Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Blue Ceiling Beach Cottage

My friend and wonderful photographer, Jamie Salomon of Salomon Photography, recently sent me photos of this beautiful beach cottage in Maine. The home is the spectacular retreat of designer, Francine O'Donnell
The home has a traditional beach house decor with a bit of whimsy. I love the stools and the center island. What is most striking to me is the color palette. Take a look at this kitchen - taupe/beige cabinets and trim with creamy walls, but the most interesting is the soft blue ceiling. An area often overlooked - so let's have a closer look ceilings in this beach cottage.
Here is the kitchen from another angle. The ceiling color is much paler in this shot. This is a common occurrence when you use pale colors, in some lights the color actually washes out. With ceilings my preference is always to go on the paler side. I like to feel the color with out getting overwhelmed by it.
Here is a closer shot of the same space and you can see the blue ceiling more strongly. I love the whimsical signs - this particular sign adds such personality to the kitchen. Vintage style light fixtures and pale floors also add to the ambiance.
Moving to the family room we again see the use of blue on the ceilings. Notice how the color does not make the ceiling seem lower, but actually makes the ceiling almost disappear.
The same room from a different angle. You can see the patch of blue (like the sky) in the top left side of the photo. Again the SEA letters, life ring and assorted wood signs add a happy lightness to the room. I adore the beadboard walls. Also notice the slanted wall area - often times it is painted to match the ceiling - in this case it would have been a mistake. Keeping it white allows your eye to travel up and adds a feeling of openness to the space.
Here is the Family Room again from another angle. I love the slouchy softness of the big throw covering the chair. This a room where you can really kick back and relax.
The upstairs hallway continues with blue ceilings. Also notice the gray/blue painted floors. I love the doors - clearly they are original to the house.
A peek into the bath - which seems to have white ceilings but wonderful sea glass green walls. More of this beautiful home to come next time!!
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But for now just a quick tour of a great beach cottage which was enhanced by painting a space often overlooked - the ceiling. Have any of you taken on the ceiling??
(all photos Salomon Photography not to be copied with out permission)

24 comments:

  1. Wow!!! Gorgeous!!!! Everything is so fresh and clean and beautiful!!

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  2. Sure did! My ceilings are blue too and I loved them. To be honest I kind of forget about it until someone come over and reminds me...My ceilings are blue. Great post and pictures..thank you~

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  3. Just gorgeous , love the blue ceilings. And those pots on the table with the plants , divine. Looking out for some of those this weekend.
    Karyn

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  4. What a great beach house! Love the ceilings and the unique touches!

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  5. what a fun and whimsical beach house...they did a beautifuljob capturing it! I have painted ceilings...a blue/green. I really like the dusky color of blue they chose, too!

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  6. The perfect beach house. Makes me want to go scouting for this one! The Maine coastline is just lined with fabulous summer homes. Luckily many of these villages have home and garden tours during the summer and fall. There is one scheduled in Castine for late July~ I'm really looking forward to that one. Love these posts. now off to check out more of this wonderful photography.

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  7. I love Maine and we often rent a cottage there. I did a post and highlighted one of them. On my right side bar you can also see my dream cottage! This is a beautiful home that you have shown us. I love the kitchen...dreamy!

    ~jamilyn

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  8. I always paint ceilings. I think there is nothing that makes a room seem unfinished if there has been no attention placed on the ceilings. These are a beautiful example of why it is important to paint them. Imagine these spaces if the ceilings were white! UG!

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  9. WOW gorgeous home and I especially love the walls and doors. The ceiling color is pretty fabulous too!

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  10. I know, I know, Rachel over at Hue also loves ceilings! No, I've never taken one on...it just seems daunting. Well, maybe in my new house next year I'll try one...or two, and post, of course!

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  11. Wonderful. I like when the ceilings have the color and walls are simply a shade of white.

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  12. What a beautiful beach house! We visited friends a couple of weeks ago at their newly renovated historic home. The kitchen is all done in white and the beadboard ceiling is painted a soft aqua blue...stunning!

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  13. What a wonderful beach house. I would love to go to the beach right now.

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  14. That house is full of character and all of the things that I adore!

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  15. Hi Gina~
    Oh this would be the perfect place for a little r&r. So lovely in its simplicity, and yet so skillfully created!
    I am planning where to do some blue ceiling love.
    Donna

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  16. I love it...in fact I painted the ceiling in our three season porch pale blue.
    It makes it feel like sky.

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  17. Absolutely beautiful! I would love to do something with my ceilings one day. It makes a room so much more cozy (if the color is right). I agree with you that the ceiling color should be fairly neutral and not pull your eye up. An attention demanding ceiling is no good =)

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  18. That beach cottage is beautiful! The only ceiling I have painted was a blue sky with clouds on my son's ceiling.

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  19. I love it! I love the bead board and the the pots! Beautiful!
    Lila Ferraro
    Queen Bedroom Sets

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  20. Oh how I love this! I've been thinking of painting the ceiling in my bedroom a very pale blue...we'll see.
    ☺ Celeste

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  21. Hi! I just came across your blog and have really enjoyed reading through it all. You have shown some incredibly beautiful pictures, great inspiration and lovely stories. I can't wait to follow along and see more ~
    :) Sarah
    *this is a BEAUTIFUL beach home...absolutely dreamy.

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  22. i don't know about the colored ceiling paint...
    it's pretty.
    but to me, it does bring the ceiling down.
    and it seems to me that they are not that high to begin with.
    no?

    i could be wrong.

    beautiful home though. i would be very happy in it.
    xx

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  23. I don't think this home could be any more perfect! We just painted the ceiling in our soon to be master bedroom a very pale bluish/grayish /green and I love it (Healing Aloe - BM). Painted ceilings remind me of the southern porches and summer.

    Best,
    Jessica~

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