Contemplating Color – Three Year Round Up

Contemplating Color – Three Year Round Up

In the spirit of the process of the necessity of the…well…updating, overhauling, revamping, refurbishing, and just re-ing the online presence of the ArtiFactory Studio, and Artissima ventures…and, about to add/subtract/move around work from my site, I thought I would share some of the color design work completed since my last site update…er, 2010…and spend a few happy moments contemplating color, and its magic.

This Berkeley bungalow went from nondescript drab to warm and inviting, all due to a color shift. The owners were really ready for this, but finding the right colors which worked on the structure, integrated into the neighborhood, and didn’t get washed out by the strong sunlight, took awhile to find.

The welcoming red door reflects the red in the plant, contrasting just enough from house body color to  become an accent. To me, this combo looks “good enough to eat”, and fits with the intimate and accessible bungalow style.

The new colors, a chocolatey brown framed in cream, completely transformed the garage and made it clean, attractive and integrated. Color can do that.

This modern condo building  graces the urban landscape in San Francisco’s Twin Peaks neighborhood. It’s quasi-industrial style called for a streamlined color scheme that made the most of its details: a wall of windows, large garage door, metal house numbers, and a  bright wood front entry door. Though urban, green trees flank the building.

The green-gray body color is set off by a darker green-gray hue on the garage door and trim, which grounds the building. The many window sashes are called out by a deep burgundy red, relating to the bright entry. The palette emerges industrial yet elegant.

The story of this quaint cottage-like house extends back through two paint jobs! The owners were not happy with colors original to the home when they purchased it, nor with a new palette designed by another consultant. They decided to keep the strong purple and green trim and accent colors, but tone them down with a deeper body hue which would tie to them, and thus minimize their visual impact. Red plantings in the window boxes add a splash of accent color that animates the scheme.

The lower part of the house is painted in a stronger (more heavily tinted) concentration of the body color,  making it appear darker and more solid. This feeling of solidity makes the viewer feel reassured that this foundation can support the upper part of the house. The quiet field color makes an effective foil for the accent colors, plantings, foliage, and beautiful trees which grace the property.

San Francisco is famous for its Victorian-style homes, and their multitude of decorative architectural details, can make designing a color palette both challenging and fun, to say nothing of gratifying.  The owners of this Victorian wanted an integrated scheme that highlighted its details and design, but in more subtle and retrained manner then some of the nearby “Painted Ladies“!

Thus we chose paint “specs” (specifications, IE, the paint colors) within one color spectrum, including the pale trim, which, with its greenish undertone, related to the rest of the colors. The front and service doors, window sashes, undersides of the overhangs, and architectural details were painted in a total of seven colors.

The front door, service door (shown above) and garage doors were each painted in a different, yet related hue. The colors range from the creamy trim, to the deep bronze-hued front door, and ornaments painted in metallic bronze. A great deal of effort, but worth it!

This apartment building , called  ARIA, is in Canoga Park, in the San Fernando Valley Area of Los Angeles. The color scheme ideas, in coordination with the builders, operations manager and director of capitol improvements involved, ranged from brick and black colors, to earthy browns, ochers, greens and roses. Quite a process. Out of all this emerged an inviting palette which accentuated the clean lines of the building, and played a bit with its details, doors and balconies.

The service door is painted in a more intense version of the balcony color.

The inner courtyard serves a a central “boulevard” for the residents.

The bright doors, and brown accents identify important areas, and assist in path finding.

The devil is in the details!  Residents personalize their spaces.  Some like skulls, apparently.

The play of light on the painted surface affects the way we see the colors. Warm light will make the color appear to be just that.

The building on the other end of the block, SONATA, is a different style, but  color design of the two buildings, including their interior courtyards, was done as one integrated job.

Using the same color on the exterior balconies on both buildings serves as a sort of “color connective” tissue.

A “tri-play” of color: foundation, body and accents hues, set off by the white trim color..

The green-toned hue on the stucco foundation of the building grounds it, as discussed above, and ties it to the surrounding plantings.

Sonata’s inner courtyard. As I understand it, plants will be added. Awnings add a homey touch.

My favorite image from the project- the back of SONATA. The muted colors on stucco, and the stairway,  railings, and balcony remind me of time spent as a student in Southern France.

Who knew?

Give me your color weary, your peeling paint, your faded siding and scuffed up stucco!  It is my pleasure, my joy, my challenge and my calling  to recreate your architectural color to as near perfection as I can and give new life to your buildings, your spaces, your environment, and maybe even your soul!

Color on…Cheers!

Straight is the Gate: NOT!

Straight is the Gate: NOT!

The Venice Canals are a fantasy-land of visual whimsey.  Art and architecture, design and details, color, form, texture and landscaping intersect with the natural world of earth and water, mingling in a magical way.  Here, the lines between privacy and the public are both diffused and defined.  Visitors stroll past homes that buttress right up to the sidewalk, but often are shaded by trees, and hidden behind hedges, walls and gates, or a combination of all three.

Metal, wood, and foliage flow together  to create both art and utility.  We are are so caught up in observing the material mix, we forget to peer beyond the gate.  Mission accomplished.

Creative cutouts provide contrast to the wood and metal geometry below, and make of this gate a work of art, both two and three dimensional.

No-one is getting past this gate, unless the owner wants you to.  So arrested by its beauty, we forget how formidable it is. Flanked by bamboo, the strength of its materials, shape and detailing stops us in our tracks.

The simplicity of repeated squares which form a pattern is further softened by curving grasses, and enlivened by the use of stones on the ground in front.

A similar repeated shape creates a grid, reflecting the larger tile-like stones before it, creating a starker, and more stream-lined feeling.

What magnificent and magical gates have been in YOUR purview lately?

If you feel so inclined, please share about them with us here.

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all traversing this thing we call Life, together.

Cheers!

Color Ground

Color Ground
The colors we clothe our buildings in, and the materials we use to build them can have a significant effect on how solid, safe, and grounded they appear.  And, I  might add, in addition to paint color, let’s not forget that the wood, brick, stone, concrete, metal and other natural and industrial materials we build with, have color too.  Add to this the by turns rapturous, earthy, luminous, bold, sublime, and subtle colors of nature, and you have a complex picture of the elements that go into making where we live, work and play picture perfect..or not.

In general, darker, richer, deeper, more saturated, brighter, warmer and more intense colors appear heavier, and thus may seem to “pull downward” towards the, in most cases, ground!  Placing them above a lighter, airier, softer, cooler,  paler, duller, less saturated colors may give the impression of pressing or pushing down upon something less substantial, creating a sense of pressure, ungroundedness, or even danger.  Who wants to feel like the heavier-looking second story might come crashing down through its weaker-looking support, or foundation?

The building above is grounded not only by its strong, dark burgundy red garage door, but also by the heavy foliage and hedge shrubbery which nearly obscures its foundation (the lower part of the structure upon which the rest of the building rests). The cream-colored concrete, red roof tile and strongly patterned brick provide contrast and a  variety of color and materials, but, particularly because of the grounding effect of the dark green, highly textural foliage, do not seem too heavy for the foundation to bear.

The UMG (Universal Music Group) office building in Santa Monica, CA is grounded by a strong, deep, earthy brick-red, which seems to support the pale pink upper above, though the entire structure is punctuated by a multitude of windows. Palms, parkway and other landscaping in front also support this grounded effect.

A similar outcome is achieved by juxtaposing a more saturated hue of reddish pink stucco foundation with the softer and paler ocher-colored wood siding above.  Lush vegetation sporting luxuriant red and pink flowers trailing over a natural wood fence add to its heavier, grounding effect

These interior gymnasium walls are grounded by the deep blue protective covering at their base. Given the wild shapes and over-sized   lines, shapes and patterns used in the room’s design, the consistency and “reliability” of the blue may also serve to keep young athletes players focused and grounded as they play.

Here is the outside of the same building, swathed in corrugated stripes.   Notice that the stripe closest to the ground is darker blue, and the one at the top, lighter.

This fun and fascinating building combines all manner of materials, from wood siding, to brick, to concrete,

and even verdigris decorative details above the door. The mass of flowering vegetation in front,  while nearly obscuring parts of the facade,  add to the fancy of the place, while connecting it to the earth, the  ground.  In moody weather, the mix of weathered materials and enveloping foliage may lend an air of mystery and perhaps even magic to the place.

Here, an artist’s self-styled, whimsical touch creates grounding through the application of  bright color, repeated shapes, and sense of a garden planted  at the base of the house. The playful, optimistic feeling  is further enhanced by the use of complementary colors  yellow and purple.

The largest sphere in this extraordinary mural seems to be sitting right on the sidewalk!  It could be coming right out at us, the viewer, but at least the building doesn’t look like it is about to leave the ground!  The tiled trompe l’oeil technique is used to great visual and grounding, effect here.

When we walk past this extraordinary building in LA’s Venice Canal District, our eye is drawn past the foliage, across the manicured back yard, and over the amazing sunken pool under the blue-framed overhang, through the space between the orange posts, to the electric apple green accent wall behind them. Brighter, more vibrant, and more saturated than the natural greens , and applied blue and orange surrounding it, this wall looks  strong enough to carry this unusual structure’s  visual weight.

This wild building on Wilshire in Santa Monica is one of my favorites.  An eclectic mix of materials, hues and shapes, it seems break all the “rules”, yet somehow, it works!  This could be due to a counteracting balancing effect of the mix of elements. The undulating curve of the upper wood facade/detail is counterbalanced by the strong concrete support/column next to it, even though the wood is a strong color, and an even stronger visual element. Our eye is drawn upward from the glass, and warm blue and green (reflecting sea, sky and grass?) colors behind it to that grand sweep of wood,

which is also supported by the metal detail/support that follows its shape and movement below.  The whole building feels like a

huge kinetic wave, appropriate architecture for a beach town on the edge of the Pacific. The foliage, and its concrete base below also add grounding.  Amazing!  Fidelity, you got it going on, architecturally!

The “Bagel Nosh”  in Santa Monica, hosts a marvelous display of mouth-watering treats. Where does our eye go right to here?  No, there isn’t a spotlight on the center of the case.  That’s just the natural color of these bright golden-yellow jalapeno-flavored bagels. The strong, rich, saturated color just grabs our attention, and holds it there…it’s up to you to decide whether the taste of these treats warrants their attention-grabbing status.

  We walk upon the ground,  perhaps that is why our  shoes are often brown and black…colors of the earth.  We usually want to feel grounded when we tread upon the earth, a firm foundation, a solid base.  But, maybe not all the time.  Perhaps sometimes we want to whirl, twirl, leap, float, and feel  “ten feet off the ground”.  Don’t we long to take risks, to take  flight, as much as we long to be safe, secure, and grounded?  When you want to feel fun, fantastical, floating, and fabulous, try on a glittery, glowing, or gossamer pair of footwear, and see if it helps your grounded spirit to soar!

What buildings, architecture, food or footwear have YOU experienced lately that feel grounded or the opposite?

If you feel so inclined, please share about them with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all trying to ground ourselves  yet take flight within this thing called Life, together.

Stay grounded, but don’t be afraid to fly!

Hedge Funz

Hedge Funz

Peekaboo…

The use of hedges in Los Angeles…specifically Santa Monica and Venice, is fascinating.   In a place where folks seem completely at ease leaving their door wide open of a warm night, extraordinary arrangements of hedges which seem to be there to provide privacy, rule.

They may frame a doorway,

or a passageway, to be more exact.

changing size, height and shape.

They may enhance the mystery of a portal,

the thickness of a wall,

or the function of a fence.

They may be created from bamboo,

or have a topiary feel.

Or, they may define the distance from front to back, to front again.

Whatever their apparent purpose, the ubiquitous, albeit, creatively engineered hedge seems to have one function underneath it all.

To create privacy using the materials of nature.

In the process, they create some very interesting spaces indeed.

What sort of hedge funz do YOU have?

If you feel so inclined, please share about it with us here.

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all hedging our betz in this Life, Together.

LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2

LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2

Venice, like Los Angeles, like really most anyplace when you get up close…is a study in contrasts.  Seeming contradictions, unless you both look closely and widen your view. Even in the storied Venice Canal District, one sees the fascinating contrasts which give the place its unique texture and flavor, and perhaps aren’t such contrasts after all.

Architecture, Design, and Landscaping….

A cottage, its blue body and white trim punctuated with an energetic red door, nestled into trees and foliage,

and a stately stone and glass structure graced by palms.

Color…

Warm, vibrant, high contrast hues,

vis a vis earthtones, neutrals, black and white, and bricks….

And whether it be
warm and winsome sculpture,

hand-painted tiles,

or mosaic-ed columns,
The angels, are in the details!

Here’s to the beauty of contrasts, in all its forms.

What magical neighborhoods have YOU explored recently? What angels in the details have YOU discovered?

If You feel so inspired, please share about it with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all comparing and contrasting our way through this Life, together.

Cheers!

An Amble Around the Gamble

An Amble Around the Gamble

The architectural brethren team of Greene and Greene, created (with the expertise of many) The Gamble  House, a  magnificent Arts and Crafts masterpiece in Pasadena, Ca,  It is also  a National Historic Landmark and museum.  The Greenes designed the house in 1908, for the Gamble family, of Proctor and Gamble fame.

Hallmarks of the  Arts and Crafts Movement in American Craftsman style architecture include the use of natural materials, attention to detail, aesthetics, and craftsmanship.

The Greenes, brothers Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene, were influenced by  traditional Japanese aesthetics, though they never, as we were told, visited Japan.   Outdoor  and indoor space were considered of equal importance in the design, as the Greenes used nature as a guide.

Relief and shelter from the hot sun of Southern California climes were created through wide, overhanging eaves.

The use of wood seems to be celebrated through the design, as well as the juxtaposition of textures, earthy, natural colors, and the finishes and hues of stone, metals, glass and patina, all reflecting the expression and experience of nature, the passing of time, and even planned imperfections,  which were part of the architectural and design philosophy.

Exterior porches  such as the one below are found off three of the second-floor bedrooms and were used for sleeping or entertaining. This one was used by the sons of David and Mary Gamble, as told to us by our amiable  and hardworking guide, who was entrusted with taking us through the entire first floor, and front exterior of the house in 20 minutes!  I think she stretched it to 1/2 hour, but she did it!

We will continue our “Amble Around the Gamble” series in the next post, with a focus  on some of  the wondrous exterior details of The Gamble House.  Hopefully, with a longer time next in Pasadena, I will be able to celebrate the interior of the house, right here on “Artissima, blog of ArtiFactory Studio“. Ciao for now!

Have You ever visited The Gamble House, seen the work of Greene and Greene, or other Arts and Crafts buildings?

If so, please share about it with us here.  We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all ambling and gambling our way through this thing called Life, together.  Happy Trails!

Fog Magic

Fog Magic

One recent overcast Saturday morning, I set out in full regalia, walking to my exercise class, which was just down the road.

It was foggy, not an unusual state of weather in San Francisco. However, instead of dull and dismal, the softly filtered light and shrouded landscape felt mysterious and  magical.  I remembered a book from my childhood entitled “Fog Magic”, in which a young girl encountered a magical world only visible in the fog.  How did the fog change the look of things?

Intrigued, and going on instinct, I walked right past the church where my Jazzercise class was now surely in full swing.  The air itself was soft, damp, and seemed full of possibility.  I was on an adventure…and  heading West, towards the water.

The pastel colors of the buildings were muted further by the fog, softened, yet distinct.  I was struck by the difference in hue, yet similarity in value of a row of house colors which seemed to nest like colored Easter eggs, side by side. They reminded me of the “rear view” house colors I was moved to write about in a previous post.

I have always been intrigued by this very private abode, and have perused it many times while walking west towards the ocean.  It emits a strong Japanese sensibility, its plain frontal facade, and very specific landscaping distracting attention from how far back it stretches.

The blend of cultures, ethnicities , belief systems and their myriad expressions in the Bay Area pervade its neighborhoods. Weather-dusted gems such as the unexpected Buddha can appear anywhere, such as the end of a condominium walkway  across from Ocean Beach

The pop of a red door seems even more intense in the fog. White body, blue trim, and gray-blue accent give new meaning to the term “white picket fence”, and all that term implies.  This neat little dwelling is bright in the sunlight, and a grayed down version of flag colors in the fog.

Slightly north stands the stately enclave of “Sea Cliff”, home to movie stars, moguls, and probably a lot of moms, too.  Here, the trail of vines spreading across a picturesque stone wall creates the inspiration for a mural composition.  The rich fuchsia color jumps out against the green and gray in the overcast light.

Fog magic is mysterious and powerful. Days don’t have to be bright to be illuminated, or objects well-lit to be radiant. Through the softly veiled, diffused light of the foggy overcast we so often live within here, we can see the glow of treasures we might otherwise overlook, blinking in the sunlight.

Has a walking adventure changed the way YOU see things recently??  

If  you feel so moved, please share about it with us here.

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all adventuring through this thing called Life, together.