Living with Strong, Rich Color

We are often guilty of safety-net designing whereby we retreat to the cocoon of sameness and pale.  On occasion, we become courageous with a color accent wall or two, but rarely the tact defined by Vinny Lee in her book “Mood Indigo.” She explores the notion of surrounding oneself with strong, rich, and compelling colors.

Green is perhaps one of the most versatile of all of the dark colors. It works well with both contrasting and compatible tone as well as many others from the color wheel. It can be used to create simple, country rustic to jewel-like gilded opulence. Here are some of my favorites.

Fashion Designers Dress the Home

Is dressing a home the same as dressing a body? According to Marie Bariller’s book, “Dressing the Home,” it is a philosophy shared by many of the world’s top designers.  Christian Louboutin, creator of the celebrated red-soled shoes, is one of the devotés.

Louboutin’s Parisian apartment demonstrates not only his approach to footwear design but how his sense of design influences his personal space.

I have always maintained that you can tell a lot about your client if you look into his or her closet.

Room Attitude Change

Perhaps my favorite designer, Tricia Guild, never ceases to amaze me with her daring and color sensibility. This bedroom was her exercise in using contrasting patterns to a dramatic effect. The color schemes of shades of pink, reds, yellows, and oranges makes a nod to Mexico and demonstrates how easy and cost effective it is to completely change the attitude of a room.  For ideas on how to change the attidue of your rooms, visit ethniciti’s essentials page.