Name: Mr. Kyle
Location: San Francisco
Type: Rented Edwardian studio apartment
Why I use color:
Color was one of the easiest ways to introduce my aesthetic sensibility into my "stuck with white walls and grey industrial carpet" rental apartment. Using dramatic areas of saturated color in the draperies, furniture, and bed clothes draws attention away from the mediocre architecture and lackluster finishes. Every wall has at least one picture to hanging, or mirror to draw the eye. . .
. . .Since all of my color is concentrated in belongings I can pack them up with me, or easily swap something in or out at will. I chose furniture and colors that were saturated but towards the slightly more somber side. Despite the variety of color, everything is within the same tonal range and meshes well and is cheerful without being eye scorching.
2 good color tips:
1. I personally like richer colors that are a little less than fully saturated and tinted slightly so they are darker. These kinds of colors if used as part of the entire color scheme of a room produce a romantic and sheltering feeling for me, but darker color schemes need to be enlivened by several different lighter and darker accent colors applied to architectural elements or details to keep the room from closing in.
2. Try to choose things that will develop a natural and pleasing patina over time. For example, even though people complain about cleaning velvet, if it is a good quality it will age very well over time and its color will develop subtle shifts in tone that dance in changing light. Likewise with polished or ebonized wood.
2 good color resources:
1. Old master paintings. I really love the colors in old paintings because they are built up of many layers of pigment and oil medium. The resulting colors are a lot more rich and visually satisfying than those that come from flat synthetic pigments. Artists and designers were taught a much more sophisticated and nuanced use of color and their interrelationships before everything went exclusively to primary and neutral colors in the 20th century.
2. Vintage and antiques stores, the more stacked and piled high the better. I'm always finding inspiration in old things. The great thing about a huge heaping antiques mall or flea market is that you get to see a lot of things in a concentrated space from so many eras juxtaposed in ways that you wouldn't encounter in other sources.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
You are SO the target market for Brocade Home!
Ah, so nice to see something different like this! Makes me feel like I'm in a film set (in a good way).
This is well on its way to becoming something beautiful. In contention.
Wow... you have almost succeeded in totally distracting the eye from the flood of grey industrial carpet. You definitely have an amazing space to work in... and some tough obstacles to overcome. I think when you get round to doing more with the walls (art, etc) this is going to be so much better. Also, could you do something with rugs? That would cover a lot of the floor... not cheap though.
Best of luck.
I'm sorry, but the room looks like one big unmade bed. Or maybe that's the effect you're going for? I don't find the color usage very skillful, either. Some great pieces of furniture, though.
This is an amazing space, but what you've done with it isn't. I think KellyS hit the nail on the head with the unmade bed statement.
If we are judging it on color- it certainly has a lot. The space is great, love the curves.
Unfortunately, it lacks everything else. Uncover the furniture! It looks like no one lives there and you want to preserve the furniture.
It really doesn't seem like a studio at all. It's quite moody. I looked at the pictures and felt like someone who reads lives here.
Fabulous Eastlake chair in the second shot! You are just the person who needs three free weeks, a rental truck, and a tour of antique stores in New England. You'd have such a good time.
Well, it's not at all my style, but I can definitely appreciate the use of color. Also, I can really see the style you're going for here which you accomplished with colors and fabrics. I like that red way up on the curtains, it brings the color UP in the room since all the rest is at ground level.
Gorgeous room!
Depending on how long you plan on living there? I say, screw the deposit and PAINT! :)
Painting would so bring this room to life. It's a spectacular space deserving of some colorful walls ;)
Although I had the suspicion that lacking as I am in both MCM furniture and acid green walls, my tiny abode would not pass muster in eyes of the more regimented readers of Apartment Therapy, to my defense I'd like to add a couple of more details about the apartment:
The apartment is 284 sq ft total (the ceiling is taller than the room is wide), and less than 9 of those square feet are closet space. So, the covered furniture that seems to offend so is actually playing double duty: seating and storage.
Books, shoes, photography equipment, and filing boxes are all stored away under the fabric on the bed and settee. James is quite right, I am a very avaricious reader. (I have around 300 or so books tucked away at my place...)
Also, the bed is used as a couch for most of the day, and the blankets only come out at night. Were I planning on living here more than 6 months or so, I might be tempted to make more permanent changes like painting, but this apartment is more of a temporary stop between the end of college and whatever comes next.
Wende, I wondered if you would pop in and recognize that lovely little Eastlake chair! I hope it's not giving you flashbacks or anything. It's my favorite piece of furniture in my collection at the moment, I even have period ebonized Eastlake frames to match for the print on the wall above. I have to wholeheartedly concur with your sentiment about a trip to New England, doubtless such a fantastic acquisitional excursion would have me catching the vapors.
I get the Edwardian reference. I think the scale of the items in the room is the reason why it doesn't work. Anything hanging on the wall needs to be twice as large.
Color, yes. But the place could use a little nip and tuck...and more tuck.
yes! yes! yes! finally someone that makes a space look beautiful with materials i have not seen before:) this picture makes me wanna steal this idea and take it for my own studio apartment. what i really like is the obvious thought that went into this - and how quickly it could be changed. great use of color- without being uptight or looking like you really have to be wealthy to do this. i think this is creative use of color so very much i am drooling. maybe we have the same type of style, but to me it looks effortless-ly gorgous!
Love your place! Also, I myself am stuck with white walls which I recently painted a linen white (just couldn't take it) and it did make a difference. I love your style as well as the way you've incorporated it in your space. The colors work here they aren't too intense just right for the eye; my eye anyways. Just goes to show you don't have to paint your walls a dramatic color which is usually overwhelming anyway. This to me makes perfect sense especially when you'r limited. Good Luck!
Soooo tired of the AT audience being categorized as MCM drones or DWR catalog whores.
This reminds me of a true Paris Apartment in late 1800's, early 1900's. I get what you are trying to do. IC vote from me!!