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Dark Color With Brick

30th Sep. '08 • Exterior Color Schemes • Tags: , ,

Authored by Barbara Jacobs

Today’s color dilemma:

I have a question regarding brick. I have a two story house. Red school house brick on the bottom half, shakers on the top. Dark grey roof. I am thinking of a grey with green undertones. The motar in my brick is grey. How deep a color can I make the grey without being top heavy. I am thinking of doing shutters and door in a chimney color (dark, grey). Will this make my house too dull. The trim will be a french white, outling window and bay window. could I please get some feed back.

Barbara suggests:

You have raised a good question. Because your brick is  on the lower portion of the house, I am imagining is is a deeper color.

You can probably use a gray of the hue you described, and when you go to the paint store to select the color ask them to show you a color that is on the deeper side of “base 2″ or the lighter side of “base 3.” The “base” designation refers to the depth or saturation level of colors that are possible within a specific range, with “base 1″ being the very lightest.  How they are set up will depend on the brand you choose.

RE: dullness - how about a beautiful accent color for the shutters, and a brighter or more vivid color for your front door—something like a deep pumpkin, just for example. Your shutters might then be a rusty color. But, this is just a non-visual guess since I have no idea from your description of what you mean by .”RED brick.” There’s so much variation in actual colors of brick and color names, too, for that matter. Often, if you look closely at brick, what looks “red” also includes hues of rusty orange/brown, mauve/ lilac, deep purple-gray.  You can use those colors as a cue for your accent colors for shutters and doors.   SensationalColor.com

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Gorgeous gray

26th Mar. '08 • Living Spaces , Today's Decorating Dilemma • Tags: , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

Today’s color dilemma…

gray-livingroom_1.jpg

I’d like to use gray. Can you make a suggestion.

Kate suggests…

When I saw your question and style I instantly thought of one of the Benjamin Moore inspiration rooms called ‘Modern Tranquility’.

modern_tranquility_bm.jpg

modern_tranquility_palette.jpg

I love this color scheme because it has warmth with an air of sophistication perfect for creating an inviting space with contemporary flair.

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.   SensationalColor.com

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Mentally stimulating, not physically stimulating color

5th Feb. '08 • Bedrooms • Tags: , , , , , ,

Authored by Kate Smith

Today’s color dilemma…

“We are moving into a new apartment soon, and I am creating an office and work room for the family, which includes two boys.

I want to pick an accent color that will be stimulating, but mentally stimulating, not physically stimulating. At first I thought I would use orange (with grey/beige/white) but I think that may be a mistake because orange is thought to stimulate appetite. Yellow? Red?

Or, should I keep their work area in their bedroom, which is indigo and a mossy/celeryish not dull not bright medium green - that’s the furniture, bedding, and the rug - walls aren’t painted yet.What do you think for an accent color for the work room, and would the boys be better off working in the room that is green and blue?

Many thanks.
-Wendi

Kate suggests…

You are on the right track by beginning with thinking about the functionality of the room and the mood you want to create.

The main color in you decorating scheme sets the mood of the room. Other colors are added that enhance that mood. The gray, tan and white color scheme you mention is a good choice for a family workspace and would go nicely with red or orange accents.

A color scheme of grey/beige/white can work well for kids too as shown in these two workspaces from Pottery Barn Kids

Yellow might be another good choice because it instills optimism and sparks creative thought.

Since an accent color generally occupies less than 30% of what is seen in a room it would not cause your boys to be more hyper plus red, orange and yellow all have the positive effect of being mentally stimulating.

A shared workspace becomes “family central” with spaces to display kids latest school work and keep track of activities.

You could set up their work area in the bedroom however if you have the ability to create a workspace that is shared with your kids this is what I would recommend. It gives you the ability to each be working independently yet be together, and allows you to keep an eye that they are actually working without having it seem as though you are checking up on them.

This solution would also allow you to keep their room focused on rest and relaxation rather than work. The color scheme you have chosen already is ideal for this because cool colors like blue and green have been known in color psychology to promote relaxation, which is why they are often a popular choice for bedrooms.

Architecture for beginners wall decals

If you want to allow your boys to help decorate their space a fun option would be wall decals like the ones shown here.

I hope you find these thoughts helpful as you decorate your new apartment. I’d enjoy seeing pictures of how it all comes together.

Resources:

  • Wall decals available at kidsmodern.com
  • Furniture and wall organizers from potterybarnkids.com
  • 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.
  SensationalColor.com

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