Color Buzz

Decorating on a Shoestring

By Ann McGuire

Recently, I was interviewed by Tracey Morgan of WDSY Radio in Pittsburgh. We explored the idea of how to make the most of your decorating dollar. So many of us are faced with a financial crunch right now. Instead of dinners out, movie nights and even vacations, we are creating atmospheres at home that take you somewhere out of the ordinary.

We talked about how redecorating doesn’t have to be expensive. For $40 to $50 and one weekend, you can transform an otherwise forgettable room into a pleasing destination. Tracey wanted to know what room to start on. I suggested the family room or the kitchen because those are the rooms everyone in the family enjoys. With painting, you really do get the most bang for your buck.

What mistakes do people make with kitchens? Making them too busy is a problem we often see; there is so much activity in this room. Keep the décor clean and simple, and it will create a space where it is easy to focus on the task at hand. Perk up the walls with children’s artwork or family photos that can be changed out each season. A bright cheery color is great in a kitchen because the wall surface is usually limited. You can always put sunny yellow next to clean white cabinets.

I’ll continue briefing you all about what we discussed in future posts. If you can, check out the interview. Let me know if you have any additional ideas or experiences on how to decorate on a shoe string.

Design Dilemma - Gwynne's House

Hello Beehives,

I was wondering if you could help me. I bought Winter Evening Valspar paint and I don't like the way it looks. Can I try lightening it by adding some white or somehow mixing it with another color until I get the right color and ask Lowe’s to match it?  What do you think? I appreciate it.

Thank you,
Gwynne

-----------------
Dear Gwynne,

If you put on a color that is too dark, you can always add a lighter tone to it to make it more livable. I think your idea of mixing your own color at home, trying it on the wall, and then taking it into Lowe’s to color match is a great one. That way, you’ll know what you’re getting. And since you’ve already bought the paint, you may as well use it.

First, I would pick a warm white to mix in. Birch White from the Waverly collection is a good choice to go with Winter Evening – they are very compatible. Then, get three to four containers for your three to four color mixes. We measure everything here at the Studio, so I recommend that you get some old measuring cups.

Start by putting a ½ cup of Winter Evening in each of the containers. Then in container # 1 put a ½ cup of your white, in container #2 put a ⅓ cup, in container # 3 put a ¼ cup and in container #4 put ⅔ of a cup. Then paint samples as large as possible (about 1’ x 1’) of each newly mixed color on each of your walls to really get a sense of what the color looks like all around. You’ll notice how the color changes depending on which wall it is on. Pick the sample that looks the most consistently appealing.

Go recreate that color at Lowe’s and away you go to a brighter room! Let us know how it goes. If you can get before and after photos, even better!!!

                                                      

Waverly Winter Evening WV-32003                  Waverly Birch White WV-31003

 

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
 

Design Dilemma - Kate's House - Response

Dear Kate,

Your house is warm and open. I love how you want to bring in a tropical feel. I love the color Boston Legacy. We have an alcove painted in that color here at the studio. I would suggest using it on the wall in the kitchen where the backsplash is, and above the cabinets. It will give that area a lot of depth.

If you want to use Tranquil Bay, try it on the wall that runs along the kitchen and dining room. You can paint the opposite wall the Woodrow Wilson Maize. You also might want to consider Filoli Gold Ecru. It has a touch more green in it and goes nicely with the Tranquil Bay. 

If you want to kick things up, you can also paint the wall in the stairwell that has the painting on it. You could try a deeper, toastier tone like Fairmont Suite Gold or a mid-tone beige like Cliveden Sandstone. Both these colors are pretty neutral, so it should blend well with colors from any adjoining room.

Let us know how it goes!

Best wishes,
Ann    

                                                       
              Filoli Gold Ecru 3008-8C            Fairmont Suite Gold 3003-8A 

                                           
                                   Cliveden Sandstone 3007-10B

Design Dilemma - Kate's House

Hi Beehive Designers,

We have just bought a house (our first) and my husband and I really want to make this space reflect both of our styles.  The pictures I have attached are from the MLS listing.  We do not move in for a couple more weeks and between now and then I want to formulate some kind of color scheme and design plan.

My issues with this room are that the living room, dining room and kitchen are all in one space.  We have decided to use a pale yellow grass wall cloth along the main wall that unifies the dining and living area.  However, I have been looking at Valspar colors for the rest of the walls and ceilings and have no idea how or where to use them to create an impact, but to also keep the space looking like we actually had an idea of what we were doing.   

We have agreed that we want to use the following colors:

Woodrow Wilson Maize

Tranquil Bay

Boston Legacy

But where do we use them and how?  We are trying to create a space that feels serene but has a tropical element to it – hence the grass wall cloth.  I would appreciate ANY suggestions or comments.  Thank you.

Regards,

Kate


                        


                        

            
                                      
Woodrow Wilson Maize 3005-8C  Tranquil Bay 5004-5B     Boston Legacy 2005-9A   

Bringing Functionality and Feeling Together

So many homes these days are built with a great room which serves as a giant architectural multi-tasker. These rooms have a conflict; they are lofty and vast compared with the rest of the home, but they are also a place where the family comes together. One way to bring the function and the feel of the room together is by painting it a subtle color that almost reads as a white. You need a color that feels light in order to avoid creating an enormous cave. First, consider what is going on in the rest of the house. Is it cool and modern? Or, is it warm and cozy? A cool-palette home could have a warm grey-blue in the space. Perhaps use a color like Valspar Woodlawn Sterling Blue or Tempered Gray. These tones can hold the space together gently without feeling too cold. For homes that are warmer in nature, colors like Valspar Belle Grove Light Amber or Baked Scone give warmth without dragging the space down.  It’s like when you paint a space that reads white, but there’s much more at work.


                                       
        Woodlawn Sterling Blue 5001-3B      Tempered Gray 4004-1A



                                       
         Belle Grove Light Amber 3006-8B      Baked Scone 3007-8B

Exterior Color

         

When painting the exterior of your house, you should always consider the color surrounding your home. Do you have nature around you? Then, you might want to consider two different directions:

      1) To blend in with the surroundings. One great color that harmonizes with most landscapes is Valspar Dakota Trail. It has enough green and brown in it to harmonize with the great outdoors.

      2) The opposite direction is to use a red like Eddie Bower’s Cabin Red. This will set your home beautifully against its setting.

When picking a trim color, keep in mind the size of your home. Larger homes should have a lower contrast between trim and main color. You do this so the home won’t feel chopped up. For smaller homes, especially cottage style homes, you can have more fun because the trim-to-main-surface ratio is smaller. If you want a small house to look larger though, keep trim and main color closely related.

                                              
                                            Dakota Trail 6008-3B

Design Dilemma - Chris's Box

Hi Beehive Designers,

I bought an antique box last year and recently adhered a sheet of copper to the top. I’m trying to find the right color to paint the wood of the box, but I’m having trouble. I’d like to place it on the ottoman to make a study surface and use it sort of like a coffee table. However, I already have a lot of color schemes in the family room (I’ve sent photos to give you an idea of the surroundings). The colors of the room are reflected in the couch and pillows in the background. Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

Thank you,

Chris

                                            

Hi Chris,

Glad you wrote! After looking at the box, I'm thinking a soft green grey like Stony Path would be nice. The greens in this color would be a great compliment to the copper and the grey tones would work well with the furnishings in the room.

Best,
Ann

                                             
                                            Stony Path 5007-1B
 

How to Make a House a Home

Start with a color palette you love. If you can’t move walls, paint them! I would suggest looking into warm colors. They create a pleasing space. We are currently repainting the studio. It was grey and industrial, and it’s now becoming a warm light stone color. It’s still neutral, but warm neutral. It makes a world of difference…you can actually feel it.

Even if the space is not ideal, you can cast it in a warm and soothing tone to bring a pleasing effect. Warm neutrals are perfect for this situation. Colors like Shoreline Haze, Milestone Mist and Ancient Scroll are wonderful foundations for the rest of your color scheme. They are friendly with most other colors especially with warm and bright tones. Paint your home in varying degrees of these inviting neutrals. To create space, play one tone against another. For example, paint a hallway a mid-deep color like Oregon Coast, and paint the room it leads to a light tone like Clivedon Mist. You will feel like you’re moving into an expanded bright space.

Another way to transform your home is to create destination rooms -- rooms you’re not in all day like the dining room, bedroom or even a bathroom. In these spaces you can amp it up! Introduce a bold or deep color that is exciting and/or stimulating. You won’t be looking at it all the time and when you are, you feel like you’ve gotten away from the rest of the house. Choose a color that works with the rest of the house so it doesn’t look like the room came out of nowhere.

                                           
           Shoreline Haze 6008-1B               La Fonda Sombrero 2008-5B

                                           
      Woodrow Wilson Linen 3005-10C          Precious Stone 4002-5C