As Apartment Therapy gathers more and more color contest finalists, I have more and more rooms to lust over at the click of my built-in mouse. One of the great things about the contest is that you are looking at real rooms that actual people live in (though they’re probably not as tidy as the pictures suggest); therefore, they’ll typically be more sensible to dwell in with kids and dogs and messy boyfriends (or girlfriends, like me). Here’s some of the rooms that I’ve seen lately that I’m really excited about.
(photographs property of respective owner)
Oh, How I love granny crochet-square blankets. They give even the most basic sheets instant flair. And the dress form…I’ve been on the hunt for a nice (cheap) dress form for months. I also like that the color motif in this room is bright and fun, but in a i-didnt-really-prethink-this sort of way. I mean, it’s a real room that you could walk into at your friend’s house, and you wouldnt be thinking, ‘wow, didnt know sal(ly) was one of those people’..whatever that means to you, anyway.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/room-for-color-2009/majas-color-intuition-room-for-color-international-3-097507
The color motif of this room reminds me of a children’s art museum. That is, it’s fun, cheery, and it works; however, it’s not something I’d necessarily want to see every day. It may be a little too much variation for my taste.
But I really, really love that vintage gold that they have on the walls. And look! It matches those old anatomy diagrams that they have hanging. That’s something that Michael and I can totally agree on. We both love retro school charts, of the science classroom sort. We saw some cool vintage Bio charts that we loved while we were in Andersonville, Chicago, but they were way out of our budget at the time. Hopefully one day, we’ll find something that will satisfy this cache of our hoarding hobby.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/room-for-color-2009/valories-southern-colors-room-for-color-south-2-097383#comments
Now this is truly a room I’d never get tired of living in. I’m always a fan of a striking paint paired with a complimentary wall paper. I really like the dark color motif that they’ve gone for. With all the mirrors, bright accents, and stainless steel accessories, the dark browns don’t feel overwhelming.
I’m all for the electric light panels they have positioned by the bed. The next time I can get out to a hardware-store, I’m going to grab us some white christmas lights for our headboard.
Also, I’ve gotta comment on the dresser that’s being used as a footboard. I’m not sure if it’s one piece or not, but I’m guessing (due to the low height) that it’s actually two side tables stacked next to each other. What a great multi-use item. It’s certainly an ingenius way to save space.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/room-for-color-2009/christies-urban-nautical-room-for-color-south-14-098487
I’m really over-the-moon for the color motif found in this room also. I like really warm rooms of oranges and yellows, accented with cooler earth tones. It’s a combination that feels really cozy. Notice the two-toned look, and how that slightly darker gold brings out the dining nook. It really gives the room the help it needs to seperate the space.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/room-for-color-2009/alexandras-spiced-chai-living-room-room-for-color-div-xx-097764
Again I love the warm tones shown here. The decor to the room gives it a very lived-in feel while still looking presentable for guests. Plus, I’ve always wanted to do something cool with a pretty paper umbrella. I’ve seen a lot of sweet ideas involving suspending them from the ceiling lately, and I like it here as well.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/room-for-color-2009/heathers-coral-kitchenroom-for-color-international-16-098332
The prim vs. contemporary look is what caught my eye here. I really like the juxtaposition of the vintage frames with the piece of artwork shown on the right. The wall color is also very lovely. That shade of blue seems to be very popular in decor and fashion this year.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/room-for-color-2009/douglass-peaceful-peacock-living-room-room-for-color-west-22-098391?image_id=4
This is not part of the color contest (and obviously from a designer decor plan), but I wanted to share it with the other color submissions since it’s relevant and gorgeous. I’ve never seriously considered placing draperies away from a traditional window setting, but this photograph made me consider changing my mind. Somehow, it works without appearing too stuffy or extravagant. Maybe I can work this idea into our bedroom eventually.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/entryway/colorful-entryways-098532?image_id=812070
This one is easy. No home should be without plants. Cacti are perfect since they hardly need maintenance. Even I couldn’t kill those! (fingers crossed)
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/room-for-color-2009/margies-scandinavian-rainbow-room-for-color-east-22-098402
Here’s a link of the main page:
http://contests.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/color/
*winks,
Lady<3
