How to create colorful corners
Everyone likes a cozy spot. That's one reason why the cottage style is so popular: The scale of both the rooms and the furniture that fit into them is on the smaller side.
Whether it's a comfortable leather chair sitting in front of a double-hung window or a window seat snuggled into bay window, both children and adults are drawn to the sensation of being in a defined space. In fact, many different architectural styles feature such a charming corner, from rustic cabins in the woods to clean, contemporary high-rise apartments.
Bungalows and cottages feature smaller windows that are often made up of divided panes of glass. Windows with muntins frame a view outside into a narrow focus. You normally do not see floor-to-ceiling windows in petite rooms with small dimensions. Delicate and slender is more common than thick and bulky.
However, a modern building still might offer the possibility of a charming element with a little work. What do you do if your place is nearly devoid of naturally charming building details? How can you create that warm and homey environment without a huge investment in architectural changes?
The feature "corner" pictured here is created with nothing more than paint and imagination. How uncomplicated, yet successful, is this idea? One simply defines a corner and paints out both walls and ceilings in order to create a little area within a larger room. I love this concept!
One could build a brilliant sensation in a bedroom with two twin-size beds by adopting this technique. Each child would feel that they are in a little cocoon of their own.
This approach would be successful for use with a daybed positioned against one wall. It might also assist in identifying a home office space that is in a part of a guest room, or a nursery as part of a much larger bedroom. Most distinctive is the idea of painting the ceiling as well.
When selecting an accent color, be cautious. Be certain to take the time testing out the stronger accent color. You can buy little test pints or quarts from most paint companies that are perfect to paint a square of the color on the walls. This might create an extra step in the painting process; however, it ensures color confidence.
Color has numerous properties, and we speak of name, of a hue, the strength of the color and the lightness or darkness of that same color. There are dozens of variations of any one color and each retains specific qualities.
You might consider application of a textured or patterned wallpaper to achieve the same sort of space determination. Be aware that the raw cut edges of a wallpaper would demand some kind of finish piece, such as a thin wood trim piece, to finish off the installation.
Consider a trip to a local molding supplier or look at the available wood or Medium-density fiberboard moldings available at your local home improvement store. Plastic moldings are another option. Wall coverings are available as washable materials and vinyl textures are the most forgiving surfaces available.
If you are interesting in making a play corner for your children or grandchildren, look at wall carpets or thick commercial vinyl goods that enable you to use pushpins without causing any damage to the wall. That way the kids might tack up school art projects, family pictures or posters of superheroes and cartoon characters.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
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