Friday, April 4, 2014

Accents of color

The spring/summer 2014 issue of New Old House magazine features a new house by architect Rafe Churchill  that is traditional in its detailing, spartan even, but modern in its outlook. Most striking to me was the use of color throughout the house.
Today the norm is white or cream painted trim in every room right? Any color in this generally seems strange or odd. Not quite that long ago colored trim was commonplace and it's a device interior design is missing today. Even in my 1930s apartment I discovered all of my trim had originally been a bright turquoise while doing some work!
 I especially loved this screened porch -my favorite 'room' in the house.
 The cheerful apple green paneling in the family room is cozy, charming, and eye catching.
 The dining room features mustard yellow trim with white walls that tie into the kitchen.
Upstairs paint is taken to another level with glossy white painted floors in this bedroom. Interestingly while the trim is also painted a soft green, the door is left the natural wood.
Even this unusual 'country mancave' as I refer to it features dark painted trim, albeit with exposed stud walls. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to risk this much color in such a way in my own home but would you, could you?  Maybe we should all take a clue from the not so distant past and skip the white trim for awhile.
All images by John Gruen

6 comments:

Blue said...

The screened porch and the green library are wonderful – in fact, I love the whole place from its orange exterior to its white bedroom floor. Color .... how refreshing!

Hels said...

I was looking at a house that reminds me of Mies van der Rohe's German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona. The house had floor to ceiling glass in the front, then _nothing but white_ in every other room. The decorative features came solely from scatter rugs, cushions and some paintings on the walls.

As much I love Bauhausish architecture, white is very harsh and undomestic. Families need gentle colour, not sterility.

Kerry Steele- Design du Monde said...

While the decor here is too Spartan for me, I love the color. I am a fan of trim and wall color being the same.

Karena said...

Stefan I do not use yellow much however adore that kitchen!!

Hope you had a fab time at the concert!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena

Mark D. Ruffner said...

It is so refreshing to see color used boldly, and yes I would and do use a lot of color in my (small) house. I have an orange kitchen with white accents.

Paisley Curtain said...

A very interesting house. I love color and I would and I could paint the trim other than white, but in pastel colors not bright ones. :)