apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

PAINTS USED Fine Paints of Europe H00110, Farrow & Ball Clunch 2009

Whereas Harold had a purple crayon with which to design and demarcate the world according to his whims, I’m actually doing the opposite — using paper white to line-draw animals over a color I think is perfect for a child’s room, and which had me thinking of this classic book the whole time I was working.

One way to get the raised weave in a simulated silk damask wallpaper is to vary the finishes of your paints. File this under Flowers. The base coat is Clunch from Farrow&Ball in matte — a reliable all-purpose white...

As you may recall, I had Flame-Stitch Fever last spring, and painted zigzags large and small everywhere I went. Well, you can never get sick of a good thing, and I’m continuing along my merry way with a triangle and cork-bottomed ruler firmly in hand.

Good question! Here’s one for the archives, and the answer depends on many things. Do you have children or animals — those twin enemies of beauty/essences of beauty, depending on the day? Is the space a kitchen, bathroom or high-traffic area? Is it a bathroom prone to moldy ceilings? Are you someone whose mood about color changes every six minutes?

This just in over the transom: reader Randall found my Matisse post in archive and sent me his own red studio, eager to share. Thrilled, I wrote back for further info and picked up the correspondence.

I happened across a gallery exhibition of paintings by Milton Avery over the weekend — a favorite of mine in my halcyon days of art school — and I thought a quick discussion of his work would dovetail nicely with Arts, Crafts and Collections month here at Apartment Therapy.

I wish I’d discovered Les Toiles du Soleil at the top of the summer as these delightful colors and patterns just scream "sun and surf." If I had deck chairs — let alone a deck — I’d buy these fabrics by the bolt.

Name: Plum Raison 2082-20, Raisin torte 2083-10
Brand: Benjamin Moore

I discovered Matisse's The Red Studio at the Museum of Modern Art last summer, and found it to be completely captivating. It also got my wheels spinning — why not paint your own studio from toe top to crown in plum red?

It's been said that the human eye can perceive an average of 3 million colors, with some highly sensitive or artistic types able to detect 7 million. Yet, I've noticed over the years that every decorator with whom I've worked gravitates to the same 25 colors repeatedly, which is how specific color palettes, or color languages, are born. Allow me to introduce my own.

Name: Coastal Fog AC-1
Brand: Benjamin Moore

Why would anyone with a color column write so frequently about grey? I think it's important to point out the subtle beauty of a seemingly random neutral as an element within a larger design scheme. When used deliberately it can be an essential component in a smartly colorful room.

Name: Silver Fox 2108-50
Brand: Benjamin Moore

Close friends of mine have a brownstone in Brooklyn — they are both artists unafraid to be decoratively daring, and have invested every room in the house with a unique color.

Name: Indian Rhubarb NA63
Brand: Ralph Lauren

My photo shoot last night for an aplomb Plum was a bust so here’s a archives — this is Indian Rhubarb, a nice full grey with a touch of green that never looks Army. It’s slightly sunlit here, and it works well as a neutral backdrop to the Gerrit Rietveld chair...

I have a few notes on the film Purple Noon, after a tip from a reader on my Samouraï post. I hadn’t seen in it in years and much prefer it to the American counterpart, The Talented Mr. Ripley — both based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith.Flourish, and enter Alain Delon…

A rare treat was recently unveiled at the Met — a painting ascribed to Michelangelo and one of only four known to be of his hand. According to The New York Times announcement a few months ago, one of the telltale characteristics distinguishing his authorship was the palette, which suddenly makes me appreciate the Sistine Chapel more, but now I’m running before my horse to market…