Name: Liz & Josh
Location: Washington, DC (Capitol Hill)
Why we use color:
"We have a small townhouse on Capitol Hill with a combined living room/dining room that leads into the kitchen. Color creates dimension and add depth to the space we're working with. Such bright color can tend to be a bit overwhelming, so we chose to repeat teal accents sparingly to keep eyes moving around the room and to create a focus. Most of all, we use color because it's fun. We grew up with stenciled and beige walls and didn't want a Midwest home on the East coast. Color wakes us up, keeps our blood flowing and energizes us."
Color Tips:
"1. Use high quality paints. We found that Ralph Lauren paints were the richest in color and boldest.
2. Shop sale racks discount stores (Marshalls TJ Maxx). There's a reason they're at those places and many times it's because it's not a popular color.
3. Don't be scared. If you’re like us and have grown up with beige walls, going for a bold color can be a little scary. You can always paint over things. We've chosen to go bold with paint rather than a refrigerator, which we'd be less likely to replace."
Color Resources:
"1. The UK. We discovered the beauty of a pink kitchen while vacationing in the London. We visited a woman's home who had a pink kitchen, with the theme continuing at the Jamie Oliver owned restaurant, Fifteen, which was also decorated in pink.
2. Our grandparents. We love vintage items. They're weathered and "well-loved" items. Not to mention, your grandparents gave up on style a long time ago, so there's sure to be some unique items."
There is just something about all those knives on a blood-red wall...
Nice job! I have a red Dansk pitcher like yours in my Capitol Hill kitchen. Alas, that's where the similarity ends!
I came to AT via organizedhome.com during the heady days of SCC, and I am addicted to this site!
Seems that the DC readership is expanding.
Yay! Capitol hill! Me too me too! I'm just jealous you have a townhouse!
I LOVE the pink in the kitchen! Those walls would go great with the orange and pink dishtowel curtains I have in mine...too bad I can't paint!
One of my favorites so far! I was getting tired of tasteful brown and trendy orange. Great job.
Where did you find the paper towel rack that hooks onto the metro shelving?
thanks
trillium
It's a great idea, but I really, really don't like the warm-toned tan entry way next to the blue-toned red. It pains my eyeballs.
I think this is the best paint job I have ever seen! Very original color choice. It just pops out and makes a very small (perhaps boring) space look stylish and interesting. Great job!
Funny, I had a friend that worked for Ralph Lauren, and always ran out for Benjamin Moore paints. Couldn't stand the RL coverage. But look at your wall! How many coats did it take, and did you use a dark primer?
It's hard to tell from the pix - but is there a red wall with the knives and pink for the others?
Nice job!
trillium: I think that paper towel rack is Ikea.
The wall was white, so we just painted two coats of the pink paint over everything- no primer.
trillium, the paper towel rack was found at a williams sonoma outlet.
guido, every wall is pink...i'm not sure why the knife wall looks red?
Now when you say, "Our grandparents. We love vintage items. They're weathered and "well-loved" items." did you mean the grandparents or their passed down belongings?!
But the comment "Not to mention, your grandparents gave up on style a long time ago, so there's sure to be some unique items." really, really made me sad. I was fine about getting older until reading that...
Re: the room:
I'd love to see the ceiling knocked down a tone, something that relates to the neighboring hallway wall color, and bridges the counter/cabinet colors...
Blue!!!! It's the blue highlights (Ella, clock, pitcher) against the pink that really makes this room a blue ribbon room!
So nice and brightand neat looking.
great color- but i would rethink the cabinets- they just take away from the wall color other wise great color scheme - oh and i agree- you need a new color for the entryway- also hurting my eyeballs.....
I love the color. Great job!
The teal touches against the pink works well. I agree with some of the others about the cabinets and the entry(?) stairs. You've been so successful with the kitchen. If you get bolder, perhaps a soft color (complimentary to the pink and teal) on the stairs would really make it really come together.
Thanks for sharing. Had a great trip to DC a few years back, would go again.
Cooking Cajun
We got the towel rack at Williams & Sonoma Outlet...it was on a clearance rack! Thanks for your nice comments.
I fully understand it. If I were living in the hell called D.C., I would add at least couple of axes too - of course real guns would make more sense, but politically correct (read stupid) D.C forbade them.
The red wall is just perfect, it calls for yellow (or even better gold) sickel and hammer. Welcome to the brave new Soviet Amerika.