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Fall Colors East Finalist #2: Nathaniel & Keith's Blue Period

Name: Nathaniel & Keith
Location: West Midtown, New York, NY
Type: We own this two-bedroom apartment
Go to: Nathaniel & Keith's original entry

Favorite OTHER entry:

11-12-smallnat.jpg"Our favorite entry is "John's Bold, Bright, Day or Night" because it really lives up to the billing. The color choices complement the scale of his ranch house, with its cozy rooms. And finally, it sits at the other end of the spectrum from our comfort zone, so we have to give props for that!"

 
 

If you lived in a white house, and you only had one color to play with, what would it be, how would you use it and why?:

If we were to choose just one color to use throughout a house, we'd go with green. It sits on the color wheel between warm and cool so it can be both snappy and soothing.

It's also easy to work into a home in natural materials other than paint: e.g. plants, slate, oxidized copper, glass. We would (and have) used green to evoke the sea in a bathroom; the garden & its food in a kitchen; and the calm of a forest in a bedroom. But most of all, we like the way green can blur the distinction between indoors and out.

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Fall Colors 2007 - East

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Comments (27)

The steel and glass storage unit in the kitchen is really interesting.

posted by art on November 12th 2007 at 7:48am
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i think this is fine. pretty. colors. great.

but where is the stuff. this seems impossible. like, not "you are so clever living like that, all organized and tidy", but impossible like WHERE IS YOUR TOOTHPASTE!?

where are the electrical outlets? when you get out of that snazzy tub, where is your towel? your soap?

THERE IS NOTHING in the kitchen. NO PAPER TOWELS? no anything?!

posted by tonybears on November 12th 2007 at 7:57am
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i really love it. It's so clean and fresh. And to be honest, if I were entering my apartment in this contest, I'd hide the toothpaste too.

Great job! Inspiring.

posted by amandadom on November 12th 2007 at 8:26am
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I really really love the colors too, but this place is ridiculously uncluttered. It looks like no one has lived in there at all, no sign of human life except some impeccable decorating taste :)

posted by garmonbozia on November 12th 2007 at 8:36am
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When viewing the slideshow, the words that came to my mind were harmonious and mature. There are quite a few colors of varying hues and strengths in the home's palate, but they are all so well integrated into the design that the result never looks clownish or childish. Yet, at the same time, each color manages to stand out. Similarly, each room has it's own subtle character, but the color scheme really ties it all together. Yeah, the whole place is a little too edited for my taste, but overall, it's quite lovely (and the art is fabulous!)

posted by J on November 12th 2007 at 9:05am
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Love this place! Where did you find the wooden slats for behind your bed? I have been wanting to do something similar in my living room.

posted by minty03 on November 12th 2007 at 10:39am
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The gays love to hide things. Read "The Velvet Rage" and you will see why.

posted by randylandd on November 12th 2007 at 10:43am
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Love it! Wouldn't change a thing.

posted by Kathryn on November 12th 2007 at 11:14am
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I LOVE this space and bookmarked the photo of the shelves for inspiration in my new apartment. Beautiful.

P.S.
Can you tell me more about the yellow fabric/curtain that divides the space? It's gorgeous.

posted by universal mod on November 12th 2007 at 11:21am
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Love it! gave this one IF when i saw just the snap shots, great space

posted by moddog on November 12th 2007 at 12:09pm
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Love everything about it.

posted by nazrd on November 12th 2007 at 1:05pm
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Love this space. AT should have more like this in the future.
Very well thought out. I commend you for styling your apartment for the photos. We don't come to AT to see dirty laundry on the floor.

posted by right angle on November 12th 2007 at 1:06pm
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Lovely space. Harmonious, indeed - it feels very restful, but not dull at all. The colors and fabrics on and around your bed look so inviting.

I would love to know where you got the tile in the shower stall, and the white porcelein sink and the wooden pedestal/shelf unit underneath. We're adding a bathroom, and that's just the look I want.

posted by greer on November 12th 2007 at 2:27pm
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I want to know about the lights hanging in the bathroom with the marble sink.

posted by charlenemcbride on November 12th 2007 at 4:29pm
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I, too, would like to know about the smaller tile in the shower. This place is really awe-inspiring.

posted by fiona on November 12th 2007 at 4:48pm
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but there's so much money swimming around in it! isn't this contest supposed to be a little more adventurous in spirit? as in, anyone, no matter the budget or background, can benefit from imaginative and bold color palettes? i just feel like this is for dwell or achitectural digest, not an AT amateur contest. how much of what they've done can most of us really take with us and incorporate into our own spaces? orange and blue and decluttering-- ok, but it's not a new concept. anyone can achieve graphic tonality and high contrast with great swaths of veiny marble in the bathroom-- it doesn't take that much ingenuity to have an apartment that reads "money was here."

posted by WeeRebecca on November 12th 2007 at 6:23pm
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this is not a "who can submit the most innovative Italian designerly apt pics," but a COLOR CONTEST. The colors are nice but evoke nothing from me or their environment. They lie flat and dark on flat and cold walls.

The design is great, but I can't find charm or human life anywhere.

posted by msjessica on November 13th 2007 at 1:46am
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Masterful...
Incredible subtle use of color and restrained taste.

Randyland....couldn't disagree more about "the gays".
99.9% of "the gays" I know don't hide anything in their homes.
I think it's a ridiculous leap to assume the sexuality of the contestants.

I sense some really sour grapes from the comments about the place "reaking of money". Why would that be a disqualifier anyway?

If you know what you're doing, know yourself, plan, shop and execute carefully you can do almost anything.

Brilliant job guys....and don't let the snarks get you down.

posted by hdtex on November 13th 2007 at 2:53am
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Um, "Nathaniel" and "Keith" sound like two boys to me. But you're right, unfair to make any assumptions. They could very well be two strapping frat bros, cutting down on expenses, and living green by occasionally showering together, lathering each other up with eco-friendly soy soap... Wait, I lost my train of thought...

As far as "the gays" hiding things, um, that's a pretty funny broad statement.

WeeRebecca--
I never made any assumptions about how budget did or didn't factor in to the Color contest. Sure, something shouldn't win because of budget, but it shouldn't be summarily dismissed because they had some money to play with, either.

posted by patrick (the other one) on November 13th 2007 at 6:36am
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I love all the unexpected touches of color and texture. Very chic yet comfortable-looking and calming.

Where did you get the rug in the bedroom? Exactly what I'm looking for right now.

posted by Steverino on November 13th 2007 at 7:59am
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echoing steverino above, i agree - i think it's the textures that really call out to me. from the tile to the rug, to the fabrics to the glass to all the materials used - it's all so very inviting. and i just looove the bathroom.

i'm still intrigued by the set up and would love to see a plan to see how everything is laid out!

posted by katishome on November 13th 2007 at 7:36pm
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i saw this apartment in an issue of Interior Design last year. I think it's a great space and can appreciate the excecution of color- but I'm just not feeling it as a winner for this particular contest.

posted by mariah on November 20th 2007 at 8:51pm
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A fabulous use of color! What a serene space. I especially love the bathtub in the master bedroom.

posted by Lori on September 18th 2008 at 8:35am
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Gorgeous design. I love the palette. Definetely takes a lot of money, but we can take away the use of color and other ideas to incorporate into our environments.

posted by JhonNY on September 18th 2008 at 9:37am
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It's a color contest. The colors work nicely together.

Whether the furnishings were expensive or not is really a moot point. The colors someone chooses to have in their home are dictated by their sensibilities, not wallet. I suppose the colors could easily have come from flowers, books, or found objects....Nathaniel and Keith chose to find them in their choice of finishes and furnishings. A vague pang of jealousy veiled as Indignant Green isn't one of my favorite fall colors, personally.

posted by reb on September 18th 2008 at 10:24am
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Please! I must know the name of the color of the blue ceiling and walls!

posted by ctcks on September 18th 2008 at 11:49pm
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I have to know the name of the colour of that blue, too! It would look great in my living room!

posted by tinacris on September 21st 2008 at 8:01am
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