Here is a lovely house in need of a little color boost. The interior is bright and open, with tons of light and nice lines. It’s currently finished in a pleasing neutral scheme, including brown and beige furniture. Our reader would like to liven it up with a fresh color palette. The good news here, is that you can really take this decor in ANY direction. With such solid basics, the sky’s the limit.
Mini-palette: Brown, Yellow, Sage, Beige
My first thought is a yellow and brown theme, to match the existing furniture and accessories. The color inspiration comes from Olympic paint in Calabash, which I paired with a chocolate brown. An aqua/sage striped curtain keeps the room looking modern.
Mini-palette: Teal, Terra cotta, Black
I found more inspiration with Olympic colors Blue Bayberry and Baritone. I love the combination of teal/blue with Terra Cotta. Add a little black and the palette really pops. To bring it all together, add some tall curtains in modern organic print.
Mini-palette: Terra cotta, brown, beige, yellow
Continuing with the Terra cotta, here is Olympic Ginger on the wall. This is warm and spicy, without being dark and oppressive. The Ginger coordinate easily with the the brown and beige of the existing room. I also love the existing throw pillows on the couch with a modern/ethnic rainbow appeal.
Mini-palette: Dark and light green, beige, brown
Lastly, a calm and friendly green in Dark Sage and Asparagus. The combination of muted green with bright green keeps the room lively, but still feels understated and earthy. Simple curtains soften the back wall. Also, note the green paint on the mantel and the back of the bookshelf to highlight the architectural details.
I was lucky enough to catch my friend in transition between apartments – which means clear photos of big empty rooms! This is a Mochi Home dream, of course, as it’s really easy to quickly play with some different looks.
I used some window coverings from The Shade Store as inspiration. You can see how the right window treatment can really set the style of a room, even without any furniture. Here it goes:
An empty bedroom.
Classy green silk inverted pleat drapes. I kept it monochrome with a complementary shade of celery on the walls. I also darkened the floor to an eco-friendly deep brown bamboo.
This is a really sexy panel system in a Chilewich fabric. I dream about dividing a loft space with panels like this. Here, it works for a subdued bachelor pad bedroom.
Lastly, a more feminine tulip shade in pink silk. This is also practical, as it doesn’t block the AC/heater (although it doesn’t hide it either). I couldn’t resist an accent wall, which would look lovely behind a bed.
Hopefully, this will remind you not to neglect your windows!
Like bathrooms, we think that people often neglect their kitchens when it comes to paint. This is especially true in smaller apartments. Despite common perception, though, a blast of color can actually make your small kitchen look bigger…or at least more interesting.
Check out this small, bland, white kitchen. All you really notice is the junk on the countertop and everything else is whitewashed right out.
Shades of beige/mocha are always an easy kitchen solution. We added definition to the small space by painting 3 different shades- 1 for the doorways (which happens to be a closet and the main entrance to the apartment), 1 shade for the kitchen area, and another shade for the ceiling.
Here, the same multi-color approach, but warmed up in spicy colors.
You can even add definition to the plain white cabinets with a thick stripe of chocolate. (It’s also a good idea to upgrade the cabinet handles, too) Check out these tips for painting your cabinets.
If you have the time (and money), for a whole new look, consider new cabinets. A nice dark walnut is modern, but not too trendy. Muted blue makes the whole kitchen feel very “adult” and also calm. Note the dark brown painted door to match the cabinets, crown molding and a drama-ceiling.
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