Name: Marko S.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Type: 1 bedroom basement apartment
Why I use color:
I'm in a ridiculously busy graphic design program, so my time at home is, well, little, so I wanted to create a space that was comforting and an escape from the city outside of it. I spent a lot of time trying to get just the right colours, and I ended up with a triadic colour scheme spread out across three rooms, with brown as the constant in all. Overall, I accomplished a feel I'm proud to call an Urban Cabin. And I guess I use colour to create comfort and a sense of "home" in my impermanent (rented) space.
I'm submitting my kitchen: Apple green walls, brown panelling (the back of my IKEA Markor bookcases) and IKEA LUVA lamp in Beech. Stainless steel fixtures throughout. I stained the old cabinets from a terrifying yellow to match the panelling I've put up.
2 Good color tips:
1. Any colour can convey any mood - especially in bedrooms, I've always had the wildest colours. It's a trick of finding the right undertone to make the colour appropriate. A cool red is more calming that one with an orange undertone. Don't go by the traditional approaches to colour, even a blue can be alive and energetic.
2. Try to make your home come together as a whole. In my apartment, I had 3 colours - Purple, Orange and Green, I brought these together in the other rooms through the linens, decorative objects and artwork to help tie everything together.
2 good color resources:
1. Everything around you, from pop cans to highlighters to stamps. I did a survey of my desk at work, and that is what I saw.
2. Go paint chip crazy. They're free, take as many as you want, play with them, put them together, cut them up and make art, it'll help you figure out what you like.
Have some fun with Marimekko textiles for curtains, room dividers and what not.
The cost is worth the accent and can give that little something thats missing
I love the space you were showing-I always think a butcherblock counter is really nice in kitchen.... but that green?? and that brown? TOGETHER?
argha.
oy.
I painted my kitchen a bright green as well. It's not the grass green of yours (at least that's how it's showing on my monitor). I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me, and I always get rave reviews when people see it.
I like the marimekko idea, but maybe you can find some kitschy 50s barkcloth or something to coordinate. That would be fun. Ikea also has some fun kitchen linens right now with a bright green and brown as the primary colors.
http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15576&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=71720&langId=-1&categoryId=16203&chosenPartNumber=40104996
(select green as your option.)
Just a quick defense, the brown is a much richer/darker/redder colour in person, as well the green less toxic. It didn't photograph well, but I'll try agian later tonight and put some on flickr. These photos are from July when I first moved into my place, so its a big more refined since then, I just haven't had the chance to take new photos.
Am I missing something? Two close up shots of a bright green and lots of clutter. Fantastic.
I wanted to vote for you just because you are in Toronto (me too) and I have a very similar green in my living room, but this color combo just doesn't give me a really good feeling, actually it gives me a kind of 'no' feeling. i don't think the colors are that skilfully coordinated. oh, and my living room is way too messy to submit.
The brown is a nice dark neutral but the acidic brightness of the green makes it and the space look cheap. I'd have gone with a more muted complementary colour. Notice the "u" in the word "colour", as I am also a Canadian, from Toronto.
Haha you could have at least put away the drill and cleaning wipes before you took that first shot!
Marko,
love love love the brown and green, even as it's shown here "not photographed well". It's very urban cabin, makes you think of tree bark and grass, very soothing connotations. And the clutter breaks up the fields of green a little so you don't feel overwhelmed by it.
And maybe that's where he likes to keep his drill. I'm fine with that; if people are changing their interiors from the everyday living condition they're usually in just for the contest, then is that really truthful? Are these interiors for the contest supposed to be "true stories" or "fabricated for the photograph facades"?
I understand AT's contraints, and I understand it's the rules of the contest, but is anyone else incredibly frustrated by only two photos?? I know the finalists will get more posted, but...sigh, oh well.
It just limits the whole voyeur-joy aspect of this contest!
I'm sure the cleaning wipes are intentional since they are in one of his three colors.
I don't know if I could live with it but I like it a lot!
Laugh all you want, but at Maison in Paris this year, this color combo was everywhere...
A rich cocoa brown with a purplish underbase, and grass green.
So, you're ahead of the trend here by at least a year....
i know an office designer who charged a five-figure sum to design a law office the walls of which were these colors.
Don't be put off by the colour choice people!
With such a small TO. Apartment, one needs Colour to make it a much more lively space.
I think your work is amazing Marko, and you know I'll be hiring you in the future to do many interior decoriating jobs.
It's like the apartment version of Oscar the Grouch.
JenDC, I totally agree. I'd really really love to have more photos of for each entry!
Dude! The drill is in both photos! It's on the windowsill in the first one and the stove in the second. Why? I find that really weird.
RE: the drill. I took these photos in July, they weren't done for this competition. I saw it one day when I was at work, and entered with what I had on hand as opposed to arranging some proper photos my place. Terrible, I know, but I didn't really have time to do anything better (and still don't. School is consuming my soul.)
I'm thinking my computer's colors are off, there is no way anyone could live with what I am looking at!
A friend of mine used to live in the tiniest apartment in Montreal with dark brown woodwork and high ceilings. She did the walls a really rich grass green with loads of plants and dark pink accents. Sounded nauseating when she described it to me, but it was truely lovely in person.
I assume that this looks much better in real life, wishg we had pictures with a little more perspective, it is hard to tell what this room even looks like.
the placement of that utensil rack is an interesting choice.
It's just not finished enough to show, in my opinion, or maybe it's just the pictures. I liked the idea above about adding some Marimekko fabric. A nice black and white Unikko pattern would really temper that green I bet. Also it's difficult to tell from the photo but I bet painting the trim a really clean bright white would make a difference also.
i like the green in and of itself. but i had to vote no, because i didn't like it in conjunction with anything else.
Yes that utensil holder over the desk is a great idea!
No offense, but this *is* a contest, one in which I would think participants - who are hoping to win something - would take the best pictures possible of their space. Marko didn't even TAKE pictures for this contest, he submitted pictures he took when he was moving into his place, complete with drills and cleaning wipes....
Down, people! It's great that we're all so hyper-attentive to detail, but I'm seeing a general sense of decorum breakdown around here lately. What's up with that? And back to the green--I love it. And grren and brown are always deelish. The green would be a tad acid for me personally to live with, but I'm thinking about going a shade mellower for my new living room wall. Marko, what color is that? Thanks.
It's CIL Dulux "Citrus Green" from the Home Depot.
Also, that isn't a desk (misleading with my comptuer on it) it's a countertop I put in because theres literally no counter space (just enough room for the dish rack).
I applaud your daringness to use that green! I used a mint green in my vintage kitchen, and I am not tiring of it as I was afraid I would. Pop in a little soft pink as a bridge color in there - SUPER hot!
Fun space - great energy - good job!
I love, love, love your green. But I really like green anyway. I think you used it well.
I love the green and brown and the fact that it's not overdecorated; the cream and blond wood set it off nicely.
this is a classic example paint sample vs. painted room and in the end being defeated by too much color. too saturated. too bright and because it is a kitchen and the paint is probably a medium/semi-gloss, lots of light bounces off that paint and hits your eyes with a sting. you need to be careful when using gloss. i love green but this needs to be muted a few shades down. brave attempt though. very courageous.
There's not enough in the photos to really wow me. The color is bold, but I don't think this represents a coherent design that incorporates different elements. I still applaud him for surrounding himself with a color he enjoys.
I'm not sure why so many "No Way José's. I love how this green is more apple or kelly green than lime or olive and its a really great color at least in the pictures. I'm biased because I personally love green and brown, but I enjoy your use of color. Does anyone know where to get towels in this color? I've been looking everywhere and they don't exist.
i love it! functional fabulous small space. warm yet bright at the same time. the drill keeps it real!