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Hold On… White Appliances Are Now the New Alternative?
I’m sitting here suddenly wondering what’s in everyone else’s kitchen and if I missed some kind of style memo, because according to Apartment Therapy, white’s the new stainless. Or the new black, or something. This is the sentence that struck me: “Like most people these days, we have stainless steel appliances in our kitchen.” Really? I’ve had white for as long as I can remember, and when shopping for a new range a while back, white appliances definitely dominated on the showroom floor. But the author of the post went to far as to say: “When I think of white appliances I picture my 20-something rental studios and various 80s kitchens from my childhood. Not a pretty picture.”
My guess is that stainless steel will go the way of avocado and almond
Again, really? I always thought that stainless steel appliances were the trendy alternative that will probably look dated in another ten years or so, with white appliances being classic and, furthermore, blending in so as not to make one’s kitchen look like an operating theater. Oh, and no gross fingerprints. Maybe not with dark wood cabinets, but I say bleah to dark wood cabinets, anyway. But maybe I’m totally in the wrong here – what’s your take on the kitchen appliance color debate? First, take the poll:
Then give us the lowdown… did you opt for stainless steel appliances or white or what, and why? Is white a trend, or is stainless the trend?
Two Touches of the Turq
Turquoise is on its way out – or possible already gone among the early adopters concerned with color – but still pops up as a notable, usable hue. I like the turq like I like my pink, in small doses (again, this doesn’t hold true in nurseries or children’s rooms but that hardly counts), and here are two great examples of how one strong turquoise accent can play a starring role in an otherwise less intense space. I heart the impact of colored furniture!
As seen on Apartment Therapy
As seen on Educate Your Sofa
Inspiration: A Splash of Pink
Too much pink, and a room can end up looking like my daughter’s room. Which is great when you’re 2 – we get a lot of compliments, actually – but possibly not so good when you’re 32. Decorating with pink? Proceed with caution. Maybe think in terms of splashes of pink instead of huge swathes of the stuff. Kind of like this:
Pink door by Alain Briot
An arrangement of pink blossoms
Inspiration: Environments
For Monday, Two Looks That Have Got Me Giddy
Just a quick tidbit of inspiration to get your mind rocking and rolling on a Monday otherwise filled with boring things like TPS reports and people asking you how your weekend was even though they don’t actually give a fig. ACTUALLY, SCRATCH THAT. I give a fig. Please tell me and everyone else how your weekend was in the comments and we can all virtually high five each other because we are awesomesauce.
OMG that chair!
OMG that wall!
P.S. – Have you visited Unhappy Hipsters lately? It’s still a winner! And it makes me giggle especially since not too long ago I had some peeps who lived in a Brooklyn apartment that would have been so perfect for that blog.
Images: Lonny
A Sweet Play On the Traditional Starburst Mirror
I should say first of all that this particular sunburst mirror was a cheap and relatively easy DIY project undertaken by Monica Ewing, Sunset Home senior designer. Okay, okay, so she’s got some home decorating cred that most of us don’t have, but the posted instructions seem pretty simple. And it obviously came out gorgeous, so there’s no reason we can’t try it.
Amazing what a little paint can do, no?
But this totally fun play on the traditional starburst mirror started out its life in plain white, and that wasn’t thrilling Ms. Ewing. A few coats of a trip of blues by Benjamin Moore, and this was the end result. Love it! Isn’t it cool what just a little paint (and a steady hand) can do?
Is There Such a Thing As Too Orange?
Let’s count it off: Orange walls, orange curtains, and an orange light fixture. And orange art on top of that. Am I missing anything? Not that there’s anything wrong with orange – I had orange walls in the foyer of my Boston apartment, so I can see the allure. But personally, I prefer my fully saturated orange softened with a little something, like gray or soft teals and browns or maybe even just a whole lot of creamy white.
But for those who want MAXIMUM ORANGE in the kitchen and dining areas, here’s a jumping off point:
How Many Colors Can You Handle?
Do you find using color intimidating? Then you’re not alone. It’s no surprise that things like painted doors and bright painted cabinets aren’t exactly common and why books like this are necessary. I like to consider myself as a reforming colorphobic – once upon a time, I avoided it out of fear of messing up. Now I’m more confident with color!
Lately, I’ve realized that color users – by which I mean people who decorate colorfully, as opposed to the colorphobic – usually fall into one of three categories:
Some people find it easiest to stick to a limited color palette when decorating – often because it gives them the freedom to play with brighter, more striking colors without fear of clashing or overwhelming the space. Sound like you? If you choose, say, three colors to work with and you know they coordinate well, then you don’t have to think as much about how and where you’re using them. Break out: Add a few alternate color accent pieces to your otherwise perfectly coordinated room.
Others are most comfortable using multiple colors when the colors are serving as an accent in an otherwise neutral space. There’s a certain amount of freedom here, too, mainly because you’re not making a huge color investment. Don’t like that accent piece or chair? Move it, toss it, whatever! Break out: Try painting one wall of your living room a bright, vivid color. In other words, make a commitment, but make it a small one.
And then you have those rare folks who don’t feel at all intimidated by a color palette that includes lots and lots of very different hues. I am envious of these people – I just don’t have the guts to, say, bringing in a bright orange couch. If this sounds like you, you don’t need to break out. You’ve fully embraced the possibility of color, and that is pretty awesome!
Images: Beaux Arts Mansion
More Mismatched Dining Room Chairs!
So as it turns out, I wasn’t quite finished with the subject when I posted about mismatched dining chairs a few weeks back. Problem was I had lots more images of great dining room “sets” featuring a varied selection of chairs. Sometimes it’s the color that’s different, sometimes it’s the pattern of the seat upholstery, and sometimes it’s just a great mix of chairs that have absolutely nothing in common. Anything goes when you’re picking out your dining room furniture – have fun with it!