I’m going to turn this into a bistro. Would love some suggestions.  The theme is Mediterranean ( mostly Italian). Inside decor will be darker (mostly reds and browns) Any suggestions would be appreciated.– janemuir

Kate suggests:

I think this home will make a cute bistro.  While the darker colors you mention could work on the interior I would start with something a bit lighter on the exterior.  It will not only make the place look a bit bigger but will give you a canvas to add some details that can carry your theme to the exterior.

I’d start by painting the main part of the house with a color like Valspar 3004-8A Oatlands Gold Bluff or the slightly lighter 3004-6B Oatlands Yellow.  Use a creamy white for the trim that has the same undertone.

I would go with a toned gray for the shutters.  Something with a bit of color in the gray but not too much.  5001-4C Slate Court could work nicely but before putting it on slap on a coat of reddish brown first and let it dry.  You don’t have to do this to carefully because it is an undercoat.  Just avoid sloppy paint spills or drips.  Once dry give the shutters a nice coat of Slate Court.  When completely dry…and I mean completely…hit some of the high points with sandpaper to allow some of the undercoat color to come through and give you an aged look.

You can do the same thing with the door.  You could use the same undercoat color as long as it looks different enough from the door color or you could go with a shade of blue or even use the leftover paint from the shutters.  Again give the door a nice coat of a color like Valspar 1008-5A Belle Grove Flamestitch Red and then give it an aged look with a bit of sandpaper.

You can try out the look on a piece of scrap wood to make sure you like the way the undercoat looks when it comes through.  You should also test out the main exterior, trim, door and shutter color on test boards so that you can confirm that the colors work perfectly before you begin painting.

You don’t mention if you are going to keep the awnings but if you could match them to the main house color, the trim color or do something a bit creative.

Giving the aged finish to the door and shutters will begin connecting your guest with the theme before they even get inside.  A bit of landscaping to anchor the house and a few planters that look like they came directly from the Italian countryside and I think your place will say “Italian Bistro– Come on in!”

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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…

Gold conveys the symbolism of wealth, many of the world’s finest sculptures are derived from bronze, and silver outshining them all, emanates a sleek and modern appearance.

Metallic is majestic in all facets of our every day surroundings.

The glitz and glamour of the silver screen era is depicted in our art deco inspired Camden striped wallpaper, the latest development in dimensional wallcovering from Jaima Brown Home.  This subtle shimmering wallcovering adds luxury and panache to any room.

BE-DAZZLED!

I think this looks great on the rough wall surface.

I think it looks great and I asked him how he achieved the look and this is what he shared…

“I really don’t know if this is the way the finished job should look like on a non-smooth wall so your instructions were great and that is what we followed except for very rough parts of the wall.  We forgot about the half circle movement and just worked the paint in with the trowel in a different manner by using just the very edge of it then the end of it going in a circular motion.  I hope you can understand what I mean and sure you can use the pics if you can.  Thank you again for your support from your web site.” –SRF

You can see my original post about this product here…

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

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!

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…)

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…)

Today’s decorating dilemma:I have recently bought a house with a light blue carpet running through out. I need some advice on how I should go about choosing an appropriate colour for the walls and decor. I have already purchased medium brown coloured furniture. Can you give me some inspiration?

I have thought of painting the house an ivory colour so it would compliment the colour of the carpet and furniture. Need your advice for interior decor! Hope I am not doomed by the blue! –Melanie

Kate’s Note: During June and July designer and guest blogger Bethany Good will be assisting me to answer the dozens of questions that I receive each week.  Take it away Bethany….

Bethany suggests:

Actually blue is coming back in a big way, so you are in a good position! What I like to do is (more…)