apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I don't think that's crazy at all! Paint color is really a personal preference and now that you have your own place I say go for it. When I see those samples you provided I think you should do it! The only thing is, I don't think the brown dining room set will match that color palette.

Neither brave nor crazy - it's awesome! We have an orange living room and the two doors and the radiator are painted an eggplanty purple. It's a nice accent and grounds the orange-ness.

If the fabric is sturdy enough you could re-cover the chairs with it. Alternatively, you could make a table runner and place mats or take a section of it and frame it as art.

I say run with the idea like an awesome little bunny.

maybe paint the 4th wall orange, and do purple with the accessories? Purple rug, etc? The colours look great in the mural, but a purple accent wall might look abrupt. What if you painted the edge of the archway purple?

The problem with this room is that the floors, trim and wood furnitire are all pretty much in the "Orange" range of tones - so the entire place looks kinda flat.

I'd repaint all the walls in your Eggplant color - I think it would look great.

Do it! Do it! It sounds absolutely gorgeous. Especially if you sprinkle those accent colours around to tie it all together visually. Cover those dining room chairs with the fabric you love. (it's a pretty easy upholstery project.)

I think it's a great idea, just the way you articulated it. Don't have a problem with the furniture color, or think anything looks flat. Thinking back to my crayola days, I would call the color in the mural and the fabric "red violet" rather than purple, and I'd be sure to stay on the red side of purple, not cross over to the blue side, which is what I'd call eggplant.

Before you settle on the final wall color and fabric for the windows, think about a rug for under the table. To me, maybe because I'm a rug addict, the table area looks "half dressed". There is an Irainian (Persian) design called "Mahal" (for the city of Mahallat where the design originates) that works really well in dining rooms. They use an "all over" pattern that will hide little spills really well. They have reds and blues and tans. Get a 30 year old one because the colors on the older ones are more mellow than new ones (also new Irianian rugs can have problems with color-fastness). They're not terribly expensive either. You can pick up a "semi-antique" 10x13 for less than a new Pottery Barn rug.

It'll also save wear & tear on those gorgeous hardwood floors.

I think the purple would look great then, as Maryja suggested, cover the chairs in the fabric if possible. Either way, the current fabric has to go. I agree that the table is maybe the wrong wood tone for the orange but I'm sure some fabric on the chairs and a runner will help that.

oo oo! Not sure if someone has suggested it already but you should totally recover your dining room chair cushions in that awesome fabric.

I agree with the persian rug vs the pottery barn rug.

I don't think you are crazy I owuld just make sure to utilize purple in multiple accents to get a trilt pulled together look.

And I agree with most of the above and use the fabric to cover the chairs.

Yes, love the idea of the purple. Have been a fan of that for years. Here are a couple of images to view:

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/10/08/law_offices_make_a_motion_to_dismiss_stiff_stodgy_decor/

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,hgtv_22056_35811,00.html

http://www.bluepearlguestcottage.com/photos/canopy_bed.jpg

This shade would be about right:
http://static.flickr.com/24/67350316_84e363898e.jpg

And I really want to see more picture when you are done!

Oh, I'd probably replace or swap the picture you have hanging on the wall. If you could get something that does look like the Museum image, that would be totally cool!

I think the orange and purple are a beautiful combination in that room, and the mural is an awesome source of inspiration. Regarding the 4th wall, how do the colors relate to the room you see through the archway? I would probably stick with the orange, and use the purple as a strong accent color, as you described. The fabric is gorgeous too. I love the idea of framing it or using it for a runner on the table.

The table could use a rug, since it is close in color to the floor, but you won't see a rug very well and it could get food stains, so I wouldn't invest too much in that. Instead, I would put some money toward a nice pendant lamp or fun chandelier -- maybe on a dimmer switch for entertaining.

One final suggestion would be to add a narrow credenza or hang a shelf or something along one of the big walls. It's nice to have a surface away from the table to put dishes from the previous or next course, or just display objects. I hate to say buy more furniture, but something is missing there. Good luck!

Don't know about the purple, because the colours in your inspiration mural are actually quite different than the ones in your room -- the orange cloak in the painting seems a much more vivid orange, and the balance of colours is not the same.

Actually, your room is very tone-on-tone -- the floor and furniture are the same colour, the trim is just a bit darker, and the walls just a few degrees lighter... Definitely, you need contrast.

I googled the Mahal rug, and came up with this, which would look great, and provide at least a little contrast:

http://www.jozan.net/Rugofday/2005/10/mahal-rug-103-x-145.asp

Your dining chairs would be the easiest element to change in the composition -- I would replace them with Donghia's Anziano Chair, which is a bentwood and (black) metal. They would introduce some much needed black (I'd get them in the ebonized) as well as some lyricism and curves:

http://www.product.donghia.com/go.cfm/E480A0A5-F705-60E3-B0580E5A29697AA7?navid=C767A638-3048-7098-AF7A333CA0C00940

(here's a deal on them: http://www.goantiques.com/detail,donghia-anziano-stacking,398293.html )

Staying inspired by your mural, I'd top the table with Martha Sturdy's M950, or one of her large patters, in Shimmer Blue (or maybe in Honey) and fill with white flowers as often as possible:

http://www.marthasturdy.com/accessories/resin_containers.html

http://www.marthasturdy.com/colours.html

If there is room on the long wall, a white floating credenza would look great

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/shelving-storage/floating-credenzas-043573

As for the fourth wall colour? Go with that gorgeous bright reddish-orange in the mural cloak (I read it as an almost pre-Raphaelite hue) to give your room the jolt it needs!

I meant to post a link about a light fixture earlier.

Personally I love the new drum pendant styles and I think that would work really well in there.

Just for fun though, check this one out. I saw one of these in a local lighting showroom last month and would have bought one on the spot except that my ceiling slopes. These look *amazing* in person. They have to be seen to be appreciated. The scale is massive - about 4 feet high. You don't notice the halogen bulbs at all, just the effect of a floating crystal sculpture that seems to be self-lit.

http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?sku=3146308&linkLoc=catalog