admitting you need help is the first step...
Do you have a fireplace that fades away into the background? Maybe it needs some coaxing to bring it out of its shell.
This fireplace mantel was painted out the same color as the wall behind it. That’s a big no-no in my book. A mantel is architecture, like trim moulding, and should never be treated like a wall!
Blah Fireplace
I bought this interesting coffee table for my living room at an estate sale a few months back for $85. I’ve been debating over what color to paint the base of it. I’ve been dying to try out the new Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but couldn’t decide on a color. Off-white would be too predictable, black might be to much contrast for this room.
So, I was watching the season premiere of Downton Abbey on PBS – did I mention I am OBSESSED with this show??? The sets and costumes are absolutely luscious. And the colors – oh, the colors! [Read more...]
As a paint color consultant, one of the things I always explain to my clients is that paint colors appear lighter on the ceiling than they do on the wall. I’m not sure they always believe me.
The reason this is true has to do with the way in which lighting hits the ceiling vs. the wall, and we all know that lighting greatly affects the way we perceive paint colors, right? [Read more...]
As a paint color specialist in the Nashville area, an Exterior Paint Consultation is one of the services I offer. A few months ago, I did an Exterior Color Consultation for a client who was wanting to have the brick painted on her home. If you remember from this post, my client wasn’t sure what color to choose or whether she wanted to go with a light body/dark trim or darker body/light trim. She was also considering having black shutters installed, but wasn’t sure how that would look on her home.
Before Exterior Paint Color Consultation
I made up 6 Virtual Mock-ups (computer renderings) of the home with different color combinations and placement of color. You can see all of those here. This is the one she chose: [Read more...]
Here in Nashville, there are many houses that were built in the 1960s and 1970s. I see a lot of entry floors from that era that look exactly like this:
Existing Entry Floor
This client had grown weary of her dark, dated entry but wasn’t sure she wanted to completely redo the floor.
Entry Before
There are several different ways to go about choosing a color palette for your home, but I find many people need help figuring out how to incorporate varying colors and still get “flow.”
Flow just refers to how the colors transition as you walk from room to room, without seeming jarring or surprising (in a bad way). Some people who want their rooms to flow get overwhelmed and just pick a neutral and paint all the rooms the same color.
Tsk, tsk. You can be more creative than that! Here is my formula for creating a color palette that provides both variation and a pleasing flow of color: [Read more...]
It’s not as easy as it sounds to pick the right paint color for your walls. There’s lots of things to consider including how lighting conditions affect color, like I blogged about here.
| It’s an age-old question: why do men fear painting wood? I can’t tell you how many times the following has occurred: I have a color consultation with the lady of the house. There are some horrible 1970s-1980s pieces of wood furniture, dreaded fake paneling in the den, or dated wood cabinets in the kitchen. |  |
Pink isn’t just for little girls anymore. Really. It looks totally grown-up when combined with neutrals, modern designs, and clean lines.
Pair pink with brown, gray, or black to ground it. Pair it with white for a fresh, crisp look. Keep foundation pieces neutral and use pink accessories that can be easily changed out. Use simple patterns, especially geometric ones like checks and stripes. |
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Not all whites are alike. Be careful about the undertones of whites. I prefer warm whites/off-whites with gray and yellow undertones. Pink and blue undertones can be a little cold and soulless.
Use multiple tones of white and off-white. This gives more interest and depth, and you won’t go crazy trying to match that one white. |
| Use texture to warm up a white palette. Think white stone, white textured blankets, white fur throws, shiny white ceramics, off-white wicker baskets, etc.
Play shiny against matte to add sophistication. Use white high-gloss paint of wood furniture and white matte paint on walls. |
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