mediterranean-blue… because Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) was totally thinking about his apartment decor when he wrote A Lack of Color. Ahahaa, anyway… I’m always a little confused about cool vs warm colors and how they mix, so I found this week’s Apartment Therapy reading rather interesting — how certain rooms lend themselves to specific color and movement:

Cool colors (blues, greens, grays) are contracting and calming; warm colors (reds, yellows, oranges) are expansive and stimulating. Just as breathing is made up of contractions (the in breath) and expansion (the out breath), you want to feel this movement as you walk through your apartment. This is done by alternating warm and cool colors.

According to AT, here are the rooms that lend themselves to warm/cool…

Area:  movement – color { my apartment!}
Hallway/Entry:  contraction – cool {warm!}
Kitchen: expansion – warm {warm}
Dining room: expansion – warm {warm}
Living room: expansion – warm {cool and warm?}
Office: contraction – cool {what is this “office”}
Bathroom: contraction – cool {cool and warm?}
Bedroom: contraction – cool {cool}

So in applying the 80/20 rule, I think my living room is a good example: 80% base colors – brown couch, white rug, espresso accents, with 20% blues and brighter colors mixed in. My bedroom however, is 20% bright Mediterranean blue (only one wall), but I also have a bright painting and colorful planters, so I think it could use some direction. But I guess that’s for next week.

Week 3 To Do List Recap:

  • Vacuum/dust
  • Clean entryway and closet – the closet is my Outbox at the moment
  • Declutter entrance
  • Move all old mail, catalogs, magazines to the Outbox
  • Look into what you would need to create a Landing Strip -  already done
  • Cancel any unused subscriptions
  • Identify cool rooms and warm rooms
  • Apply the 80/20 color rule
  • Cook two meals at home this week
  • Design an invitation for your housewarming

on to week 4!