Build your day on color

We all have crazy days, busy days and not enough hours in day days. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could color code the day to make it easier? Let see:

I start the day feeling groggy and tired when my alarm goes off in the morning. Let’s color-code that one GREY. Blah

Getting out of bed, still asleep I stub my toe on the corner of my dresser. This is a no brainer – RED!!!!!

Start the shower, the room fills with steam and aahhhhh . . . lets just code this one tranquil BLUE.

Throw the clothes on, get the kids up, start the coffee. Coffee?? That first sip in the morning of that dark, brown brew is the best! Code BROWN hands down!

Feed the kids, feed yourself, feed the husband. Husband? Ooops – too busy for that morning kiss. Sorry dear! Let put a little PINK on those lips.

Everyone out the door and see ya in eight. Great. Traffic. Does @#$%&* have a color? Let’s leave that one out.

Get through the day and look forward to coming home! Hi kids, Hi hubby. Hi couch! Hello GREEN!

Just a deludge of these colors. This photo can be see in an article from Interior Design magazine on Ethan Allen (http://www.interiordesign.net/article/CA6686778.html?nid=2068)

Look at the reds showing up in the F.I.T gallery in NY

Thinking Green?

It’s seems no matter where we look, something just went green. How about going full throttle with these colors?

Valspar’s

• Bamboo
• Corkboard
• Gardener Green
• Rope
• Stonewashed
• Travertine
• Wicker
• Beeswax
• Whitewashed Brick

At What Age Does Color Stop?

As the day goes on in the paint department at Lowe’s, you see two types of colors being mixed, colorful and neutral. Yes the colorful colors are a shock to the eyes but a welcoming one over tired neutrals day after day after day. Don’t get me wrong – there is a time and place for neutrals but come on already, with the gorgeous colors out there does it have to be Antique White, Dove White, Cream In My Coffee or once in a while getting brave with Moose Mousse?

Adults, how about if you like;

• Green: Grassland
• Blue: Shark Loop
• Yellows: Any of the Cowslips
• Red: Tomato Red
• Brown: Eddie Bowers Corkboard, which is a refreshing shade instead of the fattening chocolates already.

. . . . and you know what? Go out on a limb and throw in a coral. Again, Eddie’s Dark Mango would look delicious in a girl’s room.

Did You Know??

Did you know . . . that it’s always a good idea to dust your walls before painting? I like to use the Swiffer products. The handles are long so you can reach high places and ceilings.

Did you know . . . that you can customer order glass for the top of your end tables, dining room table or any dresser? It protects your furniture from everyday wear and tear, scratches, or watermarks. My dining room table is 1/4” (don’t get any thinner then 1/4” - it will be too frail) beveled glass. The kids do their homework on the table and I don’t’ have to worry about any scratching from pencils or pens. You can put a tablecloth under the glass and it will never get dirty. Another fun decorating tip for this is to put some of your favorite pictures under the glass for a great conversation piece. It would be a great idea for a kid’s birthday party to put pictures of your child at previous birthday parties to see how she has grown - and the pictures will never get dirty!

Did you know . . . that some shower curtain liners have weights on the bottom? There is nothing more annoying then getting attacked in the shower by your liner. Did that every happen to you? You’re in the middle of a nice hot shower and all of a sudden the liner starts flying around. It clings to your legs and it blows all over the place! To solve this, I highly recommend splurging on a liner that is a little more expensive. For a few dollars more you can get a nice thick liner that is weighted on the bottom. Also, the holes on top of the liner have gavets so no more ripping.

Show Me The LIght

There are many ways to light a room. Candles, fireplace, lamps, skylights, spotlights, high hats, and track lighting - the list goes on and on. The lighting you choose for a room depends on the room and what goes on it the room. For example, in the kitchen, there are many activities going on from cooking to eating to doing homework. Usually, there are many different types of lighting that will be used in the kitchen. High-intensity light; a downward reading lamp, under-cabinet light fixtures or track light can all be used in the kitchen. It’s best to decide the activities that go on in the room before light is chosen.

Books

Don’t go out and buy a ton of books on Decorating (although they look impressive on your coffee table). They are just not necessary. Decorating is about what you like and how you feel about certain colors and objects. Be an individual. Maybe one or two for a few ideas is all you need. Check the web if you are looking for “what’s hot” or some informative “how to” articles.

Mirrors

Be careful where you place your mirrors. Over the mantel is a common place to put a mirror. Wherever you chose to place it, make sure that it reflects something striking like a beautiful outdoor window view and a not a reflection of the stairs going up to the second floor.

Mirrors are also a great choice for smaller rooms. Instead of hanging artwork, hang some mirrors and give the room the illusion of more space. This works great for small bathrooms.

Color Samples

Don’t fall for the “safe” whites and beige colors. Vibrant colors are in! Yellows, reds, blues and greens. Pick a color you would wear, like on a favorite shirt or dress and put that color on the wall! What’s the worse that can happen? It’s only paint. If your really don’t like it, you can always paint over it. Don’t paint the entire room though. Start off buying Valspar's samples and do a test patch.

Another choice you have is to paint an accent wall - maybe where the fireplace is? The other three walls can be a “safer” color choice. Have fun!

DO’s AND DON’Ts

Don’t go by the “rules of decorating - If you like it, do it. For example, Trim or crown molding should always be white. Not true! If you have a color in mind (nothing too wild) and it matches the color scheme and feel of the room - then do it! Keep in mind that decorating is a very individual thing. Your decorating, your rules. Come up with your own style. Don’t copy someone else’s style. Be original!

Don’t go plant crazy - Just because there is a section a space unaccounted for doesn’t mean you have to put a silk fica there. Silks are fine but remember there are other options like baskets, sculptures, or floor lamps. Check out your other vertical possibilities before you rush into the “safe” silk fica.

Artwork - Do try to be creative here. Artwork is a personal choice so before you run to the store and buy a standard piece of artwork that everyone else can have in their room - think.

Maybe you would like to have an original piece of artwork framed. The beauty of this is that there would be none other like it in the world - which artwork should be - original. So before you rush into getting the “bottles of wine with the bunch of grapes in a bowl” hung in your living room, explore your possibilities.

Can’t paint or draw? Go to your local printing shop that has a color copier and blow up one of your favorite photographs. Wa-la! Original artwork for a fraction of the cost!

Purple Rain?

It looks like the possibility of red becoming trendy this season but it still looks like it'll be on the purple side. Red will have a strong blue base which will keep it in sync with the ever so popular purples.

Photo from Real Simple magazine, September issue.

Chocolate and Bannanas

This particular color recipe I have in my bathroom. It’s warm and inviting - and oddly enough to say about a bathroom - almost delicious.

I’ve choosen this recipe for my bathroom but it would look very impressive for a formal foyer, living room.

Starting with a buttercream colored shower curtain (this is where the recipe originated from for this room) I thought of bananas. Then I thought of how I serve banannas to my kids (by the way, most younger kids love this dessert and it’s actually good for them! I slice a bananna on a plate and lightly drizzle chocolate syrup on top. That’s it! Simple, delicious and beautiful!) So now you have a great shade of yellow and a warm chocolate brown to work with. See how a color recipe can develope if you open your imagination?

Easter Egg Hunt

** COLOR RECIPE -Wow - what good memories this one brings. Of course the logical choice would be the colors of the eggs in your basket. You can also looks at the yellows, lavenders and pinks of Spring flowers. This color combination would be a great recipe for a young girls room.

A pretty light fabric for the windows - perhaps a floral or calico pattern. A white curatian rod to match the white furniture.

A four poster bed with a canopy (I already have a picture of this in my mind -do you?) It’s the typical little girls room. Have plenty of colorfull throw pillows or stuffed animals on the bed.

• Weeping Wisteria 630A
• Cornsilk 320A-3
• Old Fashioned Pink 120B

Behr

Doe a Deer

Do you like earthtones? Well this is the recipe for you deer, or is it dear? Think Bambi. Shades of beautiful browns. Refer to a Disney book on this one if you have forgotten Bambi.

• Brown Rabbit 300F-5
• Centaur 300F-7
• Calm Air 300E-2

Behr

Peas and Carrots in Cream Sauce

** COLOR RECIPE -Yuk! We don’t have to like our vegetables to like this color recipe. The cooked peas and carrots will look more muted. The raw peas and carrots will be more intense in color so depending on where you want this color recipe is whether is gets cooked or not. (Don’t cook your veggies too long. Overcooking takes most the vitamns and color right out of it.)

Peas and carrots with cream sause? If you see these colors on your plate, by all means - decorate with them too!

• Autumn Orange 270B
• Grass Cloth 400D

Behr

Just Like Grandma’s house

I know I have fond memories of going to my Grandmothers house. Her kitchen was a warm buttery yellow - like the inside of a cake. She always had beautiful table cloths with wild pictures on them. I’m sure you’ve seen the vintage tablecloths for the 40’s or 50’s. (I’ve bid on some on www.ebay.com and got some real beatuties) The ones I’m talking about had brightly colored fruit or vegetables on it or a state (my Grandmother had a Florida and a California). Also she had some unique turquoise colored vinyl kitchen chairs. It seems like an odd combination but meals sure tasted good when we all sat down at her table. Yum.

• Gold Buttercup 310A
• Balmy Sea 490C
• Fire Island 190B

Behr

Color Me Thankful

* COLOR RECIPE

Everyone loves home cooked meals. The smells, tastes and pleasure one gets from comfort foods can now be savored not only in the kitchen, but in the entire house. I’ve provided recipes of color schemes that will look delicious in your home or office.

Imagine it’s Thanksgiving time. A table full of everything from turkey to cranberry sauce. Now most of us look at turkey and see white meat, dark meat, a wing, thigh or breast. What do I see? I see color! In Turkey, I see tan, taupe, beige and cream colors. Cranberry sauce is a great shade of red or burgundy. String beans have a soothing green color and the spicy orange color in squash is a must on the Thanksgiving plate.

Congratulations! You just ate a great color scheme for a Traditional living room.

I’m In The Mood . . . for Color

Ever go into a room and immediately get a cozy feeling or ever an uneasy feeling? It can be the color of the room that is effecting how you feel. Color has an enormous impact on how people feel.

Here is a brief breakdown on “the feeling of colors”.

• Yellow - warm, cozy, happy
• Red - romantic, wild, powerful, energetic
• Green - soothing, comforting, relaxing, peaceful
• Blue/lavender- cool, tranquil, relaxed
• White - sterile, clean, fresh, new, crisp * Black - Erie, sad, gloomy, drastic
• Gray - blah, stark, gloomy
• Brown - a comfort color - like chocolate?
• Pink - childish, fun, free
• Orange - energizing
• Gold/silver/bronze - class, upscale, glamour, style, sophistication

Which White?

One day a client asked me to help them pick out a white. At first I chuckled. Pick out a white? Most clients need help picking out the right blue or green or just the perfect shade of taupe. It was actually quite the process picking out this white for them.

Many people just paint their homes white for lack of knowledge of color, or just to be “safe” . White goes with everything. Yes, white does go with everything but it’s B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!! Ok, there are times when a room screams for the right shade of white (yes folks, there are shades of white) and white will be the perfect color for that particular room. But don’t choose white because you’re afraid to choose another color. Choose white because it is the “perfect shade of white” for that room.

With names like:

• Ultra Pure White (Behr, 1850),
• Pot of Cream (Behr, W-D 200),
• Popped Corn (Behr ,W-B-200),
• Polar Bear (Behr, 1875)
• Nude (Behr, W-F 210),

No wonder it’s hard to pick the right shade. Now keep in mind that these are “shades” of white. Some whites have a gray tone to it

(Behr, Ash White W-F 520), some have a yellowish tone (Behr, Cotton Fluff W-D 400). There are whites that appear greenish (Behr, Ostrich W-F 410) and there are whites that have a distinctive pink undertone (Behr, Frosty Morning W-B 620).

For example, if you are decorating a baby girls room and the color scheme is pink - you might consider the Frosty Morning for the ceiling color since Ultra Pure White might be too much of a contrast. If you choose Ostrich it will have a green tinge to it and look horrible next to pink. Now it also depends on the shade of pink you choose as to what shade of white you choose.

Did I just scare you? You might want to call in a Color Consultant at this point if you are really confused. But before you do that, here is a simple solution. Go to the store of your choice that provides paints chips. Select a pink or any other color of your liking, lets say: (Behr, Cream Rose 160A-1). Hold it up to the whites until you see a “match”. The pink and the white (Behr, China Cup W-D 100) you choose should look natural together - not fight or look odd next to each other. Just for an example, hold up one of the whites that have a green undertone. See the difference? That choice would just be wrong and throw off the whole look and feel of the room. You can say colors are like people, some are great together and compliment each other and some you can’t even put in the same room - but that ‘s another story.

Expose Me

North, South, East or West? Room exposure is important when picking out colors. Let’s say you have a room with a Southern exposure. What does this mean? It means your room faces due South and there usually is a lot of sunlight available to that room - assuming you have windows in that room. With this in mind, you can pick just about any color. Remember, rooms facing South have a lot of light so if you were to choose a light or bright color for that room, like a yellow, that color will be amplified or will appear brighter and lighter.

Let’s say you have a Northern exposure room. Usually these rooms have limited light and have a tendency to be on the darker side of the house. If you choose dark colors for these rooms, let’s say a brown, navy or dark green, you now will have a very dark and gloomy room.

How do we compensate for this? Try putting light colors in dark rooms and darker colors in light rooms. Pretty easy huh? In a nutshell, you can “warm up” a dark room, or Northern exposure room by using “warm colors” like:

• Creamy Beige 290c
• Sweet Corn 370C
• Calm Air300E

With Southern exposure, don’t be afraid to use darker or muted (muted colors are colors that have been toned down, they aren’t as bright, crisp or clean as other colors. Muted colors are an excellent choose for bright rooms) colors. Some examples of muted colors are:

• Koala Bear 780D
• Rhino710E
• Southern Breeze 450E.

When I was a kid, I had a room that faced North. What color was my room? Shades of brown. Unbeknownst to me, I just picked colors that I liked. Well let me tell you, that was the darkest, coldest room in the house. So to improve on this, I painted the walls peach and bought a seafoam green carpet (don’t laugh, those colors were hot in the 80’s). What a difference! My room was now warm and inviting and very cozy.

Behr

How To Choose The Right Color

Many people read through decorating and design magazines looking for the right tip, idea or picture.

Numerous times we are faced with decorating dilemmas and often get overwhelmed at the options that are available. Decorating can create anxiety. What if I make a mistake? The thought and cost of hiring a professional decorator seems unthinkable for many of us. Ever feel like this?

Relax. A quick way to come up with colors schemes is to look at decorating magazines. There, the rooms are all complete from color schemes to furniture and accessories. So thumb through your friends Better Homes and Gardens magazine, just make sure she is not in the room when you rip the page out.

Now you have a reference room to start your decorating with. Take a close look at the picture. What color is on the walls? Is it the same color or are three walls one color and the forth wall another? What color is the ceiling and the trim? At this point I would go to the local paint store to pick out chips to match your sample.

Start With A Blank Canvas

The first thing to do is determine where you would like to begin. I would pick one room to start. It would make life much easier to do one room at a time instead of taking on the entire house. The world wasn’t created in one day so keep that in mind when you decorate.

To decorate or redecorate? This is actually a good question. Does the room need a whole new look or does it just need a facelift? Let’s just say for now that you are starting from scratch and your room is getting a whole new look.

Where do you start? The best place to start is with paint. Even just putting on a fresh coat of paint can change the room dramatically. So to do this, everything must come out of the room. Since you are starting from scratch, there should be no furniture in the room. If there is furniture in room - take it out!!! Do not move it to the center of the room!! All furniture should be out, very much like starting a painting with a fresh canvas. For me, my mind can “see” how a room should be decorated when it is empty.

With a blank “canvas” you can now determine what type of paint, what color scheme you will choose, what materials you will need and how many people you can get to help you (maybe you are one of those lucky people who knows someone who loves to paint). You might have cracked a smile here but the more people you get to help you paint, the easier decorating will be. And that’s what you want to achieve.

Have A "Beef" with Color?

** COLOR RECIPE - . Next time you’re having a meal, look at what you’re eating. Having a cheeseburger for lunch? Look at the color of the burger. It’s a great charcoal brown. American cheese has a rich yellow, or a golden color. Catsup? A vibrant red. The bun will have great shades of taupe (taupe is a fancy name for tan).

Let’s recap:

• Hamburger - Brown
• Cheese - gold
• Catsup - red
• Bun - Tan

Well, you just ate a great color scheme for a cabin style den. The satisfied feeling you get from just having eaten a delicious cheeseburger will also be the feeling you have when walking into this den.

The Seven Dwarfs of Decorating

Happy - This is usually the first step of decorating. Everyone is always happy and eager to start a home decorating project. Maybe a party is coming up and you want the house to look just right. You want to impress all your family and friends with how good your house looks - or will look. Happy, Happy, Happy.

Dopey - Where do I start? What color paint do I use? How do I measure for window treatments? How much wallpaper do I need? Do I want carpeting or wood floors? Having a ton of questions will make you feel - well, dopey. You don’t know what you need to buy to get the look you want. Very frustrating. Who will help you with all these decisions?

Grumpy - Oh yea, this is a good one. Now you’re getting mad because you feel frustrated. So much to do, so little time and money. You’re probably saying “how hard can it be to make my house look nice”? Guess what? It’s a little more difficult then one thinks it is.

Bashful - Now this one we can all relate to. I can do this. I will go ahead and order my own window treatments. I can pick out my own colors. I know how much wallpaper to use - I think.

Well guess what? You didn’t order your window treatments properly because you didn’t measure the correct way. You thought, how hard can it be to measure a window. Now your stuck with custom order blinds that don’t fit,look right and can’t be returned.

You picked out your own paint colors without a second thought. Somehow that yellow you picked out just doesn’t look right in your dining room. Yellow? Did you mean to pick out a gold? Gold is yellow isn’t it? It’s in the yellow family but you need to pick the right shade of “yellow”.

You just finished wallpapering your living room and you don’t have enough paper. Now you have to order more and guess what? The dye lots aren’t going to match. And now that you think about it, the big pink flowers on the wallpaper looks a bit odd in the living room.

Thought you could do it on your own, with no guidance or research about decorating and color. Feeling a bit embarrassed with the decisions you made? We’ve all been there before. With the ‘I can do it myself’ attitude all we do is make wrong and costly mistakes.

Doc - Headache? Stomach ache? Upset stomach? Mad you made some wrong decisions? What’s done is done. Don’t get yourself sick over something that should be fun and exciting. You’re decorating not getting a root canal.

Luckily there are books such as this one to help you with decorating decisions. You will benefit from the experience I have and from the mistakes I made.

Sneezy - Believe it or not, there are products that you can use for your home or office that are hypo-allergenic. Certain types of flooring are better then others. For example, you might want to consider ceramic tile in your house if you have allergies. Carpet seems to collect all kinds of allergens from dust mites to animal dander.

There are even some carpet pads you can get that help prevent mold spore and allergens if you absolutely have to have carpet.

Sleepy - Whew! There certainly is a lot to take in about decorating. It’s an exhausting process if you don’t go in the right direction. Luckily, you have this book as a guide.

I like to make my decorating decisions in the morning (only because I’m a morning person) when I’m most refreshed. Don’t t make major decisions when you are tired or not feeling well. Always start on a good day. Good day - good decisions. Have fun!

#1 Color Scheme for 2010

Greens - Always In Style

Color Recipe for Peaches & Cream

Colors Of The Caribbean

I’ve never been to the Caribbean but from just looking at the pictures I can capture it in a recipe! I would choose a warm yellow to represent the sun. Looking at the big green leaves of the native trees I would choose the perfect shade. Look into the sunsets for deep, warm oranges.

Do you like green? Look at the colors in a Caribbean salad - now that’s a delicious combination! The green of the lettuce can make a great color for carpeting. Maybe the salad has some orange slices in it. Orange would make a great accent color in a pillow, wallpaper lamp shade or occasional artwork.

The Caribbean is known for their delicious, fruity drinks. Incorporate some of those great colors when choosing furniture, wallpaper and window treatments. Think colorful! Smell the air, feel the warmth - now go pick those colors!

• Cool Laua 180B
• Apricot Light 280B
• Asparagus 410D

Behr

Give The Gift Of Color

Everybody has someone on their list who has everything. How about giving them the gift of color? For $125. you can give them a gift certificate for a whole house color consultation. It’s the perfect gift!

Top 4 Popular Colors For Girls Rooms ( ages 7 -13 )

You can check Valspar.com to look up these girly girl colors.

Ready? They’re bright ones - here they are:

• Cosmic Berry - Valspar, 4001-10C
• Afternoon Delight - Valspar -6006-10A
• Pink Frenzy - Valspar -1002-2A
• Nautical - Valspar - 5007-9C

At What Age Does Color Stop?

(teaser) Kids choose such vibrant colors for their rooms. Adults choose safe neutrals. At what age does the color stop? Sounds like an article to me! Keep an eye out for this one.

Thinking About Fall

My favorite time of year - Fall.

I LOVE the fall colors!

Pumpkin Spice, Gingery, Chrysanthemum.

Sound like a season to you?