Name: Jonathan and Heather
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Type: 2 bedroom 2 bath converted factory loft condo. We own it.
Why I use color:
The main reason we use color is to define the space. We have an open floor plan for the kitchen, living, and dining area. When you face the living area (orange), you can’t see the dining/kitchen area (brown). It allows us to have two completely different vibes in the one large space...
Brown is smooth and calming and works well with the dining and kitchen area. It allows for a little romance and sophistication if you want it. The orange on the other hand is fun and brings light and playfulness into the room. We used an off white/cream color with a little depth to bridge the two colors. (We also have an aqua blue entry way (not shown) that acts as our art gallery and surprisingly works well with the colors while separating the space.)
A great feature of the apartment is the light thru the windows that constantly changes the colors of the walls throughout the day. The brown and orange colors have so many different dimensions when the light hits them. The autumnal sun really enhances these colors throughout the fall because of the way it moves across the apartment from September to November.
2 Good color tips:
1. Use color to create moods and emotions, rather than base it on the color of your furniture. Think about how you want to feel in the room, and make it something you look forward to come home to.
2. Take your time with the details. If you’re a perfectionist like me, spend a whole day cutting in if you need to. In the long run, when you sit in the room and can enjoy those details without focusing on the spot you screwed up, it makes it much more relaxing
2 good color resources:
1. I like to use nature and surroundings as my first resource. A drive thru the country or a walk down a city street is equally inspirational to me. If something catches your eye and makes you happy, chances are the colors will evoke that same emotion on your wall.
2. Great design is another resource. Weather its cool packaging, or a classic sofa, or a concept car, there are basic emotional reasons why we are drawn to certain objects. Just like with nature, if an object strikes you in a particular way, you can duplicate that feeling by using the colors on your walls. These may not be traditional or classic ways to pick color, but that’s just how I roll.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I like it, but don't love it. It's like too completly different looks in the first picture and the second picture. I'm not sure if there is enough color overall to be in the top picks for this contest but your place is lovely. I like the yellow with the light wood cabinets. I just find it to be not enough. It's kinda just like one slab of color and that's it. The lamp looks a little in the way...
I really like that orange color! Who makes it?
I love the orange (reminds me of West Elm's mango sheets — such a great color!) but I'm not wild about those blond cabinets in front of it ... but mainly because they're so tall (and weirdly staggered in height...?) it kinda ruins the flow of color for me. It would've been much nicer with one long low media console or something. Also, what color is the couch? Gray or cocoa?
do you live in the kent street converted factory near pratt!!?? Great apt. layouts..
boring use of color...
too typical...
makes the space feel small...
especially when those spaces are really much larger than what they appear to be..
too dark on the kitchen wall..(same color as the couch?)
nice use of Ikea
I'm always a sucker for that lamp
I think the first photo is really hot. The second, almost. I love that poster! I think you could pick up the red in it and add a few red accessories, maybe on top of the shelving. Otherwise, looking good!
is that floor lamp really ikea?!
I LOVE the orange and brown combination. But the orange seem disconnected fromthe rest of the room. maybe it is the photo.
I don't think the floor lamp is Ikea--I think it's a Tolomeo with a parchment shade.
I think that orange and brown are great in combination but need a compromise color to make them stick--the neutral tones of the furniture help do this. That said, it feels a bit like a catalog shoot, for better or worse.
Thanks for the comments. The paint is Benjamin Moore. The couch is a brown/olive color depending on the light(crate and barrel). The lamp is Tolomeo from Artemide. The pictures don't do the room justice unfortunately. When people come over they are overwhelmed by the scale of the apartment because of the 12 foot ceilings and say it feels much larger than it is. The colors contrasting with the neutrals enhance that feel. Also we have a bunch of artwork that breaks up the the huge slab of color. You just can't see it in the pics. Thanks again.
nice apt.
do you have additional pictures which show it in more detail? i agree the two supplied look nearly identical.
I have been desperately searching for a good orange paint color, can you tell me which benjamin moore color it is...it looks fabulous! Thanks.
gorgeous!
Nice place. I like it a lot. It resembles my loft building in brooklyn, too. I think the colors make it seem very inviting and comfortable which is important in an industrial type building with 12 foot ceilings. Nicely done.
The orange paint is called "startling orange" by Benjamin Moore. the number on the paint chip is
2016-10. Hope that helps
What happened? You've got this dreamy Orange Creamsicle thing going on and then...jail house rock in the next picture. Go back, go with the dream Orange Creamsicle thing - it's a happy 50's thing you got going on there!
The paint looks ok (although the brown and orange is a little too Cleveland Browns for me). I have a problem with the "art" though... framing something that was meant to be plastered or spraypainted in public spaces and hanging it in your living room seems kind of dense to me.
Cheryl,
When you buy a piece of signed and numbered art from someone when they are just starting out, and it becomes extremely valuble, you frame it. If you'd like more art lessons let me know.
Jonathan