Colorful Cities



Juzcar, Spain gorgeous blue!


If you follow this blog at all you know that I love color.  I have this wonderful friend, whom I will call Jo, he has an original and creative mind and he knows I go crazy for color.  Jo sent me this article on Juzar in Andalusia Spain.  They painted the whole town a light shade of blue, for the Smurf movie and the town’s people loved it so much that they voted and decided to keep it blue.  The mayor Fernandez  said,  it has given a "Boost to the local economy, it’s increased our happiness, our dreams and our levels of employment. " 

Juzcar, Spain from a distance plus 4,000 litres of paint

here's the before shot

Man, I just love that!

The uniformity of the color makes the design splendid.

"La Bocca" Buenos Aires, Argentina
immigrated by Italians and modeled after Genoa
When I was in Art School at Pratt in NYC, it was deep in the ghetto of Brooklyn at that point and I wanted to get involved in painting something that would help the community.  My roommate who was a tough, reality type girl from the South Bronx said, “If you do that the people will just go and pee on it”.  I was pretty deluded about her comment at the time, but now looking back I think well they might pee on it happily and then eventually they might stop peeing on it.  Back then I wanted to do something small.  These cities show, do the whole town in color and it will have an impact.

When I first went to Lucca, Italy, I remember being so impressed that the whole town could agree to paint their shutters green.


Lucca, Italy ahh such tranquility

Lucca, Italy


Bo-Kaap Cape Town South Africa
this shows all colors can work together
British and Dutch influenced architecture

Williamstad, Netherlands

Williamstad, Netherlands


Guanjuato, Mexico

Lima, Peru
Spanish Baroque, French Neoclassism, Art Nouveau Buildings

 Here’s a great quote.

“Reform the environment, stop trying to reform the people.  They will reform themselves if the environment is right.”  Buckminster Fuller

Izamal, Mexico in the Yucatan "The Yellow City"

I have a Norwegian stepfather and from the moment he came into our lives he started painting the rooms in our house, soft shades of blue and pale green, lavender.  Of course, I had already painted my room by myself by the time I was 10!  Our house was very open and you could see all the varying colors through archways and doorways, it brought such peace and joy to our family.

Longyearbyen, Norway

color works in the cold and the hot climates

Bryggen, Norway
I love all the shades of red

Now, I believe that color can be felt and have an influence on the tiny personal scale of life and on the larger environment of a town that leads to confidence, a strong sense of identity, pride and happiness.



Jodhper, India in the barren Thar desert
known as the "Blue City"

Wroclaw, Poland
Gothic Architecture and a Roman Catholic affiliation



Riomaggiore, Italy
The Italians put color everywhere they can

Isn’t that just simple and lovely!

Chefchaoen, Morocco
a refuge for Jews during the Spanish Reconquista
and my favoirte cornflower blue


With affection.
Natalie
P.S. Note to grammar freakers, I don't seem to have an accent mark on my keyboard, thus accents are left out.


What A Good Color Can Do




Hi Everyone I've been bad about writing my life is too crazy right now.  I have been doing some fun painting work so I will be posting some great examples soon.  Today I just want to do a quick post to show an example of what a great color can do to change a crappy piece of furniture into something lovely and useful.  I could kick myself for not getting a better before shot to show how un-special this cabinet is, you get the idea I think.



I love the color cornflower blue, it is a color people forget about.  But I don't, I have my girls room in this color and I love it for furniture.  Is it blue or is it violet - let's argue about it!

Here's the after shot.  It just pops, the color is so great and it makes the piece look clean-lined and simple.

yes it needs a new knob



is it blue or is it violet

Now I want to just for fun add a list of Nat's suggestions for a summer party - in feeling is what I'm going after.  Here's my list.

Make a cocktail
A cappuccino
Dance to something funky (even alone)
Get near water
Cook something spicy
Go on a roof top
Do something creative

Trust me, all of the above will make you happy.  Now if you have an courage you can add to my list in the comments below.  I know this is a design diary so most people don't comment and that's o.k.

Cheers,
Natalie
I'm linking with
Miss Mustard Seed
Between Naps on the Porch

Summer Dreaming the Simple Life # 4




An umbrella tree and no rain.


A morning cappuccino alone.



Geraniums in violet and fuchsia.



Finding collars with Elisa on a bench down town.  What… life is too strange and wonderful!

Un bacio out to the world,
Natalie

Chalk Paint and Silver Leaf


chalk paint antiqued and silver leaf




I know some of you out there might have a little "issue" with me that I am just too feminine. Well I am happy to present this macho (mascile) dark red and silver leaf piece.  I like how it came out.  Even certain people close to me who will remain nameless were shocked it looked so good and confessed (later) to intentionally staying quiet for much of the project.

It was not hard to do, patience is always the problem around here, so grab some patience and a paint brush and here we go.

I first mixed this dark red flat paint with a tablespoon or two of powdered stucco to make a light version of Chalk paint, sprinkling in the stucco with a metal strainer.  I mixed it well.   Here is the before shot.


I sanded the piece all over not too much because the chalk paint ad heads well.





I painted the whole piece red three times.  Yes I drank some cappuccinos in the middle and I did not clean the house.

painting with chalk paint




how to chalk paint - make your own
I taped out the drawers, leaving the part exposed I wanted silver and put the glue down for the silver leaf.  I wait about 20-30 minutes or until it is tacky.  I work in sections





I put the silver leaf on with a soft brush and my hands.



how to silver leaf

I put a clear coat of polyurethane over the whole piece lightly over the silver leaf to not dull the gleam too much.

I let it sit a day to make sure everything was dry.





Then I took oil color raw umber (my favorite) and mixed it with turpentine and a dry brush to lightly brush over the commode to darken it up and make it look more used and antique.

When I silver leafed the drawer pulls I intentionally used the glue only in parts to make it irregular.







What do you think?  Isn't SHE a pretty macho girl?

Natalie

I'm linking to:
Between Naps on the Porch
French Country Cottage
Miss Mustard Seed
http://romantichome.blogspot.com













Serious Fixer- Upper and Villa Dreaming



villa in Umbria

Here goes Nat again dreaming of a Fixer-Upper.  I don’t really want this house because if it were mine I would have to become a soccer Mom.  One of those Moms that has to drive the kids to all parts of the world.  I’m much better on my bike for the quick drop off.

But wait... there is so much potential in this house and it wants to be loved.   Dream along with me just for the moment … because it is SUMMER and summer is for dreaming.


potential like crazy

In the garden I would have a ladder garden with Morning Glories, and Sweet Peas, climbing all over seven ladders painted in shades of blue and purple.  Then in the winter it would just be the structures.  A simple stone maze laid out on the ground in a design of river stones and Lobelia.  In the center of the maze there would be a French set of curvy metal garden chairs and a table to have a cappuccino or 2.



Inside – oh my I always had the dream to have different rooms designated for different activities.  There would be a studio for me (certainly with southern access light) a music, art and study room for the girls.  We would have two guest rooms for the endless flow of guests and family.  There would be a movie room.  There would be a library room with wall to wall books and a cozy couch and big chair in velvet and linen slip covers for the summer and spring.  The kitchen would be intimate enough to hang out in and bake all the time.

pink, gray. red- what color is it?


Elisa would get a puppy.

I might even have a small room with lock and key with gorgeous painted walls in motif and some splendid photographs in black and white.  Then at times I would go in that room with a cup of something steamy hot or icy cold and I would sit in the a big chair and stare at the walls and photographs and then when I came back out I would be recharged and ready to kick it!!  The girls would say yah we have a new Mama and Alfredo might even at times beg me to go to the lock and key room.  He would say “dai solo dieci mininuti vai!”

or is this villa orange?


wine cellar or work shop or
retail shop filled with gorgeous furniture?
The walls I would do in hot colors, oranges, pinks, kiwi greens, shades of blue, Venetian stucco with motif, gold leaf, tinted waxes, pearl and bronze, rich brown.  Then there would also be a section of the house that was white and grey for a simple refreshing contrast.  I would go crazy painting and restoring the old doors.


for sitting under the rain

The terrace would be crawling with Bougainvilleas and Hydrangeas in vases.  I would have parties where we served cocktails or mulled wine or even just hot tea.

color inspiration red-orange with ochre and pink
here's a lesion for you shabby chic freakers study up!


Then I would have enough money so that once a week a little team of MEN would come and clean the whole house in two hours flat “in out no one gets hurt”.

hangin out on the steps..  wait are we in Brooklyn?

If you had a fixer-upper what strange dreamy space would you create?  I give you permission to think out of the box, because it is SUMMERTIME.

dreaming


With affection
Natalie