Color is so funny. You never know how it will come together. After researching Rebecca examples of how to complement orange with blue and green for Rebecca and Keith’s 1961 mid-century split level house, I started poking around Bradbury’s Mod Generation wallpaper to see if they had any designs and color palette that might work for her rooms. I put this “Reverb” in “Purple Tangerine” up next to her living room and woah mama, I like it. A lot. I never would have thought of putting these colors together — proof that you gotta search and scope and throw samples up on the wall. This wallpaper works beautifully with Rachel’s mid-century sofa and chairs…the lavendar brings in an accent color…the print is sophisticated…and bonus: the round detail is echoed in the glass inset on the door of the teak china hutch. Rachel, I think that you could put this along one long wall (the back wall?) of the room, then pick up the lightest butterscotch-gold in the wallpaper for the rest of the walls, and it could look fantastic. All that said, (1) you gotta put the wallpaper sample up and see that it really looks good in real life, including that the scale is right; and (2) color is very very infinitely personal. Colors are vibrational waves. You are made of electrons that are also vibrational. How the two synch up — very personal.
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16 comments
Barbara says
Yes, I got kinda screwed when I bought my house in Nov 2007. Had I waited until January, (of course, unknown to us at the time), I would have gotten the credit too. Alas, I’m envious of those who get at least a piece of their dream furniture!! I’m still hoping to score one in the thrift store or on a deeply reduced sale….I can dream, can’t I???
Rebecca Prichard says
Well, we wanted it for four years. We bought one from Room&Board because we couldn’t find our platonic couch. Then we saw it at DWR in Philly. It was really THE couch of our dreams. So, after wanting it for four years, and then needing one, and then the sale, we were able to rationalize it. (Plus, we got the first-time home buyers tax credit.) I do feel your pain. My dream bedroom furniture will never be mine. I wish I would have never laid eyes on it.
Barbara says
Dang, how do you guys afford that furniture? I’m lucky to make due with my thrift shop finds. I love the sofa regardless…I just can’t get one (sob)…
Rebecca Prichard says
Design (not)Within Reach. They were having 20% off in the summer. Bantam.
Barbara says
Where did she get her sofa?? I love it!!
Rebecca Prichard says
Hmmm. The foyer wall turns into the wall that the record stand is on. I think we’d go broke doing that much of B&B’s wallpaper. Thanks, again, this is so great.
Vintigchik says
I think you should look at Martha Stewart colors in Smoke Bush Rose. It looks very close to the purpleish color on the wallpaper Pam suggested. It’s a very different color. I used it in my bathroom and absolutely love it. It works well with orange 🙂
Rebecca Prichard says
It’s so funny, I have two samples of Reverb right here in Naugahyde and Tambourine Green-I love both, but especially the Naugahyde. The circles are bigger than you think, btw. The square that the circle is on is 4 3/4 inches. When you say back wall, do you mean around the windows? The wall opposite it is completely taken up by the book shelf. I was thinking of the wallpaper for the foyer when you first walk in.
pam kueber says
It’s good that the circles are big. Re color: You need to tack the samples up and live with them a while. Yes, I was thinking bring the wallpaper into the living room as well. This is very hard to prescribe via the internet!
Meghan Wilker says
One of the guys I work with built this cool site, which I’ve used in the opposite direction: uploading a photo or painting or wallpaper swatch I like and seeing what color palettes come up. Kind of fun!
http://www.colr.org/
pam kueber says
Woah, that is pretty cool, Meghan. I have an idea for how I might use it! Thanks!
pam kueber says
Thanks, Tami. I was amazed, too, when I put the wallpaper image next to the living room image. You never know! And I love the idea of amethyst glass — which would read even “richer.” It’s hard to use shades of purple in interiors, I think — but when it works, it really really works!
TappanTrailerTami says
Pam, that wallpaper is THE BOMB with Rebecca’s furniture! I see two throw pillow at each end of her couch now, patterned just like one of the purple squares on the paper….and then, if she just runs an eBay search for Murano purple bubble glass or Murano amethyst bubble glass, she would come with with some excellent accent glassware, possible for her coffee table or a couple pieces on the mantle.
Excellent find!