
PAINTS Benjamin Moore Cream Soda 1082; Ralph Lauren Morning Walk VM58, Dewdrop Pink RM03 & Faded Peony RM01
After flipping through my portfolio last winter, my saintly mother declared that she was done with the roses wallpaper in her bedroom, as it was closing in on her. “What can you give me in a stripe?” she said. Her first request was maroon over tan. My eyes narrowed into slits and I said, “Let me see what I can come up with…”
I’ve never loved maroon and tan as a color combo, it always looks like one thing to me, only earthy. In determining a pattern for said bedroom, I first added melon-like Morning Walk as the thin stripe to give our colorway a topnote, then filled it out with Dewdrop and Peony (center stripes) — two flower/berry tones in Regent Metallic finishes to make the whole thing more sensual. I came to Minneapolis with a few options in mind, which we tested on site, and then narrowed the stripe to fit the scale of the room. This isn’t a New York loft, after all — space here is more generous, but scale is smaller.

My sense here is that we’ve used slightly feminine colors in a slightly masculine pattern, how’s that for balance? Next time we’ll redo the powder room, perhaps something “Italian,” though I don’t know what that is yet. Reader suggestions greatly appreciated.
- Mark Chamberlain, interior and decorative painter
Power to ya for being able to not only do the work to get the result, but for actually enjoying and being able to live with the result. I personally find large masses of stripes in contrasting colors to be headache-inducing. But then again, I'm prone to headaches.
Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net
view grafxnerd's profile
Finally a post that actually gives the paint names and brands!!! Love it!
view Star Princess's profile
I love your posts, Mark. I'll think about "Italian" powder rooms...
view tara1979's profile
Really nice, the story as well as the result. Modern and traditional for Mom. Love the white bedding as well. So clean.
view stt64's profile
The color choices are impressive - really makes Mom's furniture relate to the walls so much better than plain beige.
view bepsf's profile
I really enjoy these Color posts, wish they came more often.
view JoanneM's profile
Great post, very well written to boot.
view kellylc's profile
Very pretty.
view insanity_pepper's profile
Perfect. Your mom must love it.
view brittanykate's profile
I love it - brings back memories of the amazing striped wallpaper my grandmother had. (Ha ha, and her not-so-amazing purple shag carpet)
view Cashew's profile
You know what's going to happen, right? In 20 years, vintage cabbage roses will all the rage, and our kids will be appalled that we were such vulgarians as to not appreciate them.
view Lisa (Montreal)'s profile
Nice result and really good post - I especially liked "Her first request was maroon over tan. My eyes narrowed into slits" LOL
view idontdobeige's profile
What a lucky mom; and you must have the patience of a saint ~ that must have taken forever.
view muirwoods08's profile
What a lucky mom. You must have the patience of a saint; that must have taken forever.
view muirwoods08's profile