For a sensational home--add color![color for your home]
Meet the Color Mavens
Kate Smith
"As a professional color expert, trend forecaster, engaging speaker and founder of the Sensational Color network, I work with both corporations and individual clients on using color to create interest "
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Bonnie Krims
"Bonnie Krims, a nationally recognized architectural paint color consultant, is adept at developing paint color schemes that not only reflect the needs of the client, but also highlight the important design features of their home. "
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Ellen Kennon
"With colors from her signature collection of Full Spectrum Paints and over 25 years of experience as an interior design Ellen creates environments that are often described as magical or healing while "
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Jaima Brown
"“Surround yourself with beauty” is Jaima Browns mantra and her eye for color and design is beautifully reflected in her signature line Jaima Brown Home
Her design expertise combined wit"
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Denise Turner
"As an American Society of Interior Design national spokesperson, Denise regularly appears in the media and you may even recognize her as a winning designer on HGTV Designer’s Challenge. However "
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Barbara Jacobs
"Barbara is a gifted designer with a keen understanding of using color in a functional as well as aesthetic way, which is essential for creating supportive spaces. A designer, consultant and specialist"
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Today’s decorating dilemma:
My walls are a bit textured but I’m REALLY wanting to try this pearl finish. Someone suggested I use a grout trowel or dense sponge to move the glaze around instead of the specified trowel as I don’t think that will pick up the paint in the textured grooves.
Am I just setting myself up for a disaster or could this be worth a try???–Heather
Bethany suggests:
Pearl finish sounds beautiful!! There has been some discussion on previous blogs with sucesses on both smooth and rough wall surfaces. The pearl effect is in essence a swirl or cloud-like effect made possible by the timing, thickness of paint application, and interaction of the tacky paint.
There has been conversation involving different methods of using the floating” trowel that Valspar recommends with the faux finishing kit. So how you swirl the trowel, either in a semi-circular or X pattern determines the effectiveness for the particular texture of your wall. A stroke of confidence (even of a novice!) looks better than going over and over a spot trying to perfect it, especially with a medium that is timing based, like this is.
At any rate, the sheen of the pearl finish is integral to this paint, so if anything, it will add an iridescent quality to your walls, and will accentuate any space beautifully.
I encourage you to go and try it!! Are there any walls in your home of lesser consequence that you could practice on? Try it on a more private wall space, such as a well lit closet, or lesser hallway before you move to a public guest space.
It will be a nice touch that is all your own that has all the promise of a professional look!
See Kate’s original post here…
A few more pictures of Valspar’s Brushed Pearl here…
Read some tips from Valspar…
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Today’s decorating dilemma:
Your advice is wonderful, and I’m hoping my home can be helped as well. Here’s why: Built in the 80’s, my country style home has 4 brick colors: a few tan, mostly orange, very few charcoal brown, and some a light orange. Currently, trim (over garage and all around, is slate blue. Shutters are blue with white trim. also have a country railing (white) around front porch. (all windows are those 80’s brown) My husband won’t repaint until I choose a different color, and we must paint extremely soon. I hate orange and brown…
Can you help? ~Donna
Bethany*suggests:
Yes!! To start off with, notice all the different colors in the brick. There must be a color in there that you can embellish, such as the tan. The tan/beige colors also will look very well with the slate blue. Also, slightly changing the existing brown color will make more of a difference than you might think.
A color of past decades is repeated years later altered slightly gives it the updated look. A slight change makes all the difference!!
Another idea would be to take out the slate blue color altogether and replace it with the dark charcoal brown, 6076 Turkish Coffee, you have mentioned for the trim. This color will look fabulous when coupled with a lighter color (pulled out of the brick conglomeration) such as Sherwin Williams Tatami Tan 6116 for the shutters. Instead of just plain white for the rails, you can choose a white version of Tatami Tan: 7124 Crescent Moon- this slight change will give the home a cozy glow.
*Not just Any Beth
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25th Jun. '08 ·
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Authored by Bethany Good
Today’s decorating dilemma:
I have oak floors (much lighter than the pictures above) and have oak trim at a low chair rail height and around the window and doors. I would like to put chocolate brown on the walls, but I don’t know if I should just do below the chair and something lighter on top like a golden color or beige? I have a golden color for the curtains and my accent color.
Any ideas? –Wendy
Bethany suggests:
Yes, I recommend having a darker color, such as Ralph Lauren’s VM24 Strudel, under the chair rail, and a lighter color above such as Spectra-tone collections 7772W Roman Chamomile color. Having light colors on top and darker colors on the bottom is appropriate because darker colors have more visual weight than light colors. Also, darker colors hide scuffs the usually ding up the lower part of the wall first.
You could spice up the buttery color on the wall, since you already have golden colored curtains and accents, with a metallic faux finish.
If you want to room to have a more formal flavor, stick to the golds and browns more exclusively. Here is a gold frame when added to the room will give it a selective, sophisticated look.
If you are looking for a more casual look, I would incorporate more than just warm colors. The gold theme will really shine when it isn’t overpowering the room. Balance can be acheived by including hints of the “other side”.
Some cooler, complimentary colored accents in the room, such as a deep eggplant purple table cloth will give some visual balance.
You can draw some inspiration out of nature. Start out with a bowl full of colorfully beaded fruit with grapes, plums, or artichokes would help to bring the temperature down!
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Today’s decorating dilemma: I need a little guidance, I am renovating a Katrina damaged home,. It is taking a long time and I want everything perfect, or as much as it can be.
I have a town home, living room, and kitchen run together, maple cabinets with a mocha stain, so the cabinets are basically almond with a little color, I am using teak, hand scraped floors throughout, not much light, just a large set of french doors leading to patio, and a small garden window in kitchen, I was thinking black galaxy granite, little spec of bronze, its beautiful, and oil rubbed chandeliers and faucets. Soooo, what color do I paint, or should I change something? please help! –Sharon
Bethany’s suggests:
It sounds like what you have is generally dark so I am envisioning a scheme with lots of contrast. (more…)
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Today’s decorating dilemma: My boyfriend and I are trying to complete our bathroom, the floor is in dark brown tile with chai tea wall tile color. After going crazy searching for Tiffany blue I wonder if this would be the best combo for a relax bathroom, what do you think?? Should I go for it and use Erica’s pick????
Look forward for feedback! ~Helena
Bethany’s Suggestion:
Tiffany’s Blue definitely has some pizzazz. The dark, chocolatey browns that you described always look good with (more…)
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