Paprika

This is among the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen. It made my heart beat faster. There’s something I love about the color paprika. Or chili. Or saffron threads. Or tandoor. Whatever spice it conjures for you, here it is:

From August 2010 issue of Whirl Magazine

I don’t know why I’m drawn to this color so much? But it is true, I am. Years ago in our first place, a little condo, I painted a basement wall this color while my husband was away on a business trip. I knew if he saw the color in advance, it would be a no go.  But also I knew if he saw the end result only, he would love it.

It’s easy to be more uncertain of the “could be” than what is already done. But that shouldn’t stop us from reaching for our visions. And he did adore the color of that wall. It was a cookie cutter condo basement in suburban Detroit, but with the deep bold paprika wall meeting concrete and beams in wood and steel, it felt like our own little Soho loft. I installed track lights and rails on the paprika wall to hold a black and white photo gallery. That basement became a favorite gathering place. That one wall made the whole place feel warm and cozy.

Now, our guest room is painted this color because this color must be somewhere on walls wherever we live from here on out. I’ll feature that room in a post soon.