On the Avenue

On the Avenue

In San Francisco’s Richmond District, the series of North-South streets called “The Avenues” start at 2nd Avenue, and run West, all the way to Ocean Beach…which may be 50th Avenue!

Many of the houses in this area are sheathed in stucco, and may be painted in stucco paint.  The paints may come in limited colors, and the homeowner may have to make a choice of color under pressure, such as my Client did, who owns the middle house below.

Once the paint was up on the surface however, my Client and her husband knew they had to make it work.  The house was already painted, and to repaint it would be expensive, and admittedly, a real hassle.  The only option was to choose trim and accent colors in hues that worked well with the stucco house body color, and achieved what the Client wanted: a dignified, and streamlined  look, that set off the ornamental details, but didn’t add fussiness to the scheme as a whole.

We had the window frames, sashes and boxes, the ornament, the front and garage doors, a bannister, and a cross piece over the garage door to contend with.

“Hillsborough Beige” HC 1033 (from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Color palette)  was chosen as the accent color, and applied to  the doors, window boxes and bannister.  Possessing the same undertone as the stucco paint over the house body, it packs a slight punch, and brings out these details without adding muss or fuss.

The fresh, yet warm quality of Benjamin Moore’s “947 Navajo White” streamlines the trim and ornamental details, while adding an element of luxuriance to the scheme.  Using the same color on the window frames and sashes also simplifies the detail, and adds elegance to the facade.

The Navajo White and Hillsborough Beige work beautifully together, adding subtle interest to the scheme.  The satin sheen of the doors provides some contrast and depth  in an understated way.  The preferred sheen for stucco tends to be  flat, as it doesn’t reflect all the shifts of plane in the surface it covers.

Greater sheen offers greater resistance to scratching and dirt.  Helpful, as front doorways tend to be heavily trafficked, and the door often take a beating!

The bannister stands out slightly from the stucco background, making it easier to see, and thus grab onto.  The scheme also manages to work with the front steps, a large area of color and texture boasting a design and colorway of its own.

The detail gleams against the understated neutral of the facade, an indication that indeed, less may very well be more!

Have YOU had an experience of “less is more’ with color?

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

We love to hear from you.

Remember, we are all coloring outside the lines of this thing called Life, together.

Oak-town Wonderland

Oak-town Wonderland

I  recently had occasion to traverse the San Francisco Bay east-ways,  travel over the two spans of the East Bay Bridge, and take a little foray into “Oak-town”, or our fair city across the Bay,  Oakland, Ca.
Often maligned, perhaps not enough appreciated, Oakland is a diverse, multifaceted place,  encompassing its own wonders,  not the least of which is warmer weather.

Even though I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I know it, and I APPRECIATE it, sometimes it is just good for the soul to take a foray into a different world.

Here in the Bay Area, that is very easy to do. I am fortunate in that my work takes me North, South, East, and as West as you can get without hitting water.  In fact, many of my job sites take me across water, over hills, under freeways, and around town. It’s big fun.  I especially love it when I am afforded the opportunity to get a fresh new view of a place, a site, a town, or, a lake.

Oakland's Water Jewel: Lake Merritt

I had a meeting planned at Oakland’s Kaiser Hospital, right on the shores of Lake Merritt,  with a fun associate, and a new contact, already setting the stage for an energy boost!

On this beautiful day, the water glittered, and sky scraping buildings of the City of Oakland curved away from its banks, as the lake itself, framed by its walking path, seemed to curve towards me in a gesture of welcome. “Take a moment”,  it seemed to say. “Take a breath, take a moment, enjoy the sun, the air, my water,  and the ‘Three Sisters sculpture in the park  across the way.”

"Three Sisters" hang out...

Being one of three sisters, the sculpture rang resonant, humorous, timeless, forever.  Who was who…I wondered.

Forever Three Sisters

And then…all too soon, it was time to go back.  Back to the other fair city across the Bay, traversing  the two span bridge yet again, westward this time.  Back to the other body of water I am privileged to dwell near…mother to the Bay, and great big sister to Lake Merritt, the blue Pacific.  It tends to be a little colder there!

Indians on the Beach

It was time to get back to work, back to the rest of my work for the day.  But I left, vitalized , energized, and inspired  by the warmth, community, vitality, and connection, that is Oakland.  It wasn’t just a glimpse into another world, it was a moment in time in a world that is mine, too.  A world that is there for all of us to visit, support, participate in, and enjoy.

Oh- those aren’t “real” Indians on Ocean Beach.  But that’s another story…ah, I mean, post!

Here’s wishing you discovery, happy adventures, inspiration and energy, wherever you go, and whatever you do, today, and every day. If you have an adventure or a discovery that was right around the corner, or across the Bay, please share it here. We’d love to hear about it!

Happy Trails!