In a sea of beige/neutral interiors,
it's exciting to see bright, Technicolor exceptions. You can always count
on the artists of the world to color their own worlds unique and bold.
My mother-in-law, Susan, is one such lady.
She's an artist and expert in many different mediums, a lover of all
things San Francisco (her hometown) and grandma extraordinaire to my
kids. Down to her red hair and fun loving personality, she is anything but boring!
Susan, her husband, Bob and my kids, hanging out at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
My family had a chance to visit her recently at her townhome
in Vancouver, Washington. We hadn't visited for a couple
of years and I was eager to see if she had added more colors and
details. Sure enough, there were even more bold touches and color. I think one of the reasons that we have clicked for the 25 years I've been in the family is our unique, "color outside the lines" approach to life.
The living room was a cheerful mix of oranges, reds, greens and yellows. All kept within relatively the same values with touches of white for visual relief are what make these colors sing for me. The artwork on the back wall were both painted by Susan:
Each day we came back, I noticed new, fun details I had not noticed before. The curio cabinet had been around for years, but she switched it up by painting it a bold, glossy red.
Susan has many fascinating collections which she switches out. A somewhat newer one is vintage, metal dollhouses displayed in her family room on glass shelving salvaged from a local Mervyn's after the company went out of business:
Desk area with vintage typewriter and Hummel collection:
