Name: Kelly
Location: Temecula, California
Type: 4-bedroom home
Why I use color: With 2 young and extremely active children, the color on the walls reflects and enhances the energy in our lives. The family room/kitchen area is where most of the living, eating, shouting and playing takes place in our home, and we wanted something that complemented the vibrancy of the hours spent here. None of the other areas of the house are quite as intensely colorful, but my love for high contrast still shows up everywhere.
Even though each of the downstairs areas (entry, bath, living room, etc.) has a different color scheme, I've tried hard to create a sense of unity and flow with consistent design choices throughout. I also take real pleasure in finding items and artwork that I have strong or personal reactions to, and incorporating their colors into the overall feel of each room. Color is fun, color is everywhere, and when chosen carefully, color can showcase your outlook and sense of humor.
2 Good color tips:
1. When using dark or saturated colors, always, always use a primer first. (Something those DIY shows never seem to bother with.)
2. Carefully consider the mood you wish to establish, and the ways the room is used daily -- and then go for it!
Favorite type and brand of paint:
I don't think I've ever used anything but Behr. We're always crunched for time, and Home Depot is 5 minutes away.
I love the tangerine color! What color/brand is it? (Behr, I assume?)
view boon's profile
I find the variety in this home just lovely. Way to use the bold color in appropriate places.
view colellis's profile
The owner makes good use of color in the living room. It's the most typical American home I think we've seen so far. I like how the toy trucks in the first picture look like intentional design elements.
view st@cy's profile
I love the bathroom. I wish there were more images of it: the black and white play against the deep toned walls nicely.
view ehy2k's profile
Nice adaptation on the classic suburban home...wish i had grown up somewhere like this...perhaps you need some contrasting color in on the walls behind the kitchen cabinets to avoid the blonde on blonde thing thats going on.
view plasticransom's profile
This looks great, that stairwell shot looks like something out of a catalog (in a good way, if that makes any sense - I guess it just looks really pro). I would have liked to see more of the bathroom too and I agree about the lack of contrast in the kitchen but this is definitely in contention!
view Anne (in Reno)'s profile
This house makes me happy! Love it! Especially the tangerine colour.
view Kuri's profile
Kelly - Nice job in the kitchen. I have the same cabinets (I think half of America does) and struggle with them. I've seen them in half a dozen AT posts and you seem to have picked the best color for the surrounding walls.
view Chris - Annapolis's profile
Too bad about the Behr.....some of the worst paint out there.
view hdtex's profile
thats funny because here, it looks awesome!
great entry, I really love this one.
view suziegoombs's profile
I use Behr paint, and have found it to cover well, its thick and creamy and hides hair line cracks well. and thay have great colors. nice work Kelly
view moddog's profile
i think i have that same orange behr paint in my bathroom.
and i found that behr works very well for me. years later i've touched up spots and it really still blends perfectly.
view nattles's profile
the stair shot is straight out of a magazine. lovely!
view jamie*'s profile
Love that shot of the staircase!
view ktelschow's profile
Awsome colors, love the stairwell and bathroom. Family room looks inviting & cheery.
view martis's profile
Your photos show well how wall color can instantly set the energy~ each of your rooms have distinct energy. The blue wall to the left of the stair landing contains that space and makes it pleasing and important; it easily could have been awkward or dull. Your choice to stop the blue from continuing up the stairs (I see the transition line to the far right), works particularly well with making the stairs a destination of their own. If there is a lot more blue surrounding that area, you might consider a pop of color just in short landing space. And one more thing with that space....I wonder if a bit of wit could be added by arranging the square mirrors to mimic the stairs behind them. If you moved the last mirror on the second row and moved it above what is now the first row...the mirrors would hang 1,2,3,4, making a stair-step pattern.
Thanks for the inspiration Kelly!
view cYndiK.'s profile