Farm Journal

Thoughts and images from life at Foster Road

Entry: August 18, 2009

Journal Entries

Color Ideas

I never thought I could have too much green. I love the color and I was sure that this house was destined to be a green one. But on a house surrounded by lush trees and fields any green from a can seems wan. Like we’re aping our betters.

So I’m revisiting management. It’s a family term for a touchstone that will guide the design choices of a project. Management here is a noun, but it could be just about anything, A plant, a plate, a box of rocks. More than one thing can be combined into one management, but it’s best to compile management at the outset.

Since I want this house to rest easy in this place and it’s history, there are some aspects of management that were given to me. Black walnut wood and amethyst glass are wonderful elements. There’s limestone grey and the ochre-tan of the soil for colors to rely on, and greens from the silvery blue spruce, vibrant lime-gold moss, and simple garden grass. I’m still compiling management; it’s one of my favorite things to do. I’ll keep looking for things, like the shred of wallpaper uncovered by the demolition, that may make it into the management box.

And I’ll test out the choices as we go, each one closing a door to other options and refining the direction we will take. Since the new windows will be walnut-y brown, and grass-green is out for the body color of the house, I’m leaning toward amethyst grays. Or maybe blackberry-stem silver. Or both, there’s always trim.