What's up with the birds, fly away, fly away!!!

posted by Susy on 2006-10-25 09:39:35

BRAVO! BRAVO! WHAT ABSOLUTELY LOVELY ROOM. YOU SHOULD WIN OR COME IN 1ST PLACE.

posted by marla on 2006-11-15 05:46:37