Name: LeahS
Location: Bernal Heights/SF
Type: One bedroom rental
Why I use color:
Honestly, I've always been a little color-obsessed. But right now, I look to color to create a more unified look for my apartment.
As a newly single gal living in the city, I'm on a tight budget. Most of my things are either free, cheap, or repurposed. An added dilemma is the lack of storage space in my Victorian-era apartment--with a closet that literally is only 3' wide, I have to store a lot of things in plain sight. And to top it off, I'm a packrat. Oops. . .
. . .So I use color to unify my hodge-podge grad-student look. It's not as easy to pull off as if I had a whole DWR bedroom set, but it makes the space more relaxing.
2 good color tips:
1. Look for your unsung "collections" and build color palettes from that. Don't hesitate to display these things, even if they aren't traditionally decorative items. At one point, I had a large collection of soaps, lotions, and other toiletries organized by color. It was a nice focal point for the bathroom. Now, given my lack of storage space, I'll leave some purses, scarves, etc. out in plain sight, if they match the overall color scheme. It brings in color in a way that's a little more interesting than the usual vases-and-candlesticks approach.
2. It's been said before, but don't worry about trends; use the colors you like. There are very few colors that can't be used together--you might need to add a third or fourth color to make it more harmonious, or change the relative balance of the colors you use, but you can make it work more often than not.
2 good color resources:
1. Online palette generating tools, such as Colorcombos.com and ColorMatch 5K . You can use these tools to find new color combinations.
2. Vintage and artisan jewelry.
I love your wall color! And that pretty floral elongated painting. Where did you find it? Something like that would be perfect in my living room :)
You have wonderful accents (paintings and prints), but they seem lost or washed out by the wall color.
Thanks for the feedback! The painting came from a boutique in Cambria (CA). Sorry I can't recall the name of the place! I did also notice the photos look a bit more blue-ish than in real life; I wonder if that contributes to the washed out effect...
Hey, for those of you giving a "no way" vote--could you please share what you don't like about it? Are you just not loving the colors? The style? The stacks of junk? Is it bad fung-shui? Even if you hate it, please post a comment! I'd love to know your thoughts so I can keep improving my space.
thanks!
LeahS
I dont like this room. It looks very clusterd and it looks kind of like a granny room not a single girl in the city. I think the purple color on the wall kind of just draines the whole room out. I like your accent colors though and i love your floral painting.
love this plum color scheme. a little girly, but it works. I'd love to see some wider-angle shots of the room.
yeah - the wider angle photos would show off the beautiful architecture of the room, which are only hinted at by your photos... the tray ceiling, the mouldings, and you've got some really nice furniture.
It's true, the pictures are too close--it's because the room is a little small. (the first pic I took sitting on the windowsill!) the molding is pretty nifty--there's also a tiny stained glass window in the closet that I love.
Speaking of photo quality, this contest is inspiring me to: 1) get a wide angle lens for my camera; 2) get a tripod; and 3) get rid of more of my junk so it will be less "granny-ish." :) So all in all, this has been very helpful--thanks again!