Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« A PC by Any Other Name? | Norman Foster on the Moon »

Thursday, February 7, 2013

City / Visual Art / Architecture Houses That Don't Hate Color Like the Rest of Seattle

Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 9:44 AM

This house is in Queen Anne, and the photo was sent by none other than Ronald Holden, Dominics dad. He wrote, As best as I can determine, its owned by a psychiatrist who sees his patients onsite. Now this is the way to healing.

Photo by Ronald Holden
This house is in Queen Anne, and the photo was sent by none other than Ronald Holden, Dominic's dad. He wrote, "As best as I can determine, it's owned by a psychiatrist who sees his patients onsite." Now this is the way to healing.

A couple of days ago, I posted my rant about Seattle's color problem and asked for pictures of buildings that defy the awful norm. These are the two I've gotten, and there's a good fight going on in the comments on the color story, too.

The fighting words:

Purple is not a good color; it just isn't. Don't paint your house purple.—Fnarf

The global testimony:

I first visited Seattle as a little kid in 1957. Lived there for 10 years in the 70s-80s. Know the city 'intimately'. Mourned when the Orpheum came down, and worked at the Music Hall before it was razed.

Recently I stayed in a room near the top of the Red Lion on 5th. I was crestfallen at the view: cool monotones of non-committal color on generic structures. From this elevated perspective, the banality of the city's complexion was more nakedly revealed!

Of course, most other high-rise cities are shameless with similar 'nudity'. Boring beyond words. No doubt neutral-colored building materials are also the cheapest.

I was in Dubai recently and went up in the Burj Khalifa. The surrounding environment is monotone in its coloring, but the thousands of hi-rises make Manhattan look like a gopher hole. It's all in the style of the structures, ranging from sober to goofy. Color is neutral due to albedo considerations, but big money provides for some playful gooniness. There's a mega-sized Big Ben right next to generic glass boxes, etc. etc.

I wrote a big book on the architecture of Calcutta, India, and I never really talked about color because the city engages in it at every opportunity - it was self-apparent. The Victorian architect Halsey Ricardo (who designed the gigantic Howrah railway station opposite Calcutta, which was recently decked out in flashy but stately brick red and vibrant yellow) was a passionate advocate of color in architecture, even suggesting that park benches be livened up with any color other than black or grey. The mighty Howrah Bridge, connecting Calcutta with the rest of India, is silver by day, and lighted lavender by night.

It's a pity that, after its wild fling with the Central Library, Seattle reverted to the safe propriety of nothingness in its high-rises. Today it's all about shape rather than color: witness the Gherkin and the Shard in London, Gehry's Beekman Tower in NYC, etc.—bpb's artpouring

The sufferer of SADD sufferers:

Because seattle is gray and depressing and full of people who do everything they can to keep it that way. They're passive-aggressive sad sacks who won't smile or even wear a bit of color. I've had people tell me they don't want to make any new friends and it makes me sick.

The current winner:

i painted my house black. it is the shnizz.—Max Solomon

From Mayor Mike McGinn: Here is my garage. My house is bright yellow. Yeah!

This Photo's From the Mayor, Man
From Mayor Mike McGinn: "Here is my garage. My house is bright yellow." Yeah!

Keep 'em coming.

FacebookShare

Comments (32) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Houses are painted bland for resale. Also most modern homes don't have any detail that needs to be painted in a contrasting color to stand out. Not only are many modern homes painted bland, they look bland.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on February 7, 2013 at 9:56 AM

Gosh, I can't stand McGinn as mayor, but damn, he looks good.

Posted by pfffter on February 7, 2013 at 10:03 AM

When they re-start Twin Peaks, that tacky, hippy, sleezy psychiatrist who kept Laura Palmer's tapes in a coconut will have moved to Seattle, and he will be practicing out of the Queen Anne house in that picture.

Posted by Jude Fawley on February 7, 2013 at 10:13 AM

Purple is a pretty awful color.

And damn, @2 is right.

Posted by care bear on February 7, 2013 at 10:16 AM

I call bullshit on that photo da mare sent in - he color-saturated the fuck out of it. Without Instagram his garage is pasty green, his house is pale drab why-bother yellow. Greenwood average.

I wish we could Instagram the mayor himself to be a bit brighter.

My favorite house paint scheme: dark olive green with black trim and a lacquered chinese red front door. Be still my beating heart!

Posted by gloomy gus on February 7, 2013 at 10:17 AM

I have oftened wondered how it was determined to nickname Seaburg, the Emerald City. It certainly has always been more taupe than emerald.

Posted by Fairhaven on February 7, 2013 at 10:17 AM

Does the Bettie Page mural near the 65th off-ramp count?

Posted by chinaski on February 7, 2013 at 10:21 AM

I would totally fuck that chick is with.

Posted by Just Jeff

on February 7, 2013 at 10:25 AM

My Aunt's house used to be white with black and red trimming and I thought it looked really nice but she didn't like it I guess and went for brown with brown and now it kinda looks like well you know. But she likes it and that's worth something.

Posted by Reutte on February 7, 2013 at 10:27 AM

Whether you like the art or not, the TUBS Building on 50th & Roosevelt is an explosion of color amidst our otherwise denim and chalk scheme.

Posted by downtownkitty on February 7, 2013 at 10:30 AM

I don't want a house that screams "Look at me!".

Posted by Pope Peabrain on February 7, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Whoa, McGinn looks really hot in that photo.

Posted by Bub on February 7, 2013 at 10:33 AM

@8, chicks dig spleling an gramer.

Posted by Fnarf

on February 7, 2013 at 10:35 AM

@13 no, we are smart enough to fill in the blanks.

I can see that Jeff would like to fuck who that chick is with. I also find Mike McGinn very attractive.

Posted by Allyn on February 7, 2013 at 11:07 AM

If Americans had as much design sense as the average Swede/Dane (their bright colors seem to work...even in a suburban setting) than I would say go for it. Unfortunately, we are doomed to an unlivable environment if the colors are let loose here. It's all about hitting beautiful design without trying to stand out - not a strong skill in this country.

Posted by shotsix on February 7, 2013 at 11:17 AM

Mike ftw!

But we could use some more vibrant color around here.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on February 7, 2013 at 11:21 AM

@5,

I've always promised myself that, if I ever own a home, it will have a red front door.

@15,

As I have relatives living in Denmark, I feel qualified to say that most Danish residences are fugly and bland. My mother's cousin, who was an advertising executive, lived in an apartment building that would make the Soviets blush.

Posted by keshmeshi on February 7, 2013 at 11:34 AM

Please paint your houses purple!

I tried to add purple trim to our backyard shed, and my spousal critter made me paint over it. Sad times.

Posted by ScrawnyKayaker on February 7, 2013 at 11:38 AM

Who's that woman? Where's Mike's wedding ring?

Posted by DOUG.

on February 7, 2013 at 11:44 AM

I like that Psychiatrist house.

Posted by Simone on February 7, 2013 at 11:56 AM

Super photo!

Ideally, the best color schemes for houses, especially those with verdant bushes and plant growth, is either iris with white shutters and woodwork, or perwinkle blue and white shutters and woodwork - - - bother make an excellent colora arrangement.

Posted by sgt_doom on February 7, 2013 at 11:57 AM

It's Kerri Harrop.

Posted by care bear on February 7, 2013 at 12:05 PM

Color only makes sense in places with lots of sunshine...otherwise it looks drab and muddy, and really, kind of sickening.

That's why the Nordic colors (as in IKEA) are beige, brown with a bit of deep red thrown or dark blue thrown in. Those colors look good in cloudy weather. The kind we have here. Right now. Most of the time.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on February 7, 2013 at 12:07 PM

Purple is the BEST color! Fnarf has bad taste!

Posted by BallardBoy on February 7, 2013 at 2:15 PM

If you want a city with colour, may I suggest St. John's, Newfoundland:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwl/7701369…

(And @23, it's less sunny there than in Seattle.)

Posted by Backyard Bombardier on February 7, 2013 at 2:15 PM

I like neutral tones with bright accent colors for trim and doors and such. But whatever. I've always thought your mayor is hot. Do you think he works out?

Posted by blip on February 7, 2013 at 4:22 PM

#25

Newfoundland avg sunny days: 269

Seattle: 152

So, nope.

http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Ca…

http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/w…

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on February 7, 2013 at 7:46 PM

@27: From current results:

Average total hours with sunshine each year:

Seattle: 2170

St. John's: 1512

So, perhaps.

Posted by Backyard Bombardier on February 7, 2013 at 9:57 PM

#28

I notice you opted not to include the whole line of data which says 2170 hours..but only 58 days!!

While St. Johns has 1512 hours but five times a many clear days at 270.

http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Ca…

I could speculate since both cities are at the same latitude that St. John's may have more of its clear days in winter, when days are only 8 hours long, than Seattle where truly clear days happen mostly July through September when the day can be nearly 18 hours long.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on February 7, 2013 at 10:57 PM

I liked how when we passed by the bright, BRIGHT yellow house a block away from where I live, a cab driver once said 'a very desperate man lives there".

Posted by LEE. on February 7, 2013 at 11:28 PM

Who remembers the "Wonder Bread" house in the north end? I believe it was somewhere near North City, my mom drove us past it every so often back in the late '50s. Looked like an early Damian Hirst.

Posted by Nelson Bradley on February 8, 2013 at 9:26 AM