My post on Colour Input Wanted is far and away my most visited and continues to attract great advice. At Fred’s suggestion (http://oneprojectcloser.com), I looked around the room for something I liked to pull a colour from, but found nothing! Not a good sign. But I have found two things that would be easy to acquire that inspire me.
The first is a print which a local framer has had in his shop for years. He has offered it to me for the cost of the framing. I think it would look great over the fireplace. You can see it here: http://www.gallery.ca/exhibitions/past/alex_colville/english/visualpreview/toprinceedwardisland.html
And then there are these Pier 1 cushions. I kept going back to look at them. At the moment they are ‘visiting’ with me, while I try to decide if they would provide a starting point for a cottage colour scheme.
I am trying to put my finger on what I like about them, so I can explain it to Cottager, who is not feeling the attraction. I always like stripes. And the two tones of blue are nice, if a bit subdued. The beige stripe is like sand – too bland for the walls.
The silver-white sateen and thin stripes of golden brown and blue velvet prevent the cushions from looking like remodeled beach towels, and give them some all-season versatility. And the brown detail pulls the leather from the furniture which will, of necessity, be a part of the decor for the next several years at least.
I think a few coral accents might look good with these blues, and if I wanted to mix it up a bit, I could swap-out the coral accents with brick-tones during the winter months. Coral is a big step out of my comfort zone; in fact I can’t find a single coral-coloured item in my house to test this theory.
So where does this bring me with the wall colour? Stephanie (http://localcolourstudio.com) suggested Montgomery White or Hepplewhite Ivory. I thought I preferred the first, but have found that in some lights, it is too peach-y. The Hepplewhite is still in the running, but I am leaning toward a Benjamin Moore light yellow called Antiquity. While a little on the safe side, it seems to look good in all lights.
And does it go well with the cushions? No, not particularly. Stay tuned
I’ll be really stretching my interior decorating abilities with this comment- but here’s my take on the Pier 1 cusions: when set upright, they remind me of looking out over a river on a bright but overcast day (the blue at the bottom reminds me of water, the beige in the middle of some type of land, and the blue at the top of the sky). Anyhow, I think they could make a fabulous start for a color scheme, and if you pull the blue out of them, it will definitely make your window frames pop out much more than they do currently.
Just my $.02.
Fred
P.S. Thanks for the link.
The pillow in the photo gets me thinking about a SW America / Navajo theme. Is this what you want or are you looking for more of a traditional “cottage” so of look.
I am all about breaking away from stereotype decor but mixing themes is tricky business and takes al little more work. Keep at it girl and you will know when it is right!
Kind regards,
Loyd
try benjamin moore’s “maritime white”–oc-5. it is a very neutral color that is like a very milky latte. it has no peachy tones, no yellow, no blues. it’s just a natural-looking color that works with everything. i also like oc-2, but that is slightly more creamy in tone.
i just picked out the paint colors for my entire house and it was treacherous!!!
adrienne at http://www.fixerupper.typepad.com