Name: Lisa
Location: San Francisco
Type: Rented 3 bedroom, converted to four bedroom
Why I use color:
I use color to make myself feel alive in my surroundings. Color is useful to lift or or shift moods, and create an atmosphere. I like to play with colors, but generally am attracted to warmer earthtones. . .
. . .Since I live in a three bedroom that was converted into a four bedroom (to make our rent cheaper) we are at a lack of space, and I ended up putting my sage green couch into my bedroom. It's kind of an interesting color for a piece of furniture, and I thought that a warm clay color would play off of it nicely. Since my bedroom doesn't have the best lighting the dark brown was offset with a pink. I found some abalone shells up in Marin, and I found all the colors from my room in the mother of pearl, and started a collection on my window frame.
In the kitchen, it is understood that orange is a stimulant for appetite and conversation, and the house decided that it would be a good choice for the color. Because we get light from only one window, we chose a lighter shade for most of the walls, and a darker orange color for one of the smaller walls.
2 good color tips:
1. Look at your lighting. If you have great lighting, my philosophy is that you can pretty pull off any color, if you balance it right.
2. If you are limited by your space, it forces you to be a little bit more creative.
2 good color resources:
1. Two good resources for me are when I lived in Santa Fe, NM, and the Marin Countryside. I like the colors produced by the earth in those areas. In NM it was the sagey colored plants, and the reddish pink dust and adobe homes.
2. In Marin, it is the browns and greens and shadows in the redwoods.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Hi, so nice -- what is the name of the paint color in the bedroom?
Ok, is it just me or is predominant color in the the first picture white??? how is that colorful?
hi lisa,
i too am intrigued by the bedroom but right now am agreeing with karenwalker-- do you have a better picture of the space that shows the two pinks and pretty green sofa? i almost feel like i can't vote because I don't have enough to go on...
This room is fabulous. Perfectly comfortable, perfectly serene. This bedroom is pure and calm. KUDOS!!
It's nice - just not very colorful.
hm, thanks for the criticism and the comment on the color!
The color is from the ralph lauren paint line, I still have the can and I will post it when I get a chance to look at it.
because the brown is so dark, and I don't have much light ( the white gauzy curtians cover a view straight into my neighbor's bedroom, complete with beer posters) I felt I should use a lot of lighter whites to keep it un-cave like. What else could I do in here?
Lisa, please share where your bicycle art is from? Lovely.
Lisa, I really like your bedroom, even though the picture isn't great, the color looks classy and soothing. You asked what else you could do in here, so here's my personal opinion, which you don't have to like at all: If it were my room, I'd go slightly glam since you have the rich brown floors and mauve-ish walls, crown molding and the sweet french doors (with a prime view of beer posters:). I'd get rid of the carpet on the wood (?) floor immediately. Leave the floor bare if it's in any decent shape; if not, get a different rug, maybe a faux-zebra or other contrasting b&w print with a non-square shape. Then I'd get some coordinating pillows, white and silver satin pillows for the couch and colored pillows for the bed that are different shades of the wall color. And find a cheap chandelier to replace the ikea-looking fixture you have overhead. Hang a large mirror with a silver frame (to match your oval mirror and door hardware) over the couch so it catches the light of the chandelier. I don't feel like your bedroom is cave-like from this picture, it's just cozy. The curtains are great. I'd even get a faux-fur throw for the end of the bed (and keep the bed clutter free, on top and under). And then some mirrored bedside tables. If you need more white after all that, take 2 white throws and fold them straight in half and tuck into and over the arms of the couch. Hope that helps in some way. Thanks for sharing your space!
Alas, I can't tell by these photos really how you use color in the overall design.
are you fucking serious? you didn't make your bed, or clean up the shit on OR under it. then you fell over while taking the picture, but submitted it anyway. good job!
Wow, thanks J! Are you 18 and in design school, or sexually frustrated? Its okay. I know the picture isn't that hot!
The bicycle art is a radom photo from Amsterdam, and the orange painting is a Robert Rauschenberg print that I ordered from Allposters.com.
Nice bedroom -- though I prefer taller beds and don't like the colours. Still, the bedroom is great... amazing even. Who cares if you didn't tidy up perfectly... it's fine. Samantha has some good ideas. On the other hand, I love the kitchen colour. How nice.