Name: Robin C.
Location: Oakland
Type: Ours is a 1 bed, 2 bath cottage-style home which we own.
Why I use color:
I'm an artist and garden maker. In our garden, I use textures and different shades of green; no flower color. So, for the interior of our house I turned that all around and used a lot of strong color. Color has an impact on all of us, whether we're aware of it or not. I like manipulating the view and the feeling within rooms using color, texture and humor. Visitors to our house are pulled through the rooms because the colors encourage exploration.
2 good color tips:
1. Go with your gut reaction when choosing colors. You may need to tweak it some, but your first impression is usually the right one.
2. Pay attention to the architecture of your room and the various planes. You can use color in unexpected ways to play up a wall here, minimize a wall there. How much light comes into the room?
2 good color resources:
1. When you're out in nature, pay attention to combinations of colors. A limey-green plant against brown soil can look beautiful. A flower with a coral and reddish-pink combination may be just what you want for your dresser!
2. Look at color combinations in home stores such as Crate & Barrel. Notice how the merchandise is displayed. Often you will find colors that draw you to them.
no "use" of color.
Agree with purejuice. And further, I am absolutely spent on this acid green. No more.
Green, green, green!!! Please no more green entries!!!
I like this harmonious living room. Strikes a perfect balance of spare and interesting.
I voted "No Way Jose!" which seems a bit harsh-- I love this entry (I want to curl up in one of those big chairs and read all day), but the use of color is not particularly skillful or creative. Thanks for sharing and I'm very curious about what the rest of the house looks like!!
Wow, some of these comments seem a little harsh to me. I personally think your green is perfect - I want to roll around in it. And I love a red bathroom.
Wow! I don't get all the negative comments... I love it. It's not an "insta-finalist" because there are so many strong entries... but, it is gorgeous! What's the problem, people???
I wasn't thrilled by the bathroom... something tells me that the photograph isn't giving the walls a fair treatment... it appears you have more visual interest there than just the red/organge colour. The living room is the strength of this entry, for me.
Good luck!
I voted insta-finalist. Then I saw the bathroom. oops.
The negative comments are based on most people in this contest using the same blue and green ad nauseum...get it!
I totally agree w/ Kelsey- In contention b/c of other entries but I love it. First, I have no problem w/ green entries, green is my favorite color, so I prefer seeing it to red and orange and yellow. The room is really light and fresh. I love the gray fireplace next to the green.
I don't like the bathroom so much. It's very dark w/ the orange walls and black and grey around the tub.
I like the grey and green combo in the first shot. I'm a little distracted by the cluttery feeling, thought it's not that bad.
The second just confuses me.
I do not get all the harshing on green in this contest. It is a beautiful wall color, and has been used often lately, and noticed for this because brights and acids weren't that common before. I am over this backlash--it's hardly ever the same shade of green anyway. Look at the cover of this month's domino--it's "oregano-green", they say, and they adore it. Because it looks good, it looks modern, it looks appropriate. I will lump the green complaints with the DWR furniture "complaints".