Name: Deb K.
Location: Little Britain, Ontario
Type: 2 bedroom, 75 year old seasonal cottage on a lake, renovated into an all year home and it is owned by me.
Why I use color:
In my "past life" my ex-husband travelled for business and we never knew how long we would be at a certain location so I lived with beige walls----as homes like this were easier to sell to prospective buyers. I also used to have an affection for blue until a realtor told me that blue was a hard sell!!!!
I'm not sure if this is actually true or not but this thought has forever dogged me. Therefore, I used to be afraid of color and the consequences. Now I no longer have those concerns to deal with.
I am now liberated to the point where I actually went out on a limb (compared with my other homes) with the colors I picked and they are a long way from beige. Behr's "Spicy Cayenne" for the living room and Ralph Lauren's "Burlap" for the kitchen and dining room with lots of white trim and black accents, in both rooms. I took a lot of time trying to keep the feel of the "old" cottage with a modern but comfy feel. I hope you like it as much as I do and I wish I could send you more photos.
2 Good color tips:
1. Go with your feelings and your surroundings--for me it was the lake and the trees and the peaceful environment that I wanted to bring indoors and to compliment the views from the windows.
2. Use things that you already own and love and make them a part of your color scheme.
2 good color resources:
1. I bought magazines, looked online and also toured model homes to find colors that I loved and knew would fit with my belongings.
2. Your local paint, hardware and decorating stores.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Very warm. But not quite bold enough for this competition. The red is great, and could be considered bold but I think there needs to be more placement if that is the dominating color, or even accent colors.
Actually, I think this is one of the more harmonious entries in this competition. I think the colors are perfect and her belongings are complemented by her paint choices. Well done!
beautiful and warm! the cayenne colored walls work wonderfully against all the wood, and I get a real sense of continuity of color throughout your home just from these two pictures. In contention.
I agree with Catherine. Beautiful spacious layout. Great sense of continuity in your decor, and I love the glimpse of the red living room. Would love to see more...
In contention. (:
It makes me CRAZY when people let realtors dictate their color choices. Painting isn't that difficult and isn't that expensive, so if you're not a perfectionist about it, just paint it yourself and paint over it again when you're ready to move.
For example, in my last apartment I committed the cardinal sin of painting over wallpaper - with hot-pink paint. When I put the place on the market, it only took me a few hours (and well under $100) to lay down a coat of tenant-friendly beige (thanks in part to shortcuts like painting around heavy pieces of furniture).
The place sold a few weeks later, and after the movers came I took the remainding paint and eradicated the pink spots left behind after the furniture was gone. Sure, there were a few ceiling smudges, etc. after both jobs but no one ever noticed, and having the right color in my bedroom was well worth the trouble. I never even slept well when the previous owner's parchment-colored paper was still on the walls.
I like this place because it looks like a place where you could actually live. The colors are beautiful and warm! Nice job!
Echo the beautiful, warm and livable comments.
The burlap color is great.
Thanks for the kind comments---I just wish that the "No Way Jose's" would have made some comments---I can take it!!!!!
I have a lot of pics here http://ca.360.yahoo.com/debphoebe01
All taken from about May/05 to now----the major reno of the 75 year old cottage that we originally planned to bulldoze!!!
Deb