This house is adorable. In fact, it’s the kind of house that almost makes me wish I lived in a house. It’s neat and compact, with an interesting brick chimney and a yard that’s not at all intimidating. And, with just a small amount of color love, this house will practically be yelling, “Come in in!”
Apartment Therapy discusses the dilemma of painted brick.
An exterior like this always begs the question – should you paint the brick? I’m not a purist, nor am I modernist. I think painting brick is a personal choice based on what you like. You can make this facade work either way.
First, here is the classic unpainted brick. A blue, black and red scheme compliments both the brick and the red/gray roof tiles. I added shutters for some interest on the facade. Although if your budget is tight, you can paint a double trim using both white and black. Also, a red door always makes a house pop.
The following options show a white painted brick. I do think that painted brick can look very fresh. If you favor fresh over traditional, go with the white brick. Here, a muted warm gray tone-on-tone makes for a very sophisticated little bungalow.
This is a cooler variation of the sophisticated look. I think this goes well with the roof. I also some added some accent lights. The look is inspired by the amazing exterior renovation at Fly Through Our Window (scroll down to the last few photos to see the gorgeous painted brick.)
Lastly, a little french style inspiration via Lindsay Christensen Design (and Flickr.) This is obviously not a French country house, but we can certainly borrow the color scheme. The easy part of this palette is that the house remains white and only the brick is painted white. That should leave some money to slap on some contrasting shutters, add a sweet yellow door and throw down a couple of very distinguished mini-topiary at the front walk. Mini French-country bungalow, anyone?
This lovely house is an easy update and nearly any palette will make it distinctive and just like “home.”
Continue reading about Easy Exterior Color (with or without Painted Brick)
This living room comes from a reader who is looking to update their living room while keeping the vintage chic vibe. They’ve already chosen the paint colors and are a making a bold (and wise) move – going from pasty pink to a deep chocolate and tan. They write to us looking for some help in tying the vintage blue couch with the bold brown and some more modern updated accessories. I think we have a few fun ideas for vintage eclectic living room in a lovely blue and brown palette.
Here is the original pink living room (soon to be painted deep brown and tan). The carpeting will also be removed to reveal a dark brown hardwood floor.
The owners picked a nice bold accent wall in dark brown. I also love the hardwood floors. To play up the vintage couch, try a patterned curtain combined with some unique accessories like an organic wood table and chartreuse vases. A subtle crocodile rug adds a little more pattern without overwhelming the room and two vintage chairs complement the velvet couch.
Here, instead of heavy drapes, try a flouncy tulip shade. Add some interest with a coffee table, a modern rug and fun vintage upholstered chair. Metal wall art adds another earth element to the wood-heavy room. My favorite accessory is the modern, yet historic pendant lamp. Upgrading your fixtures in a great way to make a room feel instantly more luxurious and expensive.
This last option is an elegant modern retreat, set with dramatically tall plain white curtains and a simple bold rug. Simple neutral chairs give the vintage couch and the houndstooth stool the spotlight. Streamline the fireplace wall with a large modern painting and a fireplace screen. Finally, the floor lamp gives the room a more intimate feeling by lowering the overhead elements.
In all of these options, the key to creating a vintage eclectic look is to create a balanced mix of styles. A few pieces of vintage furniture with classic lines combined with a couple of bold or unique accessories and your room will come alive!
This weekend we fled the big city for the fresh air and lovely views of the Hudson Valley. We aren’t lucky enough to own a country house (or have friends who do), so we opted for the next best thing: a bed and breakfast. What luck we had! We found the most charming and down to earth spot in New Paltz, complete with a heated pool, hot tub and koi pond. Our innkeepers at Fox Hill bed and breakfast, Jerry and Jerri, were just lovely and made our brief stay relaxing and memorable.
I found myself completely charmed by their simple home, tastefully adorned with classic antiques like old Singer sewing machine tables and stately wooden bureaus. I don’t usually go for turn of the century antiques, country accents or floral prints, but something about Fox Hill just felt so perfect. Here are a few of my favorite vignettes.
The house was covered in wallpaper in a mix of classic prints. I can imagine doing a small bathroom with a dainty floral or mini pattern. Even a small closet with wallpaper would make for a sweet and unexpected surprise.
Even the ceiling had a pattern!
The details of the decor were so refreshing and made me want to come home and add some girly details to my own house. How sweet is the bow on the lamp?
Well, if you are looking for a weekend getaway in the New York City area, I highly recommend Fox Hill. Definitely hit the hot tub at night and say hi to Jerry and Jerri! For those of us who can’t get away, we can be inspired by a few pretty details that make this bed and breakfast so welcoming.
Just a quick update on our backsplash extravaganza from last month. After reviewing my original choices, I decided to try out a few more options and finally settled on the lovely neutral Windy City blend from Modwalls. We were really looking for something to act a transition between the new Silestone counter in Mont Blanc, the maple cabinets and the darker wood of our other furniture. Windy City covers a nice spectrum of neutrals and just seems to tie everything together without overpowering the other features.
I opted to install the tile myself – my first time at tiling! It was at once fun and frustrating, but the end result (and reasonable price!) was worth it. See the gallery below for a step-by-step slideshow of the installation.
Continue reading about Update: Kitchen Backsplash Extravaganza
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.
Kitchen upgrades are a common and easy way to update a home. I’ve done a few posts where we painted walls and cabinets, but here, I want to focus on the backsplash. Perhaps the most common and easiest upgrade (aside from paint) is to add tile. I also love that tile can be a doable DIY project as well. Check out this plain kitchen below. Note the the newly installed Silestone countertop in Mont Blanc.
The owners chose to keep their original black appliances and maple cabinets, so we are working with a palette of white, black and light maple. I found some great tiles at Modwalls, which come in a nice variety of colors and are really affordable. Here is the dramatic Marakesh blend.
If you are willing to commit, a backsplash is also a great place to add color to the kitchen. I like this bold Tango blend. A solid color would also make a nice statement and feel less busy.
One of the great features at Modwalls is the custom tile blender. You can pick multiple colors and blend them in any proportion to create your perfect palette. Here is a brown and white blend for something more muted than the colorful Emma above.
A lighter look in a custom blend of white and speckles of green.
If you don’t like the looks of small squares, subway tiles are another good option. Here is Modwalls Lush tile in dune. I love the elegant lines and tasteful colors.
The backsplash is also a great place to mix textures and materials. While I love the glass and ceramic tiles, I’m always drawn to earthy stone and marble. Here is a great mix of glass and stone in matchstick shape from Glass Tiles Etc. So earthy and stylish!
Continue reading about Tiled Kitchen Backsplash Extravaganza
Our first post on exterior colors comes from reader inquiry. She wanted some ideas for her parents’ house before settling on a final palette. I just love the hacienda bungalow style – complete with arched colonnades and a terra cotta tile roof. I’m certainly envious of this warm weather home.
Spanish style homes often look best in classic Mediterranean palettes. Colors include yellows, peach, pink, olive, terra cotta, brown, white, etc. Think lush, warm earth tones and refreshing cool waters. This is Behr Sunbath, a color that is optimistic and timeless. It also goes well with the terra cotta tiled roof. I created some contrast with bright white trim and a dark brown deck.
Another classic hacienda color is pink (or coral/peach). I chose Behr’s Antique Cameo and again contrasted it with a white deck and brown columns. Make sure the pink/peach doesn’t clash with the terra cotta roof. A warm shade of pink should do the trick and a little Bougainvillea adds another dimension to the palette.
If yellow and pink are too colorful, why not a tasteful beige? I found this nice color from Behr called Cardboard. When used with terra cotta, white and dark chocolate brown, Cardboard is much more interesting than the name implies.
Lastly, and perhaps my favorite, is white with colorful accents. White is very fresh with the roof and greenish-blue trim. The element of the shutters adds even more visual interest with a beautiful tile pattern. I found these lovely Pueblo shutters at Shutterstile. An architectural accent like these shutters is not only distinctive, but can provide inspiration for the entire palette.
I’m always a fan of trying daring colors on interiors and exteriors, but sometimes it’s nice to stick to your architectural roots. Rooting this house in a Spanish hacienda color palette is both festive and classic (and will look great even years from now).
We hope our reader’s parents find something they like!
We recently found inspiration in the form of some lovely handmade tiles. Terra Home produces beautiful tiles and tableware, made with much skill, and from the looks of it, much love too. They have a handful of different styles for sale at Etsy that seemed to be perfect for the kitchen – from Eastern influences to the classic Tuscan style. Check out what we came up with!
Cluttered, a tad boring and, might I add, the typical tiny pre-war Manhattan kitchen.
Turquoise Moorish Tile
First, I always adore turquoise and anything that reminds me of warm climates. This Moorish inspired tile has a perfect Mediterranean meets Middle East feel. I paired it with a bold cobalt wall and covered the clutter with white cabinets.
Limone Tile
Next, I tried the Limone Tile from Terra Home’s Italian Sketchbook series. I’m attracted once again to the warm Mediterranean feel. This series is casual and sunny – perfect for a fresh contrasting palette of yellow, black, and white. The tiles work as a mid-wall border and draw attention away from the cluttered countertops.
Cream/Sugar Set with Flowers
Lastly, sometimes inspiration can be found in an object and translated onto the walls. I am enamored by this pastel cream and sugar set and thought the colors would work perfectly on the walls. Indeed, the pastels lighten up the tiny space. The handmade feel of the pottery is so nice, I placed two of the dessert plates on the back wall in place of tiles. So lovely!
Red and green are compliments. These colors vibrate so much, it hurts.
Have I mentioned how much I like drama? And of course, paint is one of the quickest ways to do it. The most dramatic effects come from high contrast color schemes. If you are nerdy, like I am, you can learn all about the science of color theory. Or, to save you some reading, I’ll sum it up. If two colors are located kind of opposite on the color wheel, they are very vibrant when next to each other. Complimentary colors (direct opposites) actually sort look like they are vibrating. And vibrating = dynamic = drama!
Here’s a demonstration of paint drama on an interior event space. You can see the room has it’s own structural drama with tall ceilings and spotlights.
But what if we add a black ceiling? Black and white is the classiest of high contrast. A black ceiling immediately gives the effect of infinity, as if you were under the night sky.
Too much? Here are some nice tan walls. The back wall is left white, to contrast the tan, but with less drama than the black and white. The tan also looks great with the red painting and table cloths.
There are lots of great drama ideas out there. Check out how AbbeyK paints the back wall of a bookshelf. So clever!
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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