Color Buzz

Refreshing an Older Room

If you want to update an older room without making a drastic change, replacing the wall paper for paint is always a good choice. We recently revamped a room in a farm house that dates back to the 1860s. First, we stripped the wallpaper and applied a fresh coat of plaster. Then, we stained the white plaster with Valspar Sandy Cove, a color we thought would keep the integrity of the historic structure. When staining the plaster, we were careful to water down the paint 5 parts water to 1 part paint.

For the closet space, we wanted to choose a color that created a cozy surrounding to the bedroom like Valspar Caramel Gold, Hot Crossed Bun or Crunch Granola. After we applied the paint, we washed the closet walls with Boston Legacy, a darker brown, to give the closet some depth.

         

                                                                             

                 Sandy Cove 3005-10A               Caramel Gold 3006-7B

                                       

                Hot Crossed Bun 3005-9B           Crunch Granola 3004-9B

A New Palette for Existing Home Décor

When incorporating a palette into existing home décor, homeowners should take a look at what is already there. Are you ready for a full-out change or are you going to take it step by step? What is your ultimate destination for the feel of their home? Warm and welcoming? Cool and sophisticated? Rich and Vibrant? A little bit of each? Pick where you want to be at the end of the transformation. If your home is already warm, going towards Valspar’s Globetrotting and Botanical Releaf may be an easy palette to move into. If you want to take it in a more modern sophisticated direction, go to the Nuance palette and chose warmer colors from that collection. Same idea applies to the Artisan palette; look at the colors in the collection and choose the ones that works with what already exists in your home. Unless, of course, you’re starting from scratch, then take the palettes you love and go for it.

                                           Globetrotting Paint Chips

                                     Botanical Releaf Paint Chips
 

Adding Whimsy with Cabinets?

This blog entry was written by Beehive Studios designer Michele Coppin

While in Florida a few years ago, I was asked by Agnes and Phillipe to design and make their bathroom cabinets. They had just finished building their dream home, an elegant mixture of classic and contemporary styles, the living room combining Flemish antique furniture, Persian rugs and modern art. Having a very whimsical tendency however, they wanted the bathrooms to be playful and fun.

Agnes had seen cabinets that resembled Hawaiian shirts in a magazine and wanted the same. So, I called upon Len, the local craftsman/carpenter, a true artist – who arrived on his giant Harley, in full leather, and a white ponytail blowing in the wind. He was very amused by this novel project. I gave him the drawings of 4 shirts (two Hawaiian shirts and two frilly blouses – in the interest of gender equality) which he cut out with a grin and a saw. The cabinet doors did have to remain very rectangular in order to open without hitting the bathroom walls.

My challenge then was to paint them to look three-dimensional as well as match them to existing wallpaper in color and pattern…take a look!

Philippe and Agnes are thrilled. They love reaching in the shirts for their suntan lotion, and they enjoy the comments they receive from guests. I get a giggle every time I visit, and it was an easy and original way to personalize a room. Hmm…how about kitchen cabinets in the shape of fruits and vegetables? 

   

Painted Floors

We bought this 140-year old farm house. The upstairs wood floors were all painted when we took the place on. After going through several ideas (some more successful than others), this light soft beige/green seemed the direction to go it. The painted floor has given the space a charming light quality that we wouldn’t have gotten if we had stripped and stained them. We are still going room by room to get the colors right. A painted floor can add a spark of excitement underfoot, it can be a great deep-colored anchor or when painted a light color can lift up a room as though you’re walking on clouds. What kind of feeling do you want to be walking into?

Exploring the World of Design Blogs

Over a cup of coffee this morning I was checking out Blog Watch by Washington Post’s Terri Sapienza. It led me to this great blog- Making It Lovely. Check it out!! You get to watch Nicole Balch transform her Illinois bungalow into a stylish, clean-edge home. It has beautiful photography and offers a chance to get involved with the process. I’ll certainly continue to check in on the lovely transformation…

 

Serving Up Concepts for the Restaurant

You may have been wondering how the restaurant project is coming along…

After days of brainstorming, countless emails, and trips to the flower district and fabric stores in New York, we finally came up with these concept boards. These are what will drive all of our decisions in the weeks to come. We want a clean crisp look that has a sense of tradition. Feel free to send along comments and ideas…we always love your thoughts!

 

Design Dilemma - Melissa's House

Hi Melissa,

I'm so glad you wrote! Looking at the photos I can understand why it was challenging for you - there are so many interchanging plans in your home. Below are drawings of your home with suggested Valspar colors and the corresponding color chips. Based on your preference for beige, earthy tones and on the colors of your sofa, pillow, countertop, etc, I wanted to stick with a warm, neutral palette. However, I wanted to give you an option in the kitchen - either to stick with the toasty palette or to branch away with cooler tones. Churchill Hotel Maple will give the kitchen a warmer, cozier feel, while Silver Leaf is a cooler grey. This will be more expansive and will contrast with the warm upholstery, dark wood furnishings and medium wood cabinets.

These are my suggested colors and finishes for each part of your home:

Entry

• Main color: Riviera Dune in Eggshell

• Around door: Paint a 3 inch “trim” to give more significance to doorway. You can do this easily by measuring it with a ruler and outlining it with painter’s tape.

Living Room

• Main color: Strawberry Malt in Eggshell

Dining Room

• Upper color: Strawberry Malt in Eggshell

• Under dado: Café Miel in Satin

Kitchen

• Over Cabinets: Churchill Hotel Maple or Silver Leaf (both in Eggshell)

• Backsplash: Churchill Hotel Maple or Silver Leaf (both in Semi-Gloss)

Hall to bedrooms

• Main color: Riviera Dune in Eggshell

• Upper color: Mesa Tumbleweed in Eggshell

• Under dado: Desert Fortress in Satin

Regarding the finishes - I chose Eggshell for most of the walls because it holds color nicely and I chose Semi-Gloss for the backsplash to reflect light in the dark inset and also because it's likely to get dirty from use. I love what you did with the dado (or chair rail) in the dining room and in the hallway to the bedrooms! I chose a Satin finish for under the dad in both areas because the colors above and below it are similar and I wanted to amp it up a bit. Satin is between Eggshell and Semi-Gloss, so it's slightly "shinier" than Eggshell, but it's also easier to wash. Having a Satin finish under the dado is perfect for you because you have a one year old running around, so it's more likely that the lower part of your wall will get dirty fast.

I also wanted to address some of your decorating options. You should try some art work in the living room to liven up the walls. Over the family room couch would be a great spot for some framed family and friend photos - have fun with the arrangement! For the dining area, you could definitely add some wainscoting. Are you thinking panels or beadboard? The beadboard uses wood strips that area bout 2" wide. Either would look nice. I would keep the mirror because it adds depth. You could try putting some pictures around it, but I would go with a dark wood color frame as opposed to black - black will be too severe.

Thanks again for writing and for sharing with Color Buzz readers. Let us know what you think of the suggestions and please be in touch again if you have any extra questions along the way.  Please keep in touch and let us know how everything works out. We’d love to see the “after” photos once you’re finished. Good luck!

Design Dilemma - Melissa's House

Melissa, a Color Buzz reader, wrote to the Beehive Studios designers asking for color and decorating help on her house.  She sent in photos and the following background information.  Today’s blog features Melissa’s design dilemma.  Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your experience with Color Buzz readers.  Other entries are encouraged, so please feel free to email the Beehive designers with your specific design dilemma.

Come back on Monday to see Ann’s suggestions!

Hi Beehives,

Well, it is 11 pm, and after two weeks of trying to match colors and going through 13 sample paint cans, I came across this blog that offers help. My house has a completely open layout, meaning the kitchen, family room, living room and dining room are all one space. I am looking for a light to medium beige for the main color in my house.

I included pictures of my house to give you an idea of the space, existing colors and furniture.

The living room needs something on the walls besides paint, but I am so scared of doing anything – it took me three different curtains to finally decide on those. In the family room we are thinking about changing the decor to make it kid-friendly with a play kitchen or art table and two sofa chairs. In the dining room I think I am going to take down the mirror and put up black frames and I want to put up white wainscoting. I would like one ocean/beach tone for the décor in the dining room. I am open for the color in the kitchen, but I do like orangey/brown colors. They would all have to go together and mesh well.

I am so open to decorating ideas and the only thing that I want to keep is the sofa, TV stand, and curtains. Ohh, and I want to get new white blinds.

As far as what I would like with paint, I am pretty open-minded. I don't like super “out there” colors and I’m not a fan of reds.  I like neutrals and earth tones.  I also need help with what color to paint where – do I paint the island the same color as the kitchen or do I paint it the same color as the dining room wall?  And how do I paint the holes and area above the kitchen? They are rounded corners and the walls are textured.  Also do I paint the ugly baseboards the same color as the walls or white?

Additionally, what finish should I use in each room?  I have a one year old and everyone says I have to have high gloss in every room in case she draws on the walls, but I am not a big fan of shine. Any suggestions?

Thanks again for the help. Any advice or suggestions would be great. I am sooo stuck and my husband is pushing me to make a decision so we can cover up those samples on the wall.

Thanks,
Melissa

       

                                              
                              

            

            

 

       

Finding Your Color Personality

This blog is written by Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann. 

Out of curiosity, I took this color personality test on Canada's Style at Home. It was very interesting because while there are not that many questions specifically on color, it somehow produced results that were really true to my general sense of taste. It’s a useful test to take if you find yourself in doubt about the general direction you want to take when redecorating your home. Try it for yourself and tell us what you think!

What is Your Ideal Home?

I was reading Allison Arieff’s blog, “Is Your House Making You Look Fat?,” about green communities on the New York Times website. She doesn’t mention color (except green), but she does describe a way of life that is being considered more and more -- community-centered living. There is so much being discussed about the housing market these days. Her take is why not use this “down time” and start thinking about how we really want to live. Do we want to be part of a community where we don’t have to keep jumping in the car for every single activity? Since part of the point of this blog is to help create a beautiful home, I just wanted to throw out the question: what is your ideal home and how can it truly serve the life you want to have?