Condo Living: Bright Here, Bright Now

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» WANT TO SEE MORE photos from this rad pad? Click here. Photos by Michelle Repiso/Express

DEAN MARTIN AND FRANK SINATRA haven't been spotted in Sterling, Va., lately. But their Rat Packy, Vegas-wacky style lives on there in the master suite of Amanda and Josh Ramsden's two-bedroom, two-level condo. "The inspiration came from this cheesy old hotel ad I saw," said Amanda, 28, a library aide. "It had this loud print wallpaper and all this velvet. I loved it — I thought it looked tacky and cool at the same time."

So, with Josh, a 29-year-old tech support pro, acting as her informal design consultant, Amanda set about importing a mid-20th century groove to her late 20th-century boudoir.

Using patterns she cut from Mylar, she stenciled a funky geometric pattern on one wall in bordello red paint, using the same flaming shade to coat the other three walls. A black-and-gray Marimekko polka dot duvet, a bowling pin table lamp picked up at a yard sale for $35 and gold velvet curtains scored on eBay added to live-at- The-Sands mood.

"I think old Vegas has something to do with what I did," she said. "I like that it used to be all about nightclubs and lights, even the architecture of the old motels." Her fascination with this bygone era is perhaps best evoked by a collection of framed, vintage photos of motels on one wall. "My grandparents and parents owned a motel in the '70s before I was born, so it's funny," said Amanda.

The rest of the couple's condo, which they share with a friendly, sweet-eyed mutt named Molly, pulses with a similar retro-meets-rad, pop-arty style. "When I was growing up, I'd come home and watch two hours of reruns of 'The Brady Bunch,'" said Amanda. "I think the '60s decor rubbed off on me."

In the couple's grown-up first-floor living/dining room, elements from the time of Greg and Marsha mix handily with more contemporary pieces. Crisp upholstered chairs cluster around a Formica dinette table in a chow -down zone illuminated by a crystal-laden chandelier (a $50 Home Depot steal). A sofa and chair from Ethan Allen in beige hues is set off by walls painted Glidden's "Atomic Orange" and stenciled with white space age-y shapes.

"I love bright colors and comic book-style graphics," said Amanda. "They emphasize the banal, kitschy elements of culture."

Amanda, who relishes a good yard sale and frequents Goodwill and the Salvation Army for furniture and accessories, has filled the apartment with collectibles. "Thrifting is fun, because it's like a treasure hunt," she said.

Her eye-catching finds show up throughout the house, little surprises that invite conversation or laughs. They range from a clutch of weathered trophies (for bowling, dog shows and the like) and a silk-screened print of Chicago's lakefront to an orange rotary phone.

Amanda's most valued vintage piece is a console near the dining table that holds a fake fireplace, a stereo and a bar. She inherited it from her grandmother, and while it doesn't give off any heat, "it's a conversation piece," she said. "If the building were on fire, that's what I'd save. But it weighs a ton!"

Art plays a part in the mix, too, both as lively canvases by Amanda herself and via vintage pieces, like a print by Vladimir Tretchikoff depicting a solemn Asian woman. Amanda found the latter at a flea market for $40. "It was painted in the 1950s, and was one of the first types of mass-produced art," she said. "They were sold in pharmacies and department stores."

Also decorating the walls: old record albums, which festoon the stairway ceiling, and a gallery of paint-by-number canvases — think ballet dancers, dogs, sad-eyed girls and a skeleton in a pirate getup.

When the duo bought the condo three years ago, the space wasn't nearly as bright and bodacious. They replaced the carpet on the first level with laminate flooring. But the most work — and money — went into the kitchen. "It was just a mess when we moved in, with the flooring coming up and coffee stains on the countertops," she said. They put in a Daddy-o ish black and white checkered floor, bought a new fridge and dishwasher and replaced the old counters with speckled gray laminate. Mint-hued walls and orange Pantone chairs lend more style.

Bathrooms also got the couple's trademark rainbow conversion. A downstairs powder room's walls went acid yellow-green, setting off a collection of Amanda's grandfather's vintage license plates, including a 1957 Washington, D.C., one commemorating the inaugural of Ike Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.

The master bathroom is dolled up in what Amanda termed "ultra femme, gag-yourself pink that Barbie would approve of." On the walls: a framed album soundtrack from "Valley of the Dolls" and black and white pin-ups of Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page. And the kiwi green-walled second full bathroom — where Josh flees from all the girly glam — holds Hawaiian collectibles (a Tiki clock, a hula figurine) and a head shot of Conan O'Brien.

Amanda grew up surrounded by decor books and art (her mother worked in interior design), so she's obviously inherited some of her flair. But she's also influenced by blogs like Apartmenttherapy.com and magazines such as Domino, Elle Decor and Atomic Ranch, a mid-century style glossy.

By mixing this vibrant cocktail of bright hues and thrift-store bargains, the couple has created a space they enjoy hanging out in. "We love entertaining, having people over to play board games," said Amanda. "I like what our place says about us."

She gets many compliments from visitors, but some pals fear treading boldly into decorating with color themselves. "People say, 'I'd be afraid to do what you've done.' But you can always paint over it! Be bold."

» HUES ON NEXT: ADVICE FROM AMANDA
Amanda Ramsden, who turned the two-bedroom condo she shares with husband Josh into a den of retro fun and lively color, shares her tips on thrifting and embracing bold shades.
» "When you move into a place, plan out what you want to do," said Amanda. "It saves time and money before making costly mistakes." And thinking before you lay down your Mastercard should keep you from picking up a bookcase that won't fit through the front door or snagging a pricey painting you'll hate in a year.
» "Don't be afraid of color," advises Amanda. It's spirit-lifting, adds loads of personality to any space and is easy to add. Just grab a brush and some paint or pick up a few bright accessories — orange, lime and purple are in.
» Even in the age of eBay, don't forget thrift stores. Some of Ramsden's best finds — cool lamps, kitschy lunch boxes, figurines — come from Goodwill and Salvation Army. "Some stuff I'll just pay a couple of bucks for," she gloated.
» Make it personal. Pop art portraits Amanda did of herself and Josh and inherited items like her fireplace/bar/stereo make the Ramsdens' nest cozy.

» DO YOU HAVE A RAD PAD? If you've dolled up your condo or town house, we'd like to see pictures and hear how you did it. Send photos and information with the subject line "Rad Pad" to photo@readexpress.com. Sorry, single-family homes needs not apply.