Colour coded

Gisbert Pöppler is an architect and interior designer based in Berlin whose portfolio is....jaw-dropping. Exuberant flourishes are tempered with Northern European restraint, creating harmonious hybrids of unexpected elegance. If you are one to err on the side of colour, then feast your eyes on these spaces. Art deco, mid-century mixed with every colour combination you could think of. And somehow, it just works. But I think that's because the architecture is as bold and ornate as the colours. Attempt this in your cookie-cutter house in the burbs and you will likely fail miserably.  

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My newly painted living room - part 2

So here is part 2 of my living room paint makeover. I think I should begin with a before photo. :)

And by the miracle of paint, Farrow and Ball's downpipe and plummett in this case, VOILA!

And here is the rest of my living room. It is truly amazing how cozy dark walls like this can be. 

Rugs: Ottawa Antique Market and Third World Bazaar Leather chair: Green Light Shop Sofa: Phillip Van Leeuwen Coffee table: Normann Copenhagen Tablo table via Greyhorne

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My newly painted living room - part 1

It is finally time to reveal my now very dark living room. This freaking room took me FOUR weekends to complete. What a pain in the arse. And I didn't even sand the trim like I should have. The result is pretty dramatic and I absolutely 100% love it. Farrow and Ball's downpipe is the most beautiful colour I have ever used and it exceeded my expectations. I used it in estate emulsion (flat) on the walls, full gloss for all of the trim and I used plummett in estate emulsion on the ceiling. I wanted to go with downpipe on the ceiling too but my husband was already losing it over the choice of such a dark wall colour so I caved. They are the perfect combination though as both have hints of green. 
I took tons of photos so I thought I would split this post into 2. This post focuses on one side of the rather long space, where my workspace is located. And I should point out that aside from buying a new desk (my previous one was rickety and too small) everything in this room is from my previous home, so it's a bit of a work in progress although all the major pieces are staying. (And note that I have alot to learn on photographing such a dark space. It's so tricky!!!)

 

The photo above is the view from the foyer. TV watching/hangout area is to the left of the fireplace (the next post).

I have rugs all over the floor because the terrible orange/yellow stain on the hardwood makes me pukey. The cowhide needs to be replaced with something darker. 

Oh - how about a before shot for impact...

Better now? I would say so!

Conveniently, the curtains I bought at Ikea when we first moved in turned out to be almost identical to the wall colour. I came across the desk on my last trip to Ikea (it's the Alex) - I wasn't really looking to buy a desk there but it was too perfect in style and size and there's that same grey again! I liked the idea of going monochromatic in the space. The table in the corner was found at an antique shop in Almonte a few weeks ago. I haven't figured out what colour to paint it yet. I think it needs a touch of fluro pink. 

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Why I should maybe paint my trim/woodwork

OH HELL YEAH. The Brooklyn Home Company.

More dark inspiration

I REALLY want a deep olivey-brown colour somewhere. This colour rocks. It's "Burl" by Martha Stewart. Maybe for my dining room? Via Design*Sponge 

Two houses ago I painted my bedroom chocolate brown (seen here - it wasn't dark enough). I LOVED it. It was such a soothing colour. I want a shade of chocolate like above in my bedroom again. Via The Design Files.

I was thinking a really dark teal would be cool in the kitchen. Otherwise maybe a deep navy. Not sure if it's matt black or navy in the above photo but lets pretend it's navy. I also have black countertops and white cabinets so this is a good representation of how it would look in my space. Lovely! Via Sköna hem.

My husband flipped out when I mentioned I would love to paint the walls and the ceilings whatever room colours I choose. This is to show him that maybe white is ok. (Except in our case it would be white ceiling, grey walls, mahogany baseboards and yellow stained floors. Bleh. Via Fantastic Frank.

As much as I don't really know what to do with green walls, I am a fan of this shade of green. Looks great with that pale pink. Via Dos Family.