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:
We’re in the process of selling and our agent has recommended we repaint our cabinets. They are currently green with the walls and trim being light blue and light yellow. Our appliances are stainless and we have verde butterfly granite. I am really not sure what color to go with- any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Nic
Kate suggests:
By painting your cabinets to be more neutral the Verde Butterfly granite will show off more. (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
Hi Kate. We are in the process of finishing our basement. It is about 2100 feet and will have a main living area (pool table, air hockey, TV area, and a large bar/kitchen), exercise room (the wall that connects to the main living area will be half glass with glass doors), a bedroom and a bath.
The bar and pool table will be a medium oak. Our house is decorated in warm earth tones throughout, and we would like to carry this down to the basement. However, we don’t want to simply replicate the upstairs. I would like it to be a little bit more lively and fun.
We have no direct light from windows, so we are concerned about the space feeling too dark. If you have any color suggestions, we would love to hear them! FYI, our contractor includes Behr or Benjamin Moore paint. Many thanks, Francie
Note from Kate–
Hi Francie, I am out of town presenting at the House Beautiful Color Institute in Chicago but your in luck because the very talented Barbara Jacobs will be responding to your question. Take it away Barbara.
Barbara suggests…
You are thinking in the right direction to want to make your more active space have a more energetic and lively ambiance. Not only will it create variety of design in your home, but it is really more effective from the ‘color psychology’ perspective to create a more high-energy feeling in the kind of social area you’ve described. (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I have more of a question than a comment. I have an open floor plan with all white walls that are making me crazy. I NEED color!
I want the rooms to flow, but be distinct. The front room gets a lot of sun and has oak colored bookcases, and a little darker piano. I would like to do a sage(ish) green, pale yellowish and raspberry-reddish colors. It flows into the kitchen with one wall that connects via a vaulted ceiling. The kitchen has med. wood cabinets, black countertops, and stainless steel appliances.
The current decor is sort of country(ish) with black, red and goldish yellow. The living room shares the same wall as the front room and kitchen, and currently has a reddish leather couch that will have to stay and is sporting and “Americana theme” which could stay or go.
Most Pictures that will stay as part of the decor are framed in black. All rooms receive a good amount of natural light Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance! -Mindi
Barbara suggests…
Your preference is for sage green, pale yellow and raspberry-red colors, although you did not indicate where you would like these colors to be used. However, colors of the type you mention that could do well together, depending on their location, combination and proportion. I’m going to propose a couple of ways to do this:
From Benjamin Moore: (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I’ve been reading about Dorothy Draper but most of the pictures are in black and white. Can you give me some examples of the colors she actually used? I’d like to decorate my apartment in bold colors and thought her palette could inspire me. Thanks, Riley K.
Kate suggests…
Benjamin Moore put together a special palette of their colors that captured the style of Dorothy Draper a year or two ago for a museum retrospective show. Here are the colors they included:
Dorothy Draper was the Grand Dame of using bright, bold color and texture combinations in her day and thought to be quite outlandish. While they are bold by today’s standards these colors don’t seem all that unusual.
Find out more about America’s first interior designer in my article on Sensational Color…
Resources:
- Type in your zip code for a list of Benjamin Moore dealers near you.
- Do you have a color dilemma? Post it in the Makeover Gallery at RoomVues.com and you could be the next reader to have your color question answered on the Color For Your Home blog.
**Please note: Due to individual computer monitor limitations, colors seen here may not accurately reflect the paint colors. Please refer to an actual sample of the paint for an accurate rendition of the color.
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Today’s color dilemma…
I saw a post on Jill’s blog when I visited again after first learning of ‘Forever & Ever House’ when I posted my thoughts on the entries for “Spring green roundup”.
Jill was sharing that her four year old daughter wants a new room color. You can see the entire entry on her blog but here’s how it begins…
There was ONE exception to the “need to renovate” rule at our house and that was my daughter’s bedroom. Seventeen years ago, when our home was built, it was painted a very pretty, classic shade of yellow and it has remained that way to this day. So, when we moved into our home I said to myself “Self…well, at least THERE’S one room that doesn’t need to be painted.”
Madison’s bedding and valance from our starter home even had some yellow in it and with a few strategic placements of art, the nail holes in the walls from previous owner’s art would be covered.
Easy-peasy. Yippy Skippy.Well, you know where this is leading now, don’t you?
My daughter really wants a pink room! (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I’m looking for help with natural oak trim and wood floors. Pretty good light and great artisan wood side tables and hutch. Anything but yellow? Anything bolder? What about something in a green?
2nd question– I’m interested in some ideas for color for living room and dining room with beautiful natural oak trim and molding. There is no way we are going to paint this wood, but we would like ideas for a natural match. Help!!!! –Eileen
Kate suggests…
Green would be great choice with your oak floors and trim.
When I read your question I immediately thought of Edgewood Green from Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paint. This is a (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I would like to paint an interior bathroom with no windows that is shared by my teenage son and daughter. Any suggestions for a color that would brighten up this small, dark room? –Denise
Kate suggests…
For small spaces without natural light I recommend a color or combinations of colors that (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
Thanks for finally addressing the bricks…The front of my home has partial red brick and the rest is stucco. I am in Florida on a small lake.
The house was painted beige with the mauve trim, plenty of trim includes the garage. The house next to me had the mauve color shot and painted their house in it. The color is ok but not fantastic. It is midtone. What color can I use. Should I color shot the mauve ( from the 70s) and tweek it a little?
I like colorful; One house on the lake is a violet periwinkle and is pretty. Also 2 yellow houses on the lake. The house on my other side is white with lt. blue trim. Can you please show your color chip selections I just love that! — Criztina
Kate suggests…
I’m imagining that your mauve tends towards red if it goes well with your brick and if you are happy with that color than certainly tweaking it a bit is an option but it seems that you might be ready for a change.
Yellow and creamy tan are colors often used on homes that have red brick combined with stucco but with two other homes close by already using yellow I don’t think it would be best to have your home in this range of colors.
I like the idea of (more…)
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Today’s color dilemma…
I have a countertop in my bathroom that is covered with ugly contact paper. I cannot afford a new counter right now. Is there a paint I could use to cover it with? –Elizabeth
Kate suggests…
It is possible to paint over a laminate counter top and while it isn’t the ideal solution it can be done. I painted over a hideous countertop (more…)
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