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An
Abundance
of
Apricot
As
September wafts through our windows and doors, it brings the first
signs of autumn, with its glorious combinations of yellows and
reds that appear as trees begin the gradual ascent to their
colorful peak. One of the first colors to appear is softly shimmering
apricot.
Linda
loves to use apricot broadly in her design work. She sees it as a
universal color apparent throughout nature in sunrises, sunsets,
flowers, fruits and foliage. But there is another, more personal element
in our relationship to apricot, because for many of us it is the color
of our skin, and it comforts us. Skin tones are warm, sensual and
glowing with life. Like the falling leaves, they can range in color from
creamy ivory to golden honey to tawny bronze, and can even contain
traces of blue and green. The ancient practice of feng shui
recommends using skin tones in bedrooms to promote
relaxation. Linda believes in extending that principle to any room
in your home where you want to create a nurturing environment
that cloaks you in comfort and tranquility. To determine your own skin
tone, look at the palm of your hand against a sheet of white paper.
Although you may see many different colors, what would you name the
predominant color – apricot, rose, coral, peach, salmon, mahogany? Then
picture yourself ensconced in these restorative shades as in a second
layer of skin - shades of the hue that is you.
One caveat from Linda: skin tone colors can be tricky to select.
Avoid pastels that have white added to them and can look and feel sweet
and cloying, and opt instead for “dirty” or toned colors. These
contain raw umber and/or burnt sienna (deep gold and/or dark rich
brown), and in the case of skin tones, always a touch of red.
Remember to sample colors on your walls before painting your rooms,
and study them from across the room at a distance with the lights on
and off, at different times of the day, and at night. Many paint
manufacturers have large paper samples of their paint colors that can be
purchased inexpensively for this purpose.
These
six images of cozy yet carefully constructed bathrooms and sensual
bedrooms in Linda’s Santa Fe adobe demonstrate how she used her own skin
tone, apricot, to create a nurturing and welcoming home. Her
guests love waking up in rooms that glow with the color of the sun and
the abundance of nature.
As always, Linda’s basic principles of design apply to skin tone
colored rooms: ground the palette with neutrals or black; add a cool
toned accent to contrast with the warm background; keep walls, fabrics
and furnishings tone on tone; and let nature in through windows and
doors. Another design principle in evidence here is the balance of
masculine and feminine. Since skin tone rooms can tend to have a
feminine feel, Linda emphasizes the importance of adding masculine
elements, so all who enter are equally comfortable.
Whether
vibrant and self-assured or dreamy and soothing, apricot is a color
that always feels good – right down to your skin. Find your own skin
tone color and embellish your home and life with its nurturing and
sensual essence.
"Apricot is
so warm and nurturing. It makes me feel like I’m bathed in a
cocoon of harmony and contentment, with the sunlight pouring in."
Linda Applewhite
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Apricot
abounds in the master bathroom on the walls, tiles, counters, cupboards
and window frames. Good design repeats itself not only in the
tone-on-tone colors, but in the repetition of shapes as well – the
scallops in the tile, the cupboard and the mirrors. The neutral bronze
of the iron light fixtures and cabinet knobs grounds the palette, as
does the black planters and black and white towels. New polished nickel
faucets sparkle while the old mirrors add soul and character to
this skin tone colored bathroom.
A
mix of sensual oranges, greens and golds in the master bedroom creates a
nurturing palette that is both tranquil for slumber and cheerful for
waking. The soft greens in the pillows and coverlet accentuate the
greens of nature outside the window and doors. Masculine brown vigas and
carved antique candlesticks offer contrast and soulfulness. Orange,
gold and green striped draperies frame the windows and
doors, encouraging the flow of nature and light from the New
Mexican high desert.
The
apricot walls of this small yet sensual bathroom softly soothe, as if
wrapping you in an outer layer of skin. The eye moves easily between the
tone-on-tone colors of apricot, orange and gold. Antique French sconces
ground the palette with their rusty wrought iron patina, and the oval
antique mirror repeats the curve of the nicho while adding layers of
depth and texture. The old wooden santos on the counter and in the nicho add a masculine touch to this softly feminine bathroom, which extends a balanced welcome to everyone who enters.
The
guest room kicks it up a notch with apricot walls surrounding a
bed covered in red, cream and gold fabrics. Guests are enveloped in the
warm skin tones yet energized by the salmon and black in the artwork and
the blue-green of the Mexican cross watching over the bed. The curved
lines repeated on the wooden lamp base, bedposts and cross bring harmony
and continuity to the eye.
Old vigas
(beams made from tree trunks) embellish the ceiling, and shades of
apricot glow from the walls, concrete shower tiles and backsplash. The
cabinet and counter of the vanity blend right in, helping this tiny
bathroom to feel bigger. Antique wrought iron sconces add texture and
movement, while the oval mirror complements the straight lines in the
vanity, tiles and shower opening. The warm palette is grounded by the
black in the artwork and frame, and accented with the cool and
contrasting blue-green in the Mexican folk art.
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