Color Buzz

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

Design Dilemma: Emily’s Living Room, Kitchen and Couches

I recently posted this question on Apartment Therapy:

"I just bought my first place and I'm dying to paint the interior. I need a color for the living room and a color for the kitchen and I need them to look good together.

The biggest issue is my couches. While whether or not they are attractive is debatable, they are definitely a little loud. I need the color of the living room walls to complement the couches, and then I need that color to blend well with the kitchen. I thought about a white kitchen with a color on the door, however I'm not sure if white is going to make the kitchen look too sterile. Any suggestions?"
 
I got some good answers; the most popular one was to use the blue color that is in the couch. I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a hue that would match or compliment this blue.

I've looked at paint samples for hours and I am still unsure how dark/bright to go with the wall color and where to apply the color. The most important thing for me is to brighten the living room up, however I can't see many light colors going with those couches.

I do plan on keeping the couches and I want to incorporate them into the decor without getting stuck with too much of a retro feel. Also, a few people suggested using the blue in both rooms to create a more open space. I'm having trouble picturing that much of one color, although I do like the idea of keeping a unified feeling throughout both rooms.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

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

And please don't forget to answer our latest Color Buzz Poll on where you get your color inspiration!

Pairing Paint and Quarry Stones

By Michele Coppin

I am working with two clients, Miguel and Anna, who have gutted their living room and are rebuilding it from scratch. It is a labor of love and a painfully slow process for these passionate DIY-ers. They want the fireplace to be the central focus of the room, so Miguel hand-picked the most interesting and colorful stones from the quarry. He then carefully cut and assembled them to fit together like a puzzle.

              

He explained that he used naturally weathered rocks because the face of each rock was exposed to the elements over thousands of years. I have been following his progress over the past few months and am amazed by the result. He has taken a pile of rocks and transformed it into this beautiful structure. I think Miguel might secretly be a sculptor.

               

Now it is time to paint the walls in a color that enhances all the wonderful nuances in the stone, particularly the more unusual purples and ochres (earthy-yellows). These are complementary colors, meaning they sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Each makes the other seem more intense. Therefore, ochre walls would emphasize the purple in the stone, whereas purple walls would bring out the ochre.

We looked at many swatches at different times of day and under different light. Anna does not care for ochre walls so we concentrated on creamy beiges. After helping them identify their favorites, I painted big swatches of the chosen color options above and next to the fireplace.

Miguel’s preference is Dusky Hyacinth, a soft greyish purple. It is quite dark and  would create a dramatic effect:

                                           

                                        Dusky Hyacinth 1003 - 10A

Anna’s choice is Lyndhurst Gallery Beige, which is soft and soothing, yet rich enough to be  very effective:

                                            

                                    Lyndhurst Gallery Beige 2006 - 10B

The jury is still out and the perfectionists are debating. What color would you suggest?

Design Dilemma: Jason's House

Hi there!

I am in desperate need of help with the color selection for my hallway and kitchen. I have an open floor plan where my dining room and kitchen are both open and the hallway comes between both rooms. I just think that my current color selection doesn't quite go together.

Right now my dining room is painted with Hopsack.                                
                                 
                                   Hopsack 3003-10B

The powder room has stripes that my wife and I painted by masking off the green base and sponging on a silvery metallic.

      

Also coming off the main hallway are two bedrooms. One is painted with River Mist and the other is painted with Ralph Lauren Chaps Sandstone BRS-31, which is a medium dark brown.

                                      
                                        River Mist 5003-9A

The kitchen, which falls at the end of the hallway, is painted with Woodlawn Silver Brook and my dining room is painted with Hopsack.

    

                         
  Woodlawn Silver Brook 5001-1B          Hopsack 3003-10B

The hallway, which links each of these rooms together, is painted with Dutch Boy's Mackinac Island with white trim throughout. It just seems like the green in my hall doesn't go well with my other colors.

I was wondering if you could help me determine what colors I should paint my hallway and kitchen. My wife and I like contemporary colors but we tend to choose more browns than anything. Also, we don't want any of the colors to be too loud in case we decide to sell the house someday.

Any advice you could give me would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jason

Redecorating the White House

By Michele Coppin

                          

Yesterday marked a historic moment for our county. Today, President Obama will change his address and the Obama family will trade their red brick Chicago home for the White House.

                    

The White House is a symbol of the presidency and the U.S. government for all Americans. Leading back to its construction under George Washington in 1792, it has had a fascinating history, with each occupant leaving his mark in some way. 

The White House has been redecorated many times, most famously by Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy.  In 1962, Jackie ran a very public campaign to restore and redecorate the White House with authentic colors, furnishings and period pieces to maintain the history of our nation’s most famous home. As a patron of the arts and a woman of sophisticated taste, she turned the White House into a museum of American history and decorative arts.

 

The state rooms are found on the ground floor, where business is conducted and official guests are received, including some members of the general public on guided tours.  The Committee for the Preservation of the White House preserves these rooms, including the Red Room which has maintained a red décor specific to the empire style of the 1830s.

While the grandeur of these stately rooms is exquisite, it is important to remember that this monument is also the home to the First Family, including two young children and a new puppy. The second and third floors of the home are strictly residential and the Obama’s will be able to redecorate them however they please.

So, with such a monumental redecorating project ahead of the Obama family, we thought we should offer tips and ideas to make the move easy and the redecorating meaningful. 

Let’s begin with the private living room and dining room:

        

How do you think these can be improved? Please leave your comments and suggestions below!

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!

           

                            

Hip, Hot, Cool Grey

By Michèle Coppin

Grey is finally getting the recognition it deserves as one of the hottest colors for the New Year! Greys started regaining popularity in 2008, and as noted by my fellow Beehive designer, Ann McGuire, in her Kansas City Star interview, grey is the “new neutral” and can easily be paired with many colors to achieve different effects.

No one seemed to pay much attention to grey until last March when supermodel turned singer and First Lady of France, Carla Bruni, accompanied her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy, on his first official visit to England. The trip was a great success, and Carla won the hearts and minds of the British with her elegance, poise and array of gorgeous grey ensembles! The Queen was reportedly impressed, the press went wild and grey made its fashion comeback.

Grey has a long history rooted in the nostalgic beauty of grey seas and grey skies, with its depth and mystery inspiring artists and designers for centuries.

                                  
 
Forget about dull battleship grey, midway between white and black. Grey is a soothing color that exudes tranquility and calmness. Grey can create harmonious and gentle atmospheres that are reassuring, comforting and discreet—a true relief in these tumultuous times.

For those in need of a simple and cost-effective way to restore harmony and balance in your home, a new shade of this soothing color can make a big difference. Take a look at this romantic and quiet space by Layla Grayce decorators that used a combination of pale greys and soft blues: 

                    

This comfortable modern interior blends greys and whites to create a relaxing and tranquil place:

                      

The most beautiful greys are created by mixing two complementary colors—colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel, like blue and orange, yellow and purple, or red and green.

Indeed, grey can range from soft lavenders to cool misty greens and sophisticated blues. For example:

For a warm grey: March Breeze
For a greener, fresh grey: Cliveden Mist
For a cool grey: Tempered Grey

To explore additional grays, go to Valspar’s online paint palette, choose a family of colors and select the "Neutral” tab at the bottom for “grayed” versions of those colors.
 
Greys are enhanced by other colors and are easily matched:

• All greys go with white
• Blue-greys go well with blues and greens
• Reddish greys go well with pinks
• Brownish greys go well with oranges, pinks and turquoises
  

*Carla has a lovely soft and smoky voice, I recommend her latest CD – all the proceeds go to charity.

               
  March Breeze 1001-10C   Cliveden Mist 6007-1A    Tempered Grey 1004-14

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?

        

        

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

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.