Name: Doc
Location: Studio City, CA
Why I use color:
"Deep purple and red walls balance the neutral counters, cabinets, and floors in my kitchen and dining room. The surprising--yet warm--colors define the space, the emotional center of our home. The red wall is glazed, rather than painted, which gives the multi-textured room even more depth. The wall opposite the red wall, from which the overview shot is taken, has huge windows, so during the day the colors bounce with natural light and at night the recessed lights make the walls sparkle like gems."
Color Tips:
"•The most successful pairings of several colors in a single space usually include colors in the same tone--i.e., light and peaceful, or vibrant and warm.
•Choose your color with an eye to your room's purpose. Generally, quiet rooms like bedrooms want peaceful, calming colors, while public spaces might just want a party.
•Oil-based glazes applied over a single background color can add depth, texture, and a sense of dynamism, and water-based washes can soften an otherwise stark room."
Color Resources:
•Shell out for a high-quality paint like Benjamin Moore, Pratt and Lambert, or even Farrow and Ball (if you've won the lottery). In the long run, you'll be glad. Pricy paint is easier to work with, and often takes fewer coats. You really do get what you pay for.
•In Los Angeles, Mann Brothers (www.MannBrothers.com) has it all. Great paint, great glazes, great advice.
Do the photos accurately represent the red wall?
As Doc's wife, I am of course biased, yet I am qualified to answer that the red in the closeup (with the painting) is accurate. It's a little lighter in the top photo than it is in reality.
Personally the "texture" to me just looks like paint that was applied poorly. The purple looks great, though.
Are those soapstone countertops? Is that a seam I see on the left side of the counters, or merely a shadow?
They're Richlite countertops. www.richlite.com.