House + Garden and Cord?lia De Castellane
The fresh, modern Paris apartment of Cord?lia De Castellane, children's wear designer and co-creator of CdeC, is one very happy space. Bright bursts of invigorating color and pattern, introduced through pop art, fresh flowers, and funky throw pillows, creates a girly glam that oozes the charm of a young fashionista.
Notice how well she balances color throughout the space, a pair of hot pink IKEA side tables flank the rich chocolate sofa like delicious bites of raspberry-filled chocolate. These color combinations work so well because the warmth of the brown gives the room character and maturity, so the pink doesn't take over and turn the space into Barbie dreamland. Also, the dark colors are kept near the floor, and the black tables are in the center of the room, so the space is anchored. The deep, rich colors are below the horizon of the room, and the bright, sunny colors lift the eye upward. I like the idea of keeping the darker tones near the floor, as this allows you to build on a solid visual foundation, layering in color and pattern as you build the space through your furnishings, accessories, art, and finally, a dramatic white crown molding and a white ceiling to maximize both the natural lighting in the space as well as the height.
I'm not sure I'd use three completely different sofas in one room, but because the arrangement is completely symmetrical, it works. And okay, the light fixture feels a little too high above the dining table. I don't think it would illuminate the surface too well at night, nor be soft enough (at least 30" from the surface as a rule, but with this ceiling height, I'd allow 40"), but in reality, my opinion doesn't matter at all. This is Cord?lia's space, she lives in Paris (oh-la-luckygirl!), and she is obviously very happy with it.
And she did do a bang-up job with the color, which is precisely why most of us want to move right in. I like that it's not your typical textbook design, rather a very comfortable, casual, place that I wouldn't mind relaxing in with a magazine and a glass of vino.
Care to see more and learn about the furnishings in this space? You can take a complete home tour over on the H+G website.
(images from house + garden, photographed by pascal chevallier)