Amna & Paul Paint It Bold

published Aug 19, 2010

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Name: Amna & Paul Werdel
Location: Adams Morgan — Washington DC
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 2 — rented

Take a good look, because these are some of the last pictures snapped of Amna and Paul’s Adams Morgan gem before it goes under the knife…or the sledge hammer as it were. Their turn of the century building is being turned into condos, and part of the process is a major renovation of all the units. Thankfully, Apartment Therapy got in for a few pre-demo shots just in time.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

The first thing you notice when walking into Paul and Amna’s cheerful apartment is the color! And the calm. The bold accents! And the sense of order. In short, they’ve managed to create a lively spot while still preserving an overall spirit of peacefulness — the perfect landing spot for a couple whose jobs require a busy travel schedule.

Like many newlyweds, Paul and Amna built their rooms around a few keys pieces from big retailers like IKEA and CB2, but they’ve put their own (BOLD) spin on each room with vibrant paint applications in the form of oversize stencils and high contrast bands of color. In the living room and bedroom the bands serve as anchors for their posters and photographs, while else where on closet doors and the bathroom walls a crisp stripe adds an unexpected punch.

Leaving, I couldn’t help but think about what small corner of my home could be spiced up with a little paint too.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: A comfortable mix — things we love and things from people we love.

Inspiration: The places we’ve been and the people we’ve met along the way. We try to carry away with us a little bit at each turn.

Favorite Element: Impossible to pick just one. It’s filled with pieces, big and small, that make us smile.

Biggest Challenge: The biggest challenge is also what we really like about the space — the quirkiness of it all. Crooked floors, mismatched doorways, odd-shaped radiators. Challenging to work around, but they make it unique.

What Friends Say: That it’s very “us.” We think they mean that in a good way.

Biggest Embarrassment: That we’re not here to enjoy it more 🙂

Proudest DIYs: Amna’s sick-day wall stencil — remarkably clean despite her heavy medication. Paul’s floating shelves, platform bed, and the bedroom wall-of-bureaus — heavy-lifting for a one-man project but he muscled through with love while Amna was away on assignment.

Biggest Indulgence: We can never have enough photos or ways to display them. They’re hung on the walls, tucked into shelves and hanging from the ceiling. We’re surrounded by little reminders of people and places we adore.

Best Advice: Only what you love. Make it yours. Build a safe place from the outside world.

Dream Sources: Amna: Container Store (some day, my closet will look like their displays — some day.)

Other Inspiration: Our families. We were lucky to both grow up surrounded by the things that matter.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

APPLIANCES

FURNITURE

ACCESSORIES

LIGHTING

RUGS & CARPETS

WINDOW TREATMENTS

ARTWORK

FLOORING

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Thanks, Amna & Paul!

Images: <a href="<a%20href=" http: www.mosseclectic.com>Leah Moss

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Washington DC