The Thanksgiving holiday is all about appreciating what we have AND enjoying a day of guiltless gluttony. To celebrate, Mochi Home brings you the guiltless pleasure of zero-VOC food paint, which is good for your body, good for the earth and even smells like a vanilla milkshake! Food paint is made by Anna Sova Organics, producers of luxury organic cotton for bed and bath. Anna Sova markets the paint as food paint because it is made with up to 94% food ingredients. I adore the idea that your home can be lovingly bathed in rich colors that are literally good enough to eat. Let’s dig in!
I’m using the Anna Sova food paint palette as inspiration for this modern apartment. The bedroom below is literally a blank slate with brand new furniture. Our reader writes “the only problem is that I have NO IDEA what color to paint the bedroom.” No idea? No problem! Let’s see what we we can cook up with some food paint.
I first dipped into the Ancient Europa collection with rich jewel tones and solid neutrals. Here is a sophisticated and modern take on saturated blue using Isle of Sky and Winter Solstice. Accessories include a black and white print of the Guggenheim museum, whose lines are echoed in the Road Dog Builtby Lamp at 2modern.
Next, an earthy and bold exotic retreat from the Ancient Asia color collection. The palette is completed by the golds and reds in the Buddha print and complemented by the sculptural Cupstack lamp.
For a bold classic room, I used the warm reds and beiges from the Odd Sorbets collection. A small hit of Radish red keeps the Masago tan color looking fresh and not too muddy. The duo is perfectly matched with a this modern twist on a classic reclining nude and the Paolo Tube Top color lamp.
Lastly, a calm beach getaway pulled from the Ancient Americas palette. To keep the beach theme from turning tropical or kitschy, stick to a muted palette like this Sage Smoke and Paracus Sand Sculpture combination. Also, avoid palm trees, shells and sailboats. A very mature beach landscape (complete with suited men!) says “beach” without saying “Tiki lounge.” The scene is finished with a few oars hung on the wall and a Japanese Float table lamp.
I hope we’ve provided some delicious post-Thanksgiving inspiration with Anna Sova food paint. This room can really go in any direction and you can also sleep better at night knowing that zero-VOC paint won’t harm you or your pooch. Yum!
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Sometimes decorating is like losing weight–those last ten pounds (or last 10%) are always the hardest! That’s certainly the case with the living room below. When our reader sent this photo, my first reaction was, “This place looks fabulous!” Notice how well coordinated the furniture, paint color and accessories are. The theme is carried out in full, right down to the smallest detail. By most standards, this living room is in pretty great shape.
However, our reader didn’t quite see it that way. She is struggling with the color palette, and specifically the accent color. While the red provides a nice contrast to the otherwise neutral theme, the red combined with the green gives off too much of a Christmas vibe. I like the red, but I can also see our reader’s point. Let’s see if we can give her some ideas for new and even unexpected accent colors.
Existing palette of sage green, black, white and red.
The current room:
My first inclination is just to shift the red to a more orange-y color. This eliminates the “Christmas,” but keeps the contrast.
Another variation on the orange/earthy scheme is to introduce pattern. Here’s a Moroccan inspired palette with accent pillows from Etsy and Medallion curtains from West Elm. I also think the room could benefit from one larger (and more dramatic) piece of art. In this version, I placed a black and white photo of Morocco.
Our reader was interested in exploring blue accent colors. With the sage green, it’s tough to find just the right shade of blue. Here, I opted for a rather purple-ish dark blue. This includes curtains in lustre sheen/Elderberry and art deco glam pillows. The overall look is very sophisticated.
To brighten up the color palette, here is a royal blue. I wouldn’t immediately think to pair sage green with royal blue, but with the right accessories and artwork, it is possible to tie it together. In this scenario, the Japanese print ties together a range of sea greens, ocean blues and misty atmospheric neutrals. With art like this, you can make it work.
Lastly, when in doubt, keep it in the family. In this case, the green family. Sometimes you can make a pretty and unexpected palette by sticking to a particular hue. In this room, the sage green acts like a beige – in other words it becomes the neutral backdrop to the saturated green. The key, again, is in the accessories. What better accessory to a green palette than some actual live plants? Silk dupioni curtains in Greenhouse add a lush green anchor further matched by graphic pillows.
I hope this gives some new ideas for a lively color pallette with sage green. This room is so close…just that last 10% and it will surely be complete!
One of our friends is painting a bathroom and wanted some quick color advice. They would like to update the bathroom, but prefer to leave certain things in place. For example, the bathroom has existing purple blinds and modern (but woody) fixtures. Both the doors and trim are in a natural wood finish, but painting over all of those details is not feasible (and not desirable if you like the look of wood). So, how can they freshen up the bathroom with little effort?
My 2-step fix is (1) a simple paint job and (2) a new light fixture over the vanity. Check out the existing bathroom:
In this room, your palette should include the purple of the blinds, the brown of the wood trim, and the creamy white of the fixtures.
Purple can be hard to match, particularly when it’s in the venetian blinds. I wouldn’t use any color too bright, for fear of looking like a circus. Also, this bathroom belongs to a couple, so I wouldn’t opt for anything too frilly or girly either. Step 1: My first thought is gray. A mature, neutral classic (see it in the mini-palette). Step 2: Add a simple modern sconce in brushed nickel. Check out Bathroom Lighting Universe, where I found a huge variety of lighting styles.
Purple and navy are bold and and regal, but grounded by the brown wood.
Blue and purple make for a calm and cool analogous color scheme. In other words, they are neighbors on the color wheel and coordinate well without too much drama. Step 1: Navy blue adds stability to the regal, and sometimes touchy-feely, purple. Step 2: A classic sconce reinforces the preppy navy blue vibe.
Purple becomes the accent color in an otherwise neutral earthy palette.
Lastly, I opted for something a little more earthy. It’s tempting to keep bathrooms in a fresh white color, but rich dark walls recede into the background, actually making the room feel a little bigger (contrary to what most people think). Step 1: Rich brown walls do a nice job of highlighting both the pretty tile fixtures and the wood trim. Step 2: A geometric sconce adds interest above the mirror.
We thought it would be fun to check some of the major paint retailers for inspiration and see what’s new for Spring ‘09. At Mochi Home, of course, that means more than just regurgitating some color palettes and swatches. We want to see what a room would actually look like with these colors and ideas applied. Luckily, our friend Clarence (of Streetfilms fame) sent us some pics of his cozy little pad. He wanted to see what we could come up with; so here it is. We hope you like it, Clarence!
Here’s the apartment as it is. You can see it’s been renovated with nice clean walls and windows to move light throughout the apartment. The fabulous (and original) wood floors are still intact, which helps retain it’s charming Brooklyn character.
Conscious Luxury from Sherwin-Williams.
We have to start with the purple room. We picked up this color palette from Sherwin-Williams. They call it Conscious Luxury from the 2009 Lifestyle Collection. The palette is a bit feminine, so we pulled out the bolder shades for a more modern and manly luxury. Check out the stripes, for a wallpaper effect. We also added a graphic pillow from West Elm.
Historic Milk Paint
Next, we tried something more soft and subtle from The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company in Groton, Massachusetts. We love this paint because it is produced using historic methods, is free of harmful chemicals, non-toxic, eco-friendly and just plain pretty. We used Lexington green in different shades for the walls and accented the bookcase with Federal blue. Lastly, a few more West Elm accessories and a neat Chilewich roller shade complete the look.
RL Island Brights
If that was too understated, then Ralph Lauren paints have the antidote. One of our all-time favorite color palettes is the Island Brights collection featuring some juicy shades of tropical paradise. For Clarence, we picked the very appropriate Bicycle Yellow for the main wall and added Island Sand and Montego Bay blue as compliments. We added a colorful Diego Rivera print and the existing striped rug also goes great with this theme.
Modern Classic from Ben Moore
Lastly, a little “grown-up” bachelor pad inspired by Benjamin Moore’s Modern Classic scheme. Sedona Clay and Hale Navy look both fresh and classic with the existing simple furniture and that striped rug. We also like how the Sedona Clay wall blends in with the huge wooden bookshelf, almost giving the effect of a built-in bookcase.
We like all of the rooms and can’t decide on a favorite. But you can see how a coat of paint can transform an already nice room into something really spectacular.
We are just itching for the Spring weather to finally arrive here in New York City. While we wait, we thought we could give a an old Queens apartment a dose of spring color. To get some inspiration, we like to browse around on Desire to Inspire and look for images and colors. These charming, yet minimal spaces look so fresh in shades of white and grown-up pastels-spring at its most subtle. We are also fond of bright pops of color, which always keep us in a good mood.
Here’s how we applied some spring color in Astoria. This apartment has great bones – old-school arched doorways and light flooding into the main living area.
We always love a warm, tuscan orange. Here we combined it with a shade of butter, for a delicate and inviting room.
This apartment faces east and gets tons of light. It may be nice to cool it down with a most lovely pastel purple. We love purple because it’s cool, calm, but somehow still full of passion.
Lastly, for a pop of color, how about a warm gray paired with an electric purple-pink? We love the surprising shock of color as you turn into the kitchen from the living room.
What are your favorite spring colors?
Just because a bathroom may not be huge, doesn’t mean you should skimp on the color. Adding some color punch here is actually an easy way to make your entire home feel more finished. So, don’t neglect it!
Ah, a nice clean slate. The bones of this bathroom are clean and straightforward, making for an easy transformation.
First, a coat of deep blue paint on the wall, and already the bathroom is more interesting.
Sometimes, it’s nice to paint the fixtures. Here, we darkened the base of the sink, to give the bathroom some grounding. Then, all it needs are some accessories. We added some lights and a classic (but not too girly) black toile shower curtain.
For something a little more masculine (or at least gender neutral), here’s a palette of contrasting greens. We particularly love the dark olive ceiling and outdoor-like metal light fixture.
The owner of this apartment is a girl after our own hearts—not afraid to go bold with color! She painted the bathroom in an unapologetic combination of deep fuchsia and purple. Though it’s hard to see in the photo, our favorite part is the flamingo shower curtain.
We are always suckers for “safari” style, especially in a bedroom. Here, we make a classy bedroom retreat with some earthy touches that play off the strong, teak headboard.
This bedroom has nice clean lines, but it’s a bit boring.
Just a simple swath of khaki already sets the mood.
Add interest with a dark half wall at the same height as the headboard. This is an elegant, minimal alternative to a solid color.
But why stop there? Take it step further with a mosquito net and dramatic vase. We’re pretty certain that any bedroom can benefit from a mosquito net.
The other staple of the safari repertoire is, of course, animal print. Add some dramatic emphasis to the headboard with a wide strip of purple giraffe print. Giraffe print is pretty forgiving and you can easily “eyeball” the pattern or use a stencil. Paint the light purple, draw the “spots” with chalk and fill in with the dark purple. Too much work? Just try 2 strips of wallpaper or nail up some fabric.
We found this cozy pillow nook at a lovely little riad (bed and breakfast) in Marrakech. It’s hard to improve on such a fresh spot, but we can always find a way to add a little drama.
The original white pillow room, looking very fresh and airy.
For something more subtle, a strip of dark purple behind the pillows adds the illusion of a low backrest.
A touch of bright green adds a little interest.
The drama shot-dark chocolate takes this nook from day to night. Notice how the colorful pillows "pop" like candies.
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