Inspired by Matisse - using color in interior design - Brief Article

Sunset, June, 2000 by Peter O. Whiteley

The painter's vivid color palette became the primary remodeling tool

"My clients wanted their house to look as if Matisse lived there," says interior designer Linda Applewhite, who treated the original monochromatic interior--gray carpet, walls, and marble--as the proverbial blank canvas. She transformed the interior by painting the walls in a vibrant color palette that finds echoes in the bright-hued, clean-lined furniture. The result is a happy, whimsical living space that never fails to brighten the mood of guests--and it was all done with minimal remodeling.

Semitransparent paint--made from pure pigment mixed with linseed oil--was brushed over a base coat to create the subtly mottled walls.

DESIGN: Linda Applewhite & Associates, San Rafael, CA (415/456-2757). Applewhite's team included decorative painter Arnaugh Cornillon and furniture builder John Hull.

COLOR TIPS

How to use bright colors with confidence

For most people, bringing such bright colors into the home is a little like stepping off a diving board into a cool pool: It requires bravery, but the results can be invigorating. These colors may tend toward the wild side, but they are very carefully manipulated. To help you take the plunge while keeping such visual exuberance in balance, Applewhite offers the following hints.

* Use colors of the same type, such as pastels, earth tones, or clear bright colors.

* Keep the plan simple. Let the color make the statement without using busy patterns and ornamentation.

* Repeat colors and patterns for continuity. The restrained neutrals in the floor and ceiling unify the main floor of the home. In the kitchen, wall tiles, carpet, and chairs share several hues; a checkerboard pattern repeats in the entry floor, painted ceiling, and table.

* Use the floor and ceiling to contain the color. Here, soft gray and buttery yellow enclose the lively wall colors and also accentuate the form and fabric of the furniture.

* Relate the architecture and furnishings. The top of the mirror repeats the angle of the ceiling, while the curve of the console table echoes the curve in the hearth.

* Use a dark neutral like black to hold the room together. Here the black accents are wall-anchored, double-legged tables standing at opposite ends of the 20-foot-tall living room, and a custom-made mirror with a fractured pediment. They contrast dramatically with the walls behind them, accentuating the wall color. The table straddling the checkerboard floor and spiral carpet ties the differing patterns together.

* Highlight alcoves and niches with bright colors. Small areas such as built-in bookcases or interior doors are good locations for colorful accents. And if you're feeling cautious, using bright colors only in some small spaces can help you test your color tolerance.