Room for Color 2010

I love the delightful balance of Sam and Elizabeth's home. IT is a peaceful, quirky and artistic abode with lots of light and personality. I love the touches of fine art in displays like the wall collage and grouping of couch paintings. Like an art gallery that feels like home! Congratulations!!

This couch is just adorable!

This room has fantastic balance. Nice work! I especially love the couch and the rug.

love the couch and rug... though i do see some issues with balance and scale

Nice lampshades! Cute wall plates! Lovely windows!

@rimesq, i'm curious to know what you mean by "issues with balance and scale". Could you educate me a little? Thanks!

Thanks so much for the kind words! I just wanted to mention that we got the couch a couple years ago on Craigslist AND it was listed right here on Apartment Therapy (sam actually commented on the page if anyone is bored and wants to look it up) We wanted to send in a follow up pic after we bought it, but were in the process of renovating the space, so we didn't actually have a living room to show it in... So finally, here's the follow up! Thanks AT for putting the fire under us to go buy our couch before your other design loving readers got to it :)

And yes, @rimesq, do tell what you meant if you venture back here. We appreciate a good constructive critique.

I am intrigued by the art over the mantel. Has this emerged over time or was it created all at once?

Hi Susan1741, thanks for being intrigued. The collage above the mantle was indeed something that emerged over a period of time and will probably continue to develop. I started with the blue (bits and pieces from magazines that I actually had left over from an art class I taught with neighborhood kids) early this summer. I collaged much of it listening to the news of the oil spill. We lived with that for a bit. I had a collection of milk glass vases in front of it (the intensity of the blue alone was never quite right for me). Now recently, in the last couple weeks I added the cards that were just in my collection of things as a neutral contrast and as a bit of worn history over the saturated glossy blues.

When we first bought the house we went through the process of tearing down wallpaper throughout (it was painted over and dirty and holding loose plaster and definitely not salvageable). But I think there was something about the layers of history that I appreciated and wanted to reference.

I love the idea of home as a creative laboratory. So we will probably let this evolve whenever we're ready.

It's great to see the room evolving. From personal experience, I know this space feels as welcoming as it looks. What is not revealed in the photos is the high ceiling and tall windows which give it a wonderful feeling of openness.

It has style and comfort! I just want to snuggle down in that couch and smoosh my toes into the rug!

I like how you used modest Craiglist furniture and made something extraordinary out of it.
For the pictures, I'd like to see a more lush and lively plant or flower arangement than the little pot between the chairs, but the room is soothing and beautiful as it is.

Thank you, Kate (NC). And now that you mention it, I agree about plant choice for the little side table. We have the utmost hope for our succulent, but Sam does refer to her as our little hospital patient :)

AND! sigh, I wish you Hatchett ladies were right here with me in this living room again! Good company always makes a space home.

Wondering what material is on the chairs & source? Love them!

Love this room! So welcoming and peaceful, can just imagine sharing coffee and treats with friends in this space.

I wish I could give you the source of upholstery for those chairs, juliaonhamilton. We actually got them second hand a couple years ago (our local salvation army). I was happy that the upholstery was in such good shape. Perhaps the last owner had them reupholstered, or they came from the home of a meticulous granny...But the material has a velvety, flocked, cream-ish surface....Sorry I can't be more helpful. Thanks to you and juliannaboehhm17 for the kind words!

I don't see any balance and scale issues - I just love your room. That couch - awesome!

I noticed that you have displayed couches either along the hallway or in a room. I was impressed that they appear to be couches in different styles. Did you collect these seperately or as a group? What is the history of this grouping?

It's a great room, and I love gray (LOVE gray) but I would love to see pale aqua or pale blue walls with this.

Such a pretty room. I especially like the softness of the 3 aqua plates hanging above the couch. And wow, the collage is awesome. You have a great eye.

Such a beautiful, soothing room.

@fiona -- i had to fight tooth and nail for that gray. being colorblind, i find that i'm especially sensitive to interpreting very pale hues as being either too warm or too cool. it's a little counterintuitive, but even a gentle blue would feel extremely blue. it's nice to see how the character of the room changes throughout the day, though, with different angles and quality of natural light.

This room caught my eye because I just bought the same couch second hand,here in Ontario. Mine is the same colour and marked Harley.It's an awesome piece and I am so happy to see someone using it the same way I am.My room is same size,one window south with a mantel.I wallpapered a sky blue.Very bright and the couch makes it.I love this!