“Observation” is a new series of posts where we will all share our observations on the day’s photo. There is no expected, right or wrong comment. Just share what you see, what you notice, what you love, what strikes you, or what is something you might have learned about design from this photo. You don’t have to love the room to observe things about it.
This exercise is both to stretch our own creativity and to help ourselves and others see from a new perspective.
Need more help with what to look for? Read the explanation post here. Have fun observing!
This photo is from Country Home
My observation: nothing else in the room (except for tones in the pillows, which are on the sofas) is green. Even the coffee table leans more towards yellow. Yet all of the colours used support the green so they don’t look out of place.
I love the layering – pillows and throw on the sofas, items on the sideboard layered in front of each other, etc. It doesn’t look cluttered, it looks cosy.
I’m always looking for ideas on how to put together displays around the house. It looks so easy in a photo, but I never seem to get it right! In this photo I notice that there are several displays working together. What interests me is what is “must-haves” for the look and what is “nice-to-haves”.
I like the mirror with the earth-colored bottles and candles in front of it. They bring depth to the room. The blue chest is a contrasting item that I never would have thought of putting in there. It adds a whimsical touch, but I feel that it could have been removed without loss. I really like the white mug with the pink flowers in it – they are key in this look. I think it could easily hold its own as table decor without the bowl with the blue spheres.
Just my two cents.
What a neat exercise!
I love the absence of end tables. Instead, the narrow sofa table behind the wall gives a space for lighting and display, without weighting down the sofas on either end.
The only thing wrong in this room is the pink throw rug. That out of the way, the first thing I notice is the continuation of color along the window wall by having white curtains. The mat and end of the bookcase indicate the edge of a possible room within a room which is interesting because this line is taken beyond the add on line upright with little indication of it’s presence. I like the way the pictures roughly mirror the slant of the ceiling thus not making it so obvious. The jumbly way things are placed on the end wall and bookcase is interesting without being offensive and even the blue exception does not seem out of place. It’s still that throw rug! It really doesn’t feel right but maybe the photograph does not do justice to it’s true colour. Thanks. I enjoyed this. Cherrie
My first observation was that the stripes on the sofa echo those of the beamed ceiling and paneling on the wall. I also like how the upholstered ottoman/coffee table, are done in the same color as the stripe in the sofa, really anchoring the seating area.
The pink is a great accent color, leading my eye from the throw, to the flowers, to the pillow, and then up to the pink flower print on the wall.
Oh..lol…I thought the throw rug was a leftover beach towel from a recent dip in the ocean that is no doubt just off the veranda out of sight. :p But if it IS a throw rug, it’s definitely the wrong color to be in that room.
My impressions: Comfortable, welcoming, light, casual. The gold frames work, even though you don’t expect them to (or I don’t, anyway, but I am no expert!); rustic, without expecting a bowlful of pinecones on the table; beachy, without plastering dead starfish and shell encrusted eyesores on the walls…The pink warms it up, even being a cool pink…I am not sure about that thick, dark frame in the back; I feel like I am staring at it too much. Clean, without being sterile; homey, without being cluttered.
The vintage prints make you feel like this has been the holiday home for the family for the last 40 years; the space age retro lamp makes you feel like the family didn’t freeze time during that 40 years.
Fun experiment!
I love the distressed feel of the walls. It makes the room feel loved , lived in and warm( even though the walls are white). I like how the designer used the planks of the wall as a inspiration to the stripe on the couch , it makes the room flow. The pop of pinks and the blue in the room make your eyes flow around the room –kinda accenting what the designer wants you notice.I learned from this piece is that color can be used as emphasis to what the designer wants to be noticed.
This was fun and a great learning experiment. Thanks for the opportunity
Brenda.
I love it!! Even though it’s not my personal taste and style…it is very comforting.
It looks like it would be in a little cottage with a beautiful garden, surrounded by that proverbial “white picket fence”. The rug on the floor is like stones on a garden path…the stripes on the sofas is a repeat of the boards, both on the wall and ceiling…all of the additional colors scattered throughout the room are like the flowers in the garden and mimic the pictures on the wall. Casual yet sophisticated! Job well done!
This could be a place I would go on a relaxing vacation…just sitting in the garden or inside, looking out that beautiful window!!!
Thanks for this exercise…as an Interior Designer and just a home-body…it was great fun.
~Blessings,
Jan
What I see is something fresh,clean and new against something old and worn. Then there’s that yummy pink,lime & white combo-Love it!
~Amber
I love the neutral walls with the pops of color in the room. It’s a very inviting and relaxed room to me.
A room with stacks of books, fresh flowers and pillows truly has it all. It provides words for your mind, beautiful scents for your nose, and comfy places.
While the green predominates, the pops of blue and pink are wonderful. The curtains “go away”…the botanical prints complement the greens. My “feeling” about the room is one of cheerfulness. I’d be perfectly content to spend time there. There is much more that I could say, but I’m short on time and long on day.
Have a good one, Melissa!
It looks to me that their inspiration was the botanical prints on the wall. The green, pink and antique white are echoed throughout the room. My favorite thing is the blue chest, it’s the pop of color that keeps the room from feeling to planned. I really love it.
Love the green stripes – refreshing to see green in a cottage-y room instead of blue all the time. The pink is perfect accent color – the pillow is scrumptous – that makes the sofa if you ask us!! The only thing that sticks out to us, is the pictures on the wall. We’re not sure if it is because they are all haphazardly placed on the wall, or if it needs some fun “found” objects up with the pictures….maybe seeing the whole wall would make a difference though!! Other than that – we’d vacation there for sure!
Twitter: melissalewis
says:
I saved this exact picture from my Country Homes magazine b/c I loved it so much. LOVE the washed paneled walls, the beams, the colors. And I must admit, I love even the pink throw rug/blanket/beach towel thing. It adds a bit of, “I love this and I don’t care about the rules!” to the room. That completes it all to me:)
Happy Tuesday Melissa
The green stripes are the first thing I see. I love the brown against the rest of the soft colors.
I do so love the little blue chest on the table behind the couch and the pink floors on the end table. The pops of color are refreshing.
I tend to get stuck in my color scheme and afraid to add spots of color that aren’t already in the room.
My first observation is that the room is very fresh and clean. Neat and tidy.
As I look at the room it is very casual, I like the pop of color of the pink flowers, and throw, and the aqua blue of the metal box on the back table, contrasted with the bright green. The room has a feeling of elegance, while being casual and it looks like the owner has collected things over time; the older botanical prints on the walls, the pottery in front of the mirror. The mirror sitting on the table and leaning against the wall, not hung, shows a more casual feel.
It is relaxed, feels like a beach house.
The first thing I notices is the washed walls, they seem inviting to me. Next, the pop of pink in the blanket and the flowers. The color scheme is not one that I would naturally put together as I tend to lean more towards traditional warm tones, but even so, it goes. I love that there are new things and old things together. This is fun!
I love the slatted weathered boards on the wall. Im not sure about that big blue lunch box or whatever on the side there. It wouldnt be my first choice for decoration.
I noticed the green stripes draw you to the rough hewn walls of the room-beachy, modern but with a rustic twist. Fresh and clean feel.
I am a total sucker for so many things in this room. Basically when you have a white, green and pink palette I am in! Then when you throw in a splash of aqua…oh dear! The piece that doesn’t thrill me is the floor lamp, just not my aesthetic.
Fun project!
Pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations; this room did it well (without looking juvenile). I love the coffee table cubes!
The lamp on the sofa table caught my eye first- seemed out of place. Loved the pop of teal in the tool chest- and for some reason the all white walls seemed striped also, because of the unevenness of the wood {made the sofa seem planned} A lot of things seemed random, but the way it all comes together- my mind tells me that is was planned.
Those stripes make that cute turquoise chest on the table behind them POP out!
I love love love the character of the architecture. If apartments would only give us walls like these! Love the lines in the room and how the strong green and white stripes work with the room. Where can I find slipcovers like these!?!
I’m drawn in by that blue box and those framed photos!
I love the impact of the couches in the room, particularly the fabric and it’s crinkly effect, it really makes the room that more inviting surrounded by the more neutral tones.
j
Oh I love the way the pink pops against the green and white. The pictures on the wall also do a great job of consistently providing pink as an accent color. I’m not sure I’m super crazy about the entire look of this room but that pink as an accent – LOVING IT!
I see it as a girl/woman room. I like the coziness of the room, the sofas facing each other inviting company and conversation. The good light for reading if you are there alone. The tables look nice (except color, see below) but if you look at the space between them and the sofas, you immediately realize that stretching your legs is out. I would not sacrifice comfort for looks. What I don’t like is the yellow greens which set my teeth on edge and is so unflattering to almost anyone’s complexion and clothes, and which is emphasized by the acid pinks. These limey greens are especially jarring to me if the windows open on the natural greens of nature. OUCH!
As is usually the case for me: too much “stuff”. For example, why so many botanical prints on the wall? Two well chosen ones are more likely to be looked at and admired than a bunch of them clustered together.
Conclusion: change the color of the stripes and and the tables, remove most pictures et voila, a charming woman’s retreat!
Everything is so comfortable and timeless…cheery, too, but not overly so. I wish I had a room like this in my house, is what I am thinking right about now!
The very first thing I noticed when I looked at the photo was the botanical prints. The room feels built around them to me. As I studied the space, I realized how small it was–a vacation home perhaps, or part of a larger living space? I love the casual look including the unexpected splash of pink. Because I look at photos for inspiration, I think this “look” is very doable, even on a limited budget.
I’m not crazy about the large green stripes on the sofa. They make a statement but it seems out of scale to me. I love the cubes between the two sofas, but the color doesn’t match and is just “off” enough to look odd. The accessories are nice except for that pink throw. The color again is “off”, not picking up the shade in the patterned throw pillow. The botanical prints look messy and haphazard, but I’m a symmetrical kind of gal. HA. I love that surveyor’s lamp, I’ve seen them before and they’re terrific. There’s something else that bothers me. The back walls are rough and whitewashed which evokes a nice, casual feeling but the ceiling is pristine and almost contemporary.
This was fun. Thanks.
- Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife
This room says to me sit down and chat. I love the coziness to it. The turquoise chest, and pink flowers are my favorite. The pop of color they bring to the room is eye candy.
I love that the room is full, yet not cluttery. It is inviting.
I do like the room, I don’t know if I would have thought of using that blue lunch box with that green, love how the pink stands out. Love the walls, maybe the curtains could have been brighter????
The first thing that jumps out is the color scheme. That green has a lot of yellow in it and of course the pink has red. These are HOT colors. I think they are cooled down by just placing that aqua blue box on the table againt the wall. Beautiful!
You know what I didn’t notice…. how low the ceiling is, especially with that beam overhead. Although this is not my style (or colour) , the use of colour and the vertical stripes on the sofas really keeps your eyes down. I love the blue lunch pail and the pop of pink. This is a great idea, BTW. I am learning a lot reading the various comments. Thank you.
I’m learning a lot too, from all the different viewpoints and types of things people notice! This is fun!
I love the pops of bright pink with the green. That’s one of my favorite color combinations. That said, I don’t know that I’d want to use it in a large room in my house because it has such a summery feel. I’m not sure I’d be “in the mood” for this color scheme come fall. However, it looks like these sofas are slipcovered, so maybe they can change them.
Another thing I notice here is that all the throw pillows on the sofas are unique, none match. I normally like some coordination in my pillows, but it works here because the entire room is an eclectic mix.
Another observation is that the pictures in this room are hung irregularly. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to do that.
One last observation, I think the seagrass rug makes a great neutral base for those bright colors.
I scrolled down really fast so I couldn’t read anyone else’s observations…so if I double up on someone’s, it is just “great minds think alike”
I like how the green in the sofa brings out the subtleties of the botanical paintings on the wall behind. Also, the fuschia in the pillows help to reinforce the floral theme. The robin’s egg blue is a lovely complement as well.
Overall, I love the nature feel to the room. The stick lamp, white-washed walls, and neutral colored floor rug really give you sense of the outdoors.
I love this exercise. I notice the blue box next to the lamp. I love the unexpected color, the only blue in the room. One of the greatest challenges of being a designer/decorator is appreciating decor whether it is your style or not.
I love the bright colors against the earthy, neutral tones of the walls, floor, and rug. I especially love the blue antique-looking tool chest.
And fresh flowers add such life to any scene.
The picture offers some neat ideas, but I don’t think the pink and green would be my choice of colors for a room.
Plus–my husband prefers a little “heavier” decor with deeper tones and more traditional pieces, so I know he wouldn’t like this. He might like the mirror…
Thanks for sharing!
My eyes immediately went to the beautiful flowers in the pitcher on the coffee table. I love it! I love the white walls and the beam on the ceiling… very beachy. That big blue lunchbox? I gotta have one!
I love that the stripes from the sofa somehow matches in some harmony with the natural wood wall. The framed botanical pictures bring more green into the room so it matches the green color of the sofa. Lots of small pink details to warm up the room. Mix of old and new to make a cozy everyday living space.
Thanks for this great observation. Usually when I look at a photo I look everything and I like it or not, but I never thought to look at this way deep putting my likes and dislikes aside. A great experience for me.
Suzy
Without reading other’s posts, (which I will do later) what I noticed was the counterplay between warm and cool. Warm green stripes, cool white background. Gold-framed creamy prints on the cool white wall. Airy, translucent glass balls are in contrast to the dark, dense wooden bowl. Lots of texture – wood, metal, fabric, glass and a few prints – the graphic stripe, the pillows and throw.
And it all comes together in a cozy, casual but polished space.
Great exercise!
Lorrie
This is an “Off Topic Comment” but…I seem to have lost my knack for posting/commenting in ‘Blog Land,’ for a while. All I do lately, is put up a few photos, here and there. I didn’t plan on it… It just happened.
And since I don’t want anyone to think I got *uppity* or anything,
I’m leaving this comment, to explain my absence.
I’m sure to be back in not too long. Can’t keep a “Chatty Person” quiet, for too long.
Miss Mari-Nanci
“Wowzers!!!” I love those colors together!! I never thought they would be so complimentary, but boy I sure was wrong…very striking to look at against each other.
Reminds me of a cottage by the sea, also in the country somewhere.
Love, Jeannene
I adore the long table on the wall behind the sofa, with pictures and mirrors just leaning casually, like an afterthought. I can never really pull this look off, this ‘accidental’ style… but I love it.
I noticed the nail heads on the cubes and lighting…both natural and electrical. I like the room.
Dee
Would love the sofa in pink stripes. That green is a tad off for me.