Name: Alicia Paulson
Location: Portland
Type: My home is 4-bedroom house that I've owned with my hubby since 2000. It was built in 1927, but this room is an addition that was built by the previous owner, who was a painter. This is my sewing studio.
Why I use color:
Well, Portland is notoriously glum in the fall and winter. Almost every room of our house is painted in some shade of blue or green, and most of our accents are red, pink, and cream; the accessories are interchangeable between several rooms of the house, and we have a mix of vintage and modern stuff. We repaint our rooms every few years and even with enormous color changes, a mix of stuff still works in the same room, and that’s important to me. I am capricious with color – I change it all the time. . .
. . .I don’t test colors on the wall before I paint. I’m very lazy, but I also just go with my intuition. I pick the chip in the paint store and hope for the best. Most of the time it works out just fine, really. I always worry that if I put a bunch of testers on the wall I won’t be able to choose between them anyway, somehow. . . I always follow the three F’s when I’m painting: make it Fast, Fun, and most importantly FINISHED! To me, "finished" is the perfect color.
2 good color tips:
1. Imagine a "story" you are telling in your room – "the kitchen I would have if I lived in Paris and had my own rooftop herb garden." The story often tells you exactly what color the walls should be.
2. Don’t cave in to peer pressure – people go insane when you tell them you want to paint your wood trim! I say, paint it how you want it. You live there. If my wood trim hadn’t been painted, I would’ve painted it in a hot second, no guilt at all.
2 good color resources:
1. Magazines and blogs: If you're in choosing mode, look look look. Copy something you love.
2. Colors for your walls don't have to come from colors of other walls. The inside of a teacup provided the color for this room (the sewing studio). I'd had the teacup around forever and always loved it. I figured if I'd kept it around that long, I probably really did like the color.
Oh Alicia! So not fair joining the contest!
Only kidding. You should definately be in this one. Good luck! Insta winner in my book.
ooooh...i really like this. i love how your green yard peeks through the doorway.
this room reminds me of candyland (which is a good thing, in this case).
super cute! I like it!
Beautiful. it really makes me want to go in there and sew.
I would like to eat this room.
Alicia, were these photos professionally shot? Or do you have a really nice expensive camera? So much clearer & better lit than most other entries.
Yay! My 2 favorite blogs meet! Alicia naturally you're an insta-finalist in my book! This room makes me really happy!
Definitely an instant finalist!! I love the colors in this room and I've seen other rooms in your home on your website and I adore it! The weird thing is, all the flowery, girly, romantic stuff isn't usually my style at all, but your house has completely changed my mind. It's totally inspired me, the colors and fabrics and furniture, everything. I know they aren't on here, but I also really love your closet door and kitchen cabinets- so great. You really know how to use colors and patterns, so you've got my vote!!
You got my vote, even though I turn a grisly green when anyone is lucky enough to have a studio. Sigh. What a fun place; I am sure it is really conducive to creative work.
Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes. (That's not particularly coherent, is it? But it's my honest response when I saw the first picture.)
I know, sometimes I even hate myself for having it. (I should definitely hate myself for being so pompous as to call it a "studio" but . . . that is actually what we call it. Gives more credibility when I then say I'm "self-employed." Blah. Anyway. I'm spoiled.)
And I think the reason some of the photos are looking a bit soft in general might be a resizing thing? When they get dropped into the blog and resized automatically I think this is what happens, especially if the originals are big. I took these photos with a Canon A80 on a tripod in natural light, which is pretty much the way I take all my photos. I usually "sharpen" them in Photoshop and pull up the "curves" a bit to get the color to where it looks more like real-life. (Most digital photos look very gray if you just import them from your camera and don't do any color correction.) Anyway, these are just my guesses, but I'm sure someone else knows better? Thanks everyone!
This looks like a play room for a grown up - I love it. I wish I knew how to sew because I'd want to do it here. I also love your tips. They are wise and true.
I read Alicia's blog regularly and lust after her house and studio. I love that wall color.
Absolutely darling! I love it!! You really committed to the color and a theme ..
that is beautiful!
Yayyyy! I'm so glad you decided to enter!
As always, Alicia P is a genius. Now I don't even dare entering my house in the contest, since nothing in it was inspired by a teacup. Sigh.
beautiful color. do you remember what it is?
What a great color scheme.
It's so happy and candy-like.
i like the pacific rim/country vibe with blue used as a bright color, the chinese lanterns, slippers, checked desk drape and floral ironing board cover. fresh and femme.
thank you.
QUOTE: "I always follow the three F’s when I’m painting: make it Fast, Fun, and most importantly FINISHED! To me, "finished" is the perfect color."
Alicia, where have you been all my life?!
You know, I grew up on the west coast (Oregon), and I find that the Western apartments really resonate with me the most. There's just this whole fresh, natural vibe that I dig. I'm (kinda) redoing a room that will be my study, and I'm trying to make it feel kind of like Oregon, somehow. Your sewing room is a great inspiration for me -- thanks!
Love this shade of (what looks to be on my monitor) Robin's Egg Blue -- what paint did you use???
Simply smashing!
Wow! Love that color!
Way too saccharin and way too organized for me. Needs a little chaos and a little of the unexpected. Reminds me of a PB Teen catalog photo. A few good elements here but hate to say, sickly sweet.
This is a very sweet room. It's a little Martha Stewart-esque, but I say that as a complement as I think that the stylists who work there are amazing.
The only critique I have is that I'm not crazy about your solution of raising the work table. Are those cinder blocks? I can't think of any great solutions for this off the top of my head but maybe even painted wood blocks under the feet would have been better.
Otherwise, it's a sweet little cupcake (that pvd apparently would like to eat...hee hee).
My color after reading this post? Green with envy! Totally awesome!
Where are the fall colors in this room?
I believe this is a Color Contest that takes place in the fall...not a contest using Fall Colors.
i connect with this space because one senses the joyful spirit of the person who created it. i really take note of the tidy and practical vignette by the sewing table. showing real use items ( instead of pristine - and false-unlived in space ). real living is what it is all about.
this room, in the photos is close to what i imagine it looks like day to day in use. too many of the entries are lay-out only representations.
i'm intereted in what the rest of the home is like.
I had no idea that Alicia had entered...missed her entry. Love her blog, and this studio is so cute.
I adore this room! It makes me want to pick something up and start being creative! The colors are inviting and fun, and the overall room is magazine quality perfect & totally practical all at the same time. I really love it!
This room is adorable! You must be incredibly creative.. I'd love to see other pictures of your home...
I know it's super late and I'm not sure if anyone still looks at this page, but a few people mentioned this contestant's blog.. I'd be interested in reading it if someone could let me know where to find it! :)