Host Nancy Golden explains how she approached a redesign on a dining room that was already perfectly serviceable -- but not too exciting (figure A). First she questioned the homeowners about their needs: Did they also have a space for casual dining, or would their dining room be the primary location for meals? As it turned out, they also had a breakfast nook, so Golden would be free to create a formal design for the room. The homeowners also stated that they wanted the room to transition from the living room (figure B) and entryway, both of whose color palettes were more vibrant than the soft mustard-gold of the dining-room walls. To find the wall color for the dining room, Golden had to look no farther than the living-room sofa: a beautiful chocolate-brown silk dupioni pillow suggested the rich hue she felt the walls needed (figure C). The deep brown on the walls provided a striking contrast to the brilliant-white millwork throughout the room (the white trim was given a new coat of paint with a bit more sheen). Golden also evaluated the types of accessories the family used throughout the house: animal-print fabrics, ornate gold picture frames, monogrammed china, a bamboo candleholder with a distressed-looking pillar candle, an ornate gold-and-black lamp with glass prisms. From these she was able to determine that their style reflected a love of tradition combined with a sense of whimsy. (She stresses that not everything in a home must match; instead, the suggestion of colors from room to room is enough to effect a successful transition.) She demonstrates with another of the living-room cushions: combining shades of red, brown, cream, gold, plum and a little black, it suggests a rich, dramatic color scheme for the redesign. The Bare Facts: Natural colors such as brown can unify the look of a room and add dramatic color.
RESOURCES :
Color Palettes : Atmospheric Interiors Using the Donald Kaufman Color Collection
Model: 060960144X
Author: Suzanne K. Butterfield
Clarkson Potter - $40.00
Hardcover - 208 pages (April 1998)
Clarkson Potter/The Crown Publishing Group/Random House
Website: www.randomhouse.com
Painting Skills
ISBN: 1842154109
Author: Mike Lawrence
Order this title from Amazon.com.
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