Color and Character in North Carolina
When designer Emily A. Clark moved into a home in North Carolina with her husband and three kids, she had a hard time envisioning her distinctive style from the cookie-cutter space. “Our house had completely zero personality,” Clark says. “The challenge has been finding little ways to personalize it and give it some’wow’ factors.”
Clark decided to play with a colour palette which would differentiate her home from other people on the block. A daring navy living area and striped tan partitions did the trick. Punches of colour and pattern make the room feel current and comfortable, whilst thrifty furniture finds give every room an awareness of patina. “I discovered 90 percent of my furniture on Craigslist. I believe that it gives it a good, diverse feel,” Clark says. “A fantastic deal always inspires me, particularly if it could be upgraded with a couple of coats of paint.”
Emily A. Clark
A sitting area off the dining area is the perfect spot to relax after a big meal with family members and friends. Almost everything in this area was found for a great price on Craigslist. The mix of products is the ideal illustration of Clark’s warm and diverse style. “I wanted our home to feel comfortable, cozy and personal to us because there were several other homes on the road that looked like ours on the outside,” she says.
Emily A. Clark
Using alternating shades of gold browns, Clark painted stripes at a tiny breakfast nook right off the kitchen. Because the home had such a plain-Jane feel, Clark wanted to mix it up and add personality and character with a rich colour palette and assorted patterns. The beautifully worn table in this area has special sentimental value to Clark — it was at her parents’ house while she was growing up.
Chairs: Ashley Furniture
Wall colors: Sherwood Tan and Algonquin Route by Benjamin Moore
Pendant: World Imports
Table lamps: HomeGoods
Curtain cloth: Pelagos, Windsor Smith for Kravet
Emily A. Clark
The dining area uses the same tan color palette because the breakfast room, with a few different patterns and colors for additional personality. Except for the living space, most of the primary living spaces in the rest of the home play with the same brown tones. Clark wanted to keep most of the home warm, so she utilized a neutral as a foundation and accented with chartreuse and orange.
Wall colour: Flatland by Dutch Boy Paint
Chairs: Thrifted
Bench: Recovered from Wal-Mart
Table: Ashley Furniture
Wall art: Botanicals from “Botanicals: Butterflies & Insects”
Emily A. Clark
The living area palette was motivated entirely by the navy chain-link rug, which Clark found at Pottery Barn. After falling in love with the rug, she used it as the foundation for its navy walls, crisp white trim and metallic accessories at the living area.
Wall colour: Stunning by Benjamin Moore
Rug: Pottery Barn
Emily A. Clark
Clark discovered the magnificent bookshelves for $20 each on Craigslist. A couple of coats of paint changed them, and they add a fantastic storage alternative that almost appears built-in.
Coffee table, couch, bookcase, seats: Craigslist
Emily A. Clark
A thrifted TV console lends a classic look to what could sometimes be an awkward living space bit. Clark decided to paint the far wall in the living room the same tan which was utilized in the rest of the home. The shade helps heat up the dusty navy in the rest of the room.
Emily A. Clark
Although the kitchen in this house was rather builder standard, Clark decided to dress it up with a gallery wall of white plates and an enjoyable chalkboard paint accent underneath the pub.
Emily A. Clark
A gallery of framed children’s art lends a sentimental touch to the very simple entryway. A row of hooks is at just the ideal level for her kids to hang up bags and coats.
Emily A. Clark
Clark turned into a spare bedroom into an office for her interior design work. Gray walls comparison with vivid white furniture and colorful textiles for a contemporary color palette. Instead of built-ins, an Ikea Expedit bookcase has been an ideal piece to store books, paperwork and cosmetic accessories.
Wall colour: Trout Gray, Benjamin Moore
Curtain cloth: Wilmington by Covington
Emily A. Clark
The dresser in her office has been found for just $40 at a thrift shop, and Clark painted it at a brilliant green to get an excess pop of colour. “The green left that bit come alive,” she says. “It turned into the centerpiece of the space.”
Table lamps: Neighborhood surplus outlet
Emily A. Clark
Clark opted to get a soothing silvery-gray for her master bedroom. The gold starburst mirror warms up the silver tones and echoes the mirror in her living area. Like the rest of the home, the bedroom is a gorgeous mixture of clean lines with pops of colour and pattern.
Bed: Madison mattress, Zocalo
Rug: Overstock.com
Dresser: Cindy Crawford for Rooms to Go
Table lamp: Rooms to Move outlet
Emily A. Clark
A daring pink polka-dot wall completely transformed Clark’s daughter’s room. She had the sexy pink wall shade custom-mixed by Benjamin Moore to match the polka-dotted pillow. A contemporary padded headboard and white and black accents give this girly room a subtle grown-up touch.
Yellow wall colour: Lemon Parfait, Valspar
Headboard: Younger furniture
Side Effects: HomeGoods
Emily A. Clark
A coat of green paint, striped shower curtain along with children’s paintings keep this bathroom kid-friendly and sex neutral without feeling too childlike or over the top.
In only 2 decades, Clark was able to completely transform the appearance of the plain builder-grade house to a colorful and warm home. Although she and her family needed to move a couple of months ago, this cozy house still retains a unique spot in their hearts.
Wall colour: Mackinac Island, Dutch Boy Paint
More Tours:
Living in Color
It Is A Bloomsbury Life
Builder’s Beige Gets a Makeover