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.

Results of 1st Color Buzz Poll - Living Rooms

From our first readers' poll, we learned that many of you would place your living room first on your "to paint" list.  Living rooms are a great way to make the most of your painting time and money because they are the public space of the house, where you entertain friends and family. From cocktails to children's play dates, this room is the stage for so many of life's enjoyable moments. Putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls can make a big difference.

For most of us, we want a cozy or maybe rustic living room where we can unwind. To create a cozy space, try a deep, rich color that you can incorporate with fabrics and rugs. A red could go nicely with colors of sand or stone. For a bold statement, try a red like Oatlands Upholstery Red 1008-3A. Staining the ceiling a bone color keeps a sense of lightness in the space.

If you prefer light and airy, try lighter shades to make a room feel more spacious. In this living room, the creamy whites play off each other and the soft neutrals give some dimension. The charcoal coffee table anchors the space. When working with whites, try to find ones that have a bit of brown and gray to them so that the color isn't mistaken for a pastel. To achieve this look, try Snow Cap 7003-8 or Romano 7003-15. 

The third living room we wanted to share pairs a rich, warm gold with fabrics of subtly lighter shades. This gives the walls more drama, but maintains the sophisticated atmosphere, while the blue accents add some kick. The room appears bigger as the eye moves out into the hall to rest on the gray-blue matting of the bird prints.

There are many ways to approach this very social room. Let us know how you treat your living room and what colors and textures are of interest to you

Home Front

We were recently mentioned in Terri Sapienza’s Blog Watch column in the Washington Post. This is particularly near and dear to me, being a former Washingtonian. I encourage you all to check out her articles on house & home. One of my favorites is an informative piece that helps quell our collective sadness over Domino's closing. The article focuses on the possibility of the great magazine’s reemergence and acquiring back issues for your collection. One site Terri mentions is http://welovedomino.wordpress.com/. I recommend checking it out for a quick Domino fix.

Both Terri and Jura Koncius host a weekly live discussion, taking on your decorating dilemmas every Thursday at 11 AM EDT. You can submit your questions before or during the live session: http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/content/submit_homestaff.htm.

And, if you haven’t done so already, please take our Color Buzz Poll mini survey!

Books on Color for Christmas

I love books, especially in the winter! You can curl up with a hot cup and read, read, read. Books make wonderful Christmas gifts. They tell a person you appreciate their interests and want to support what they love. When you're thinking of what to get your favorite artist, aspiring designer, color enthusiast or do-it-yourself guru, try taking a look at some of these beauties.

For the fine arts painter:

Color Theory by Jose Parramon

This amazing book explains how color works in nature and gives examples of how color can be manipulated, mixed and juxtaposed. It talks about color harmonies, complements, contrasts and how to work with cool and warm hues.


For the total color-lover:

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finaly

You can eat this book up; it's a rich and engaging look at color. The author brilliantly breaks the book into chapters by color, each dedicated to the history, lore and use of a particular color. 

Black: The History of a Color by Michel Pastooureau

The author takes us from the very beginnings of our exploration of painting when our ancestors turned to carbon for their pigment. This beautiful and generous image-filled book takes us through the ages, up to current culture, and how and why color still holds such power.

Blue: The History of a Color by Michel Pastooureau

“Pastoureau's text moves us through one fascinating area of activity to another. The jacket, cover and end papers of this luscious book are, appropriately, blue; its double-columned text breathes easily in the space of its pages. It is o well sewn it opens flat at any place. The fascinating, aptly chosen color plates, not confined to the title color, will please even those eyes denied the good luck of being blue.”
(Synopsis by William Gass, Los Angeles Times Book Review)

A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire by Amy Butler Greenfield

"Elusive, expensive and invested with powerful symbolism, red cloth became the prize possession of the wealthy and well-born," Greenfield writes in her intricate, fully researched and stylishly written history of Europe's centuries-long clamor for cochineal, a dye capable of producing the "brightest, strongest red the Old World had ever seen."
(Synopsis by Publisher's Weekly)

Design Dilemma - Sue's House

Hi Beehive Designers,

My dilemma is picking a shade of beige that looks like what I picked in all lights. I searched through many paint chips and narrowed it down to a few that I really liked. I put the chips on the walls to see how the colors looked in all lights. After a long search I finally picked a color and began painting.

What I found after painting, which was not apparent in the chip, is that the walls in the daylight give off a slight pink hue. I don't hate the color but I wanted something more of a sand color. It is time to paint again and don't want to make the same mistake. I also want to paint a few walls a slightly darker color for contrast. I watch many design shows and they seem to pick a contrasting color, then a shade two chips down for the other walls.

I have asked the paint consultants how I can avoid picking a beige paint with pink hues but they seem to not have the answer. I don't want to spend money on the little jar samples that I can purchase because it can become costly. Any suggestions on a beige or sand color with a contrasting color would be wonderful.

Sincerely,
Susan

..............

Hi Susan,

You have come to the right place!!! We work with beige all the time. I love it. It's a very soothing and warm background color – a great foundation color that lends itself to so many different design directions. A perfect beige is one that won’t pink out on you and has some green in it. Here is a list of a few to try:
               
Shoreline Haze 6008-1B with Jekyll Club Cherokee Tan 6008-2A as accent.

                
       Milestone 6007-1B with Oregon Coast 6007-1C as accent

                
Cliveden Sandstone 3007-10B with Lyndhurst Mushroom 3007-9C as accent.

Let us know how it works out for you...

Warm Fall Colors

By Megan Leblond

Apartment Therapy’s fourth annual Fall Colors contest is searching for the most colorful home. We took a look at one submission from Sylvia, and found the colors in her apartment to be versatile and inviting.   

                        
Here are some other colors from Valspar's selection that may have also worked well in the space.
                        
Valspar's Jekyll Club Cherokee Rust is a spectacular reddish brown that works well with golds and greens.  This color could be used in the bar area or as accent areas in combination with other warm tones throughout the apartment.
                                    
                               Jekyll Club Cherokee Rust 2011-7

To open up the hallway, she could try warm colors such as Valspar's Linen Napkin, Fioli Honey 3005-6B and Woodrow Wilson Maize 3005-8C. If you are working with warm tones, other great colors to consider are Pale Cordovan, Cowboy Hat 3010-8 and Frankincense 3002-5C.
                   
                 Linen Napkin 3008-6C            Pale Cordovan 3010-7

If you find the fall season's colors inspiring, you may consider using complimenting colors displayed in harmony during the season. Escape, a Valspar blue, is truly reminiscent of a beautiful fall sky. And Fall Meadow is a fabulous yellow-green seen throughout the season.
                                    
                                           Escape 4007-7B

One tip:  When choosing bold colors for walls, remember to add some neutrals in accessories (the opposite of say, an accent pillow). Also choose some accessories close in color to your fixtures or furniture to help the space look cohesive.

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.

 

Design Dilemma - Wayne's Yellow House

Hello,

My wife and I want to update our 20-year-old house with a clean bright look.  We want to use a pale colonial-formal yellow for wall color throughout the house which has white crown moldings and other impressive white woodwork, nine-foot ceilings, etc.  We have various colonial red and blue fabrics and mahogany furniture, gold framed mirrors, etc. throughout the house.  I’m sure you get the picture.

I’ve tried two different shades of “yellow” in two different rooms.  Each shade has looked good on the sample, but turns into a completely different effect when applied to four walls.  One room looks like the old harvest gold kitchen stove in my first apartment years ago, and the other looks like Big Bird under a fluorescent green light.  HELP!  I have the whole house to repaint and carpet and everything is based on getting this new color scheme right for the walls.

I’ve seen the color we’re looking for on TV in a news shot of the Yellow Oval Office in the White House. Here is a photo of the Yellow Oval Office, but we’d like color to be just a bit more yellow and a little less beige.

 

Can you give me some paint chip sample names to consider and to plug into your Painter tool on the Valspar Web site?

Thanks for any help you can offer . . . .
--

Wayne

 

Hi Wayne,

With all eyes on the next occupants of the White House, I like how you are turning there for your inspiration. 

Colors that can deliver the yellow of this East Wing room are:

                            
                 Homey Cream 3007-6B           Honeysuckle Beige 3007-6A 

                                        
                                  Carolina Inn Lobby Yellow 3008-6B

Let us know how it goes...

Ann

Front Doors

Michele Coppin

Rather than painting the entire exterior, why not try a fresh coat of paint on the front door to update your home’s appeal? When choosing a color, consider the door’s surroundings. There is often a color you can find to coordinate with the existing materials. By choosing a shade lighter or darker than what is already there, you will give a sense of unity to your house.

The red in this door picks up the color of the brick while the contrasting green outlines it nicely.

For a door that makes a big impact on its own, pick an inviting color that you like.


 

This blue door has so much personality!

                           

 

For a luxurious, creamy look, a gloss or semi gloss exterior paint works best, like Valspar Duramax Satin Finish.

When using several colors, follow the structure of the door and let the panels guide you.  This will highlight any interesting characteristics in the woodwork. 

Which ever way you go, say no to blandness, say yes to color and embrace your door!

Megan's New Farmhouse

By Megan Leblond

Sometimes a home project may seem overwhelming. The commitment might seem daunting, but with your home and your taste, there’s nothing to be scared of.

I am the proud new owner of a farmhouse built in 1902. The prior owners called the home Casa de Chandeliere. The chandeliers in every room are kind of charming, but it is the wallpaper that I’ll have to override first.

With an entire home to tackle the task really can seem daunting, but I’ve decided to take my own advice and work from the heart in a systematic way to achieve optimum results! I thought about some of my favorite interiors and how I could incorporate elements of them into my home.

At one point in time I worked in a gallery that had the most awesome purple walls. I also had a dear friend growing up who dreamed of and actualized a lavender tree-house bedroom. I think I loved it as much as she did. After finding myself purchasing primarily purple flowers for the garden this year, I’ve decided to commit...

As a child I used to love to accompany my father to his office.  You could just soak into the deep chocolate browns and mahoganies of the woods and plush leathers. I would douse myself in a novel some weekends while he played catch up. It was quiet, intimate, cozy and safe...

Another one of my favorite interiors includes a spa I frequent. The caramel marble is so elegant I just might have to acquire some of my own! Or I might just steal the color for a wall...

So I’ve decided: lavender in the dining room and chocolate browns in the family room. And the gold caramel is on deck for the kitchen or master bedroom.

I’ll keep you posted.

When planning my home I also kept in mind my affinity for celadon, the light green colored glaze used in ceramics; I own some pieces with this glaze and know I can’t resist it! And my affections for red colored objects were also considered in these color choices.

Just remember to keep it simple when starting. Don’t try to make too many choices at once. Think about your favorite color schemes and how you could make them work together.