What Color To Paint Your House

just gorgeous terra-cotta orange
the top is sponged more evidently

There is still time to paint your house.  If you just can’t muster up the money or energy to paint your house, you could paint a room or how about a jewelry box!   I know, I'm intentionally encouraging you. Paint something- make a change you will feel better, summer is almost over, at least in Italy.  The antonyms for encourage are to discourage, dispirit, depress and dishearten.  Now will you paint a jewelry box? 

cool blue gray with darker blue gray
shutters and office white trim

closer view same house

Here are some great color combinations.  I like how the Italians pick soft neutral accent colors for the trim or they choose rich dark colors.

I like pink when it is dirtied up and made more manly
soft pink with chocolate brown shutters

I've shown you this photo before dark taupe and
 classic pink and vanilla trim Man! I love this combination

brighter pink with blue gray shutters, very seaside

here taupe and sea-foam green with creamy white trim
taupe absorbs color.  I love to use it in interiors with hot color close by

It is fun to imagine these colors over a little wooden clapboard house, or a painted brick or even shingle, Spanish style stucco, just splendid.

this orange-red with cream trim, dark gray-blue shutters
this looks amazing because the color is saturated and rich

pale mint green with dark green (almost black) shutters, sophisticated

white on white classic and feels like home

and here is the classic italian ochre, bright white trim,
the shutters are the dark green (almost black) color
I described above

another shot

apricot with natural brick, the balconies are gray concrete stucco

to end with a KICK
even richer more saturated orange-red,
here with green-blue shutters,
cool note: there is sheet music painted on the tower.

If you have no muster (it's hot out there) for the above then just dream and plan.

Have a good Weekend.

Natalie

French Country Cottage
The Shabby Creek Cottage

Silver Leaf Vs. Copper Leaf

silver leaf with copper leaf panels

Last Fall I was up in the hills of Umbria working on a house and I did this wonderful Silver Leaf Door HERE is the link to that post.  It came out great, yet the clients felt it could be better.  These clients are so cool and smart and like to talk about light and color and design (they work in film) so I was actually happy to work on it again, plus they would pay me, plus there would be many months before I attached the project again, fresh start... ahhh.

here is what it looked like before

silver leaf door

These clients it turns out had a love of copper leaf, not a favorite of mine, because I feel like it is just too pink and glary, picture copper tubing or the bottoms of kitchen pans to get the image of the color I mean.  But guess what, it turned out that the dark red brick floor reflected so much onto the pink-orange of the copper leaf that it toned down the pink and it became this color.  What the *** color is it?  Shall we call it burnt orange?  Not really!  Doesn’t it look great with the stairs and tile work?  I know it isn’t really a fair competition because these present photos are better then the Silver Leaf photos and there are more of them.

I got to say it looks glamorous

You know what I learned again that environment matters.  You can pick a design because you love it.  I think the Silver Leaf Door worked really well with the color of the grout in the flooring, it has a more uniform effect.  The Copper Leaf Door pops, it looks more designed and articulated.  On the latter I also darkened the color of the hardware and did the frame that surrounds the door in silver leaf also, this makes more contrast.

and yes there is a loft space and huge skylight above,
could you just cry with envy

hardware is looking pretty good huh?

I do believe that if the design makes you happy then it is a success.  Yet we must think about the environment around the project and even the other rooms in the house.  I believe there should be congruency.  What do you think?  Do you have a preference?

Happy Weekend

Natalie

I'm linking with:

Between Naps on the Porch

French Country Cottage

Romantic Home
DIY Vintage Chic
Oh My - Creative

A Puddle and Some Quotes

 I just want to say and I’ve said it before on a design level I love gray and color together.  These photos represent this fantastic combination.  For years I have been encouraging this combination in the spaces I have lived in from San Francisco to NYC, Napa Valley and Umbria Gray and Color work all over the world.  

Here in Umbria it rained way too much this winter and spring and now it is hot hot hot, we did have a rain storm a bit ago and here is it’s reflection.  As you read these quotes try to reflect on own your life and self and how you want to live.

Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit.

Henry Brooks Adams, 1838-1918

A hurtful act is the transference to others of the degradation, which we bear in ourselves.

Simon Weil, 1909-1943

There are many things we would throw away if we were not afraid that others would pick them up.

Oscar Wild, 1854-1900

A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world’s torrent.

Charles James Fox 1749-1806

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

I’ve used this quote from Eleanor before and I hope to again.  I would have loved to have a cup of tea with Eleanor, that woman was so advanced.  I’m sorry there are not more quotes from woman.  This is how the world runs, it is hard to find an example of our voice and to be heard, little by little we will do it no?

The sharp eyed reader will have noticed that I put those flowers in the puddle to make it pretty, to add depth and light and color.  Now go out and color your puddles.

With affection,

Natalie