Some of you might recognize this dresser from a little meme that I made a while back to accompany a post. (You can find it in all its original glory here although I have to warn you- it may be a little depressing.)
When I moved to my apartment back in May I had to leave the old dresser behind as it had been borrowed from the people who owned the building. Luckily, IKEA came my rescue with a bedroom event and after much deliberation I chose this baby to adopt and take into my bedroom. In a completely non-sexual way.
Here it is on the IKEA website. It’s part of the HEMNES line, if anyone’s interested (although in this screen shot the color is complete off for whatever reason. It’s much more red in person).
It got me thinking about bold pieces of furniture. When you’re on a budget, investing in furniture that is reasonably priced with a classic or neutral feel can seem like the smartest choice to make because it’s something that is guaranteed to stay with you for a long time. Even though this dresser is now only $149 CAD, and would not completely break the bank if I wanted to re-invest in another one in the future, it still felt like agony to choose between the neutral finishes IKEA offers. So I decided to make a bold move and enter into the new world of brightly-colored furniture.
I have to say folks: it’s a whole lotta fun.
I don’t advocate going crazy and immediately re-furnishing your apartment in the wackiest, craziest colors you can find. But everything that we were buying for our apartment at the time was feeling really neutral and boring and I was sick of trying to figure out “accents” in the form of pillows and paintings.
Choosing one or two items for your apartment or house (unless you’re feeling really adventurous) in a bold hue or in a fun pattern can be a great way to add visual interest to a room and give it a nice, layered look as opposed to something that’s stiff and formal. And if you move in the future or decide to re-decorate, it can be a fun little challenge to see how you can incorporate that funky chair or wild dresser into your new color scheme.
I did a little searching around to some of my favorite stores and came up with some other bold examples that may find their way into someone’s awesome new room. You really don’t have to limit yourself with one color scheme.
I’m in love with this little loveseat from Urban Outfitters. It’s got this 70s feel, but with an edge, and the teal color is to die for! I’m in love with airy blue rooms at the moment and this would fit right, giving everything a mermaid-ish feel. Or if you wanted to kick it up a notch, I’d throw in some punchy coral and navy blue to give it more of a Mediterranean vibe. For those who just want to dip their toes into the world of colorful furnishings, I’d put this sofa in a smoky gray room with some charcoal accents. Maybe even a little lilac even if you’re daring. Oooh la la.
Speaking of lilac, how about this little lady from IKEA? This chair has nice, clean and classic lines but when paired with purple upholstery it would pack a punch in a dining room. Can you picture a row of these lined up at a chunky black-brown dining table with soft lilac walls and silver accents? For a look that’s a little less muted, you could substitute accent pieces in fun colors like chartreuse or raspberry.
Why, hello hello yellow coffee table. This vision in citrus is from cb2 and would look dynamite in an ultra-modern room filled with neutrals and whites, and maybe a crazy rug in a zebra print style. Add a vase of hot-pink roses and you’d have a living that screams, “Come back to life Domino magazine and photograph me!” Or sneak a pop of color in a room filled with cream, beige and bone color and layer in pieces of rust and burnt orange for an updated sixties feel.
As for what I’m going to do with my cheery red dresser, you’ll have to wait and see but after my little virtual shopping spree I think I’ve definitely caught the colorful furniture bug. You’ll have to stay tuned to see what my next purchase will be.
I want to see pictures of your latest bold purchase. Email them to me at thetwentiesproject@gmail.com or post the piece you’re coveting to Pinterest so we can share it on one of our boards.
The Twenties Project 