Color Buzz

Friday Project Series: Father's Day

   

This Father's Day, give dad a little pick-me-up by refreshing his domain with paint touch-ups. It's so easy! 

My daughter Elle was nice enough to take on our kitchen. We live in a 160-year-old farm house with a very active family, so nicks and scratches are a part of life.

 

For Father's Day, Elle took out an old cake pan (perfect for holding small amounts of paint), a brush and a quart of Whitewash Oak. She tried both a 2" brush and a 2" sponge brush. Both worked great.

She then focused on the eye-sores and gave them a quick brush-up.

It doesn’t take any prep, leaves minimal mess and provides big results!

Now we can happily unveil a cleaner, brighter kitchen, sure to put a big smile on dad's face as he’s handed a big plate of pancakes and gets ready for a day of golf and lying on the hammock.

Friday Project Series: Salvaging Wooden Furniture with Faux Boise

I was out to lunch the other day with friends when someone mentioned an old painted door they wanted to refurbish. I told her I would love to help and I thought I would share the technique on Color Buzz.

“Faux Boise” translates from French as “Fake Wood.” It’s a great decorative painting finish that we use a great deal at our Beehive Studio, especially when people don’t want to go through the trouble of stripping down a painted wood surface.

There are many levels of this technique from the very basic to the very complex. Artists have been able to recreate the look through layering various paints resulting in the familiar oak look to more exotic patterns like Zebra wood. I want to share with you all one basic approach...

To begin, I took an old armoire that had been painted white. The first thing you need to do is start with a strong base color. A deep yellow like Cowslip 6 from the Laura Ashley collection is a great all around base for this technique.

 

Once you’ve painted your base color, tape off the intersecting sections so that you can keep the paint moving in the direction of the “grain.”

 

Next, take a deep, brown paint and add a bit of water. For this demonstration, I used Boston Legacy. Brush the brown paint on the wood, keeping the strokes in the same direction as the grain. Once this coat is applied, go over the surface with a dry brush, again following in the direction of the grain. This will create stripes.

Once this section is dry, re-tape to close off the sections that still have to be painted. Repeat the previous steps in these areas. Now, you’ll have one last step...when the magic happens!

Friday Project Series: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

By Michele Coppin

Mirrors have fascinated humankind since ancient times and they are often associated with powerful folklore. Just think back to popular children’s tales like Snow White. 

                           

In Feng Shui, a properly placed mirror can dramatically shift the energy flow of any given space. It brings the calming and refreshing qualities of water, which we can really use in these crazy times.

I had been searching for the ideal mirror for my living room for a long time. I needed something at the right price with the right look. I wanted something carved and ornate with curvy and delicate lines. Mirrors can be very expensive so I searched for the best deal.

I recently settled on a very plain mirror that I found for just $40. When I first brought it home, the dark brown frame looked cheap, rather masculine and depressingly rectangular. While it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, the price made the project worthwhile and I knew I could add a fresh coat of paint for a brand new look!

                       

I started by gently sanding the frame to remove the varnish and then wiped it clean. I wanted the mirror to be a light and clear element on the wall, so I applied an even coat of soft grayish-white: Milestone.

 

Milestone 6007 - 1B.

In an effort to break up the straight lines, I sketched graceful leaves, curling ribbons and buttons in a copper acrylic. I love using copper as an accent color because it is earthy and elegant.

                  

                

To make the design pop, I added touches of pure white and darker gray to the foliage. This technique allows the background color and the sketch marks to come through the top coat, which creates a unique effect. Once the project was finished, the mirror had a refined, handmade quality. The light colors appear very soothing against the darker wall and my living room feels more spacious. 

                   

                 

And at only $40, it is the fairest of them all!

Friday Project Series: Refurbish Old Furniture

By Megan Leblond

Refinishing an old filing cabinet is not as hard as one might think! Do not fear your forlorn, yet functional furniture pieces! They can be given new life in just an afternoon and it’s easier than you think.

Here is a photo of a totally functional—but totally rusted—green filing cabinet. This is the type of furniture we all inherit or keep around for its practical use, but hide away in a closet or basement because of its unsightly appearance. 

                   

Without experience, a person might shy away from attempting to refinish a piece of metal furniture, but it’s not as hard as it may seem. This cabinet was refinished in just a couple of hours with three coats of paint.

Here is what you might need to start the project:

     -Fine-grain sandpaper

    -Dry rags or paper towels

    -Painter's masking tape

    -1 two- or three-inch brush

    -Primer

    -Paint (color of your choice)

First, lightly sand the metal surface. This allows the primer to cling to the metal. While this step isn't absolutely necessary, it will create a longer lasting, more durable end result. Brush away any metal dust with a dry cloth or towel.

                             

Next, mask any handles or elements you do not wish to paint. Then cover the metal surface with a thin coat of primer. Use the primer as is—do not add water. Make sure not to leave brush strokes. If this is unavoidable, you can always try to gently sand any ridges in the primer.

Once the primer is completely dry, apply an initial coat of your selected paint. Once that coat is dry, apply a second coat. Lastly, remove masking tape and Voila! A beautiful and functional piece of furniture!

                             

A Red Makover

By Michele Coppin

Inspired by the recent holiday colors, my friends Daisy and Francis finally decided to update their plaster-white living room. They are both intimidated by color, choosing many shades of beige throughout the house, so I commend their brave choice! 

            

I love red. To me, the color is sexy, sassy and classy, so I was thrilled to help with the project. However, I can understand Daisy and Francis’ hesitation. While some find red to be seductive and warm, many others believe red is too loud a color. Because red can be interpreted in so many ways, such as frightening, erotic, revolutionary or royal, its ambivalence makes it appealing to decorators.

                     
To determine the best shade for Daisy and Francis, we spent time comparing a variety of red swatches, then looked at my favorites under different lights and at different times of day.  Francis was worried his living room would look like a French boudoir and Daisy started to doubt the drastic transition. I reminded them that color is easy to change and encouraged them to be flexible and open-minded. In the end, we settled on a luscious, earthy tone that is not too pink for Francis and not too purple for Daisy: Sienna Dust.

                                                
                                                    Sienna Dust 1007-3A

Then it was time to paint. The first coat was a bit scary!  Against the white wall, our carefully chosen color appeared orange. However, when we finished the second coat, we stood back in awe. The room looked absolutely gorgeous! It was warm, cozy, glowing and elegant. In just one weekend, the blank white space was transformed into a beautiful living room that was inviting and comfortable. Furthermore, the existing furniture, including dark green couches and a light green rug, was enhanced by the complementary background.

With the bold, red statement finished, we decided the hallway leading into the living room also needed a makeover that would harmonize with the red. We settled on a soft, pale grayish-green, Milestone, for the lighter walls and its lighter version, Cliveden Mist, down the narrow darker hallway. 

                                 

                    Milestone 6002-1B                      Cliveden Mist 6007-1A

  The finished project was bold and beautiful!

           

                            

Bubbling Over in Winnipeg

We like to start all of our projects with a conversation with our client, and the Valspar Ultimate Match Makeover project was no exception. Last year’s winner, Krislyn, was great to work with, and we began by discussing her living room’s renovation, focusing on the room’s function. Her living room also doubled as her son’s playroom, so we wanted to create two areas of the room: one for Eden and his toys, and one for grown-ups and visiting with friends.

 

It was important to make sure the room had a unifying theme while still identifying the separate parts of the room. Krislyn really wanted something fun and lively, so we had an idea of using giant circles or bubbles in different ways to achieve different effects. We once painted large circles in a client’s entry - they made the space very playful. For the adult side of the room, we wanted to created columns of circles which would give a calming sense. I suggested this sketch which she liked.

                 


Krislyn and Phillip’s house is beautiful and located alongside a winding river. We were also able to meet  Krislyn’s adorable son, Eden. He was very excited about bubbles, as you can tell.

We started by looking at colors. Winnepeg is cold and frozen most of the year, so we thought bringing some green in would lift the spirits. We created a color wash  using blending Leaf Bud 6005-5B and Plum Passion 6007-5B. After we painted the room a soft warm green, we started cutting stencils.

                              


We began by painting larger circles on the walls. We painted these in a soft color to give an ethereal effect.

Krislyn really liked the warm colors, and we were able to incorporate these colors by using them with the smaller stencils, giving the room some “pop.” We used Terra Cotta Red 2004-3A, Caramel Honey 3003-3B and La Fonda Antique Red 2002-5A on the small circles and a cooler blue, Dewdrop 4006-7A, on the mid-size bubbles.

 

Above the fireplace, we added Venetian Plaster in a deep charcoal brown that matched the existing mantle. This gave definition to the fireplace and anchored the room. Krislyn and Phillip were so wonderful to us, and we were very fortunate to have gotten to know them. They were a pleasure to work with and they seemed quite pleased with the final outcome. What do you think?

        

        

To Love or Not to Love: Purple

Purple is back in fashion this year, big time. There are so many purple accessories out there! I think there are three kinds of people in the world: people who love purple, people who love or hate purple according to the current trends, and people who just hate purple.

I think I belong in the second category. Purple is a color I love to hate. To be more precise, it’s a color I hate to love. Purple is a very strong color, very emotional. Due to the fact that it’s a combination of the warmest red and the coolest blue, it can really vary. It can range from the softest hues in the lavender family—closer to pink—to the more aggressive purple, with a lot of blue hues, that can be seen everywhere in fashion this season.

Purple has passion, I have to admit. It’s a teenager color. A little girl often goes from pink to purple as she grows older, and boys go from blue to purple. In that sense, it is a young color, a color reminiscent of puberty, when hormones get crazy and identities are in the making. The most fascinating side of purple, due to its challenging emotional side, is that it can be so beautiful, for everybody, even purple-haters.

We just did a room for a teenage girl who was ready to move on from the plain lavender room of her  preteen years, but still couldn’t move away from purple completely. She wanted a purple room that didn't scream purple, but was still purple. A room that was more sophisticated, more grown-up. To me, the trick with purple is brown. We chose two colors and mixed them on the wall with a technique called a wash. By doing so, we gave the purple more of an earthy, late-fall-sky feel. From close up, it looks more like a taupe brown than a purple, but the overall effect of the room is still purple, just softer, more grown-up, more sophisticated. She loves it, and her mom got rid of the purple and pink lamps in the room and replaced them with a very pretty leopard-print lamp. They will continue to bring in more details of browns throughout the room.
                     
When in doubt about purple, I think it is good to think brown. And if you are a purple-lover, go ahead, keep the blue and, oh yes, don't forget the green! Go for it, I would love to be you!

Flea Market Treasures

By Michele Coppin

Flea Markets are dusty treasure troves, hiding bargains waiting to be discovered. It might take a little digging and an open mind, but you can find mysterious and precious items that have soul, history and, at least, a story. Each seller’s station at a flea market offers a look into history. I always enjoy paging through old photo albums brimming with smiling strangers, sifting through ornate silver cutlery and examining crystal drops from an antique chandelier.
 
I purchased the most unique treasure the other day at a flea market - rare and special, and not expensive.  A sweet little girl dressed in a rain coat has come to keep my blue wall and 'By the Sea' painting company.
                            

When looking to decorate a home, I like to look through romantic prints, which can really dress up a room. This refined and delicate lady calls for a soft and gentle background like a pale gray/green moss color or tender lavender/pink.
                              

And check out this electric blue throne, which would look grand against a rusty brown wall.
                              

I also love this delicious orange curtain with its tangle of yellows and ocres throughout its pattern. You could even use something like this to make a set of pillows.
                           

Yes, indeed. Flea markets offer affordable home improvement options and inspiration worth their weight in gold.

 

A Restaurant Transformation Unfolds

The restaurant is finally done!!! If you remember, I wrote about this project back in March and April when we were working on it.

For an off white room, people have gotten really excited about it. I’ve had so many customers come up to me and ask what color is on the walls…Clivedon Mist. In fact, one of them went home and painted their bedroom this warm and soothing white. I’m thrilled everyone is happy. Their comments range from: “It’s so crisp and fresh” to “very elegant.” All in all, the room was completely transformed by painting the walls a warm tone white, putting in a deep brown floor covering and letting elements like the fireplace really shine. The tired honey brown furniture was all painted ”Journey.” It really brought the old chairs into play.             

                                                        Before...

                                                        After!

                                            
    Clivedon Mist 6007-1A                                                     Journey 6010-1   

Red Entrance

By Ann McGuire

A client of mine has an open plan home. She wanted to create definition for her entry way, so we came up with the idea of painting it a deep color. We looked through her house and saw some great reds. We suggested La Fonda Antique Red. Here’s how it went…

                                                         
                                       La Fonda Antique Red 2002-5A      

   

                                                         Before...

                    

                                                         During...

             

                                                        After!