Exterior Color Tips for Your Home

Brick - If you have a red brick home, think twice before choosing a red door or shutter. Brick comes in a variety of colors so keep that in mind. Some homes are mostly brick but others just have it on the foundation. So think contracting colors or blending.

Neighbors - What colors do your neighbors have? Do you want the same look or do you want to stand out? I tell my clients, if you hire a Color Specialist to choose color for your home, make the color unique to you, not the same as what your neighbors have.

Paint Chips - I think the #1 mistake people make when viewing color is the way they hold the paint chip. It's imperative that you hold the paint chips vertically, not horizointially. This goes for interior color too - hold the chip the way it will be applied on the surface. It makes a huge difference in how the light bounces off the chip. Try it, you'll see the difference.

Landscaping - Exterior color doesn't stop at your front door. Consider what color flowers, shrubbery and trees you have before deciding on any palette. Remember that plants and lighting change throughout the seasons. Keep in mind all those perennials. It's all part of the same picture!

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Lighting Fixtures - Who knew right? Don't forget your lighting fixtures also contain color. Is it brass? Silver? Black? This too is an element that sometimes gets overlooked.

Lighting -  Do you live in a wooded lot? Direct sun? Very close to another home? All this effects how color is bouncing off your home. What season are you choosing your color in? Spring? Summer? Winter? Think ahead to how these colors will look throughout the year. Here's  a good example of why exterior color should be chosen at the site not in an office. Sometimes you really have to be there!

Roofing - Although you may not see it that well or think it doesn't matter, roofing materials are available in tons of colors!

Moving? - Is there a move in the near future? If so, a light gray or beige home may be a safe choice. You may like purple and gold but the next homeowner may just say, “no way!”

The Back - Remember your home has a backside as well. The color considerations may be different because of lighting, trees, patio furniture etc. So don't forget to make sure your color choices work back there as well.

So much to consider when choosing color for the exterior of your home. Think about all of these tips before you make your final choice. 

How to Choose Color with Unrelated Art

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The living room had a beautiful and very colorful abstract and the dining room had a very traditional and not so colorful cityscape. When choosing color for your home, how do you tie in these two very different looks?

My client had a similar and very large print in her living room. It was similar to a Jackson Pollock but had a lot of bright green in it. It's not a color you see very often in a home. Luckily, she wanted a bright yellow in her living room so at least there would be a common thread. The other factor in my favor was that she also wanted  a bright blue for her kitchen. Great! We're talking bright, beautiful color here!

We went with a similar yellow for her living room and she just adored the blue that could be seen in her open kitchen. As in most cases, kitchens really don't have that much wall space because of all the cabinetry and appliances so it's not like this will be too overwhelming - besides  -she loved it!

Now, the question still is, when you have two very different styles in artwork and your home has an open floor plan, how do you choose a color scheme that will incorporate these two looks?

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Here is a very ordinary print with really no substantial color. It's really quite neutral. This print was in her dining room which is directly to the right as you enter her home. Since I chose a light, neutral for her foyer, it was perfect that her dining room would play off the neutral with slightly more color as you entered the home. By the time you walked around to the living room, the color progression was perfect.

The darker color was for the dining room ceiling.

They were warm colors and actually could be mixed and matched with each other and still look great. That is the key to designing color for a home with an open floor plan. It's imperative that the colors are all related so they make sense as you transition from room to room.

I love that the yellow and blue liven up the tan and brown.

It works!

Color To Consider for Your Home

Since I'm a Color Specialist in Charlotte and choosing color is my job, I've been in dozens and dozens of homes. That's a lot of homes and a lot of color schemes. I've seen just about all color combinations from the very classic to the “what were you thinking” color schemes.

So when you've come to the decision to choose new color for your home, what will it be?

Black and White?

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A splash of yellow?

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Bright Green? 

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Or you're fed up and really have no idea 

what you want or how to go about getting it.

Common Colors

Although these are nice colors, they are very common to see. You have your Sherwin Williams golds and neutrals such as Blonde, Believable Buff and Netsuke. Then to match those you'll have Ecru, Macadamia and Harmonic Tan. Perhaps you get a little “daring” with Comfort Gray, Meditative and Rainwashed all thrown into your color palette. 

Now theses are ALL beautiful colors and are popular for a reason - because they are pretty and decor friendly. But, I really want to think outside the box with color and out of your comfort zone when it comes to choosing color for your home.

Now I must say the last few weeks I've really been pushing some unusual colors and for the most part my clients love it and say. “I would have never thought of that color!” which is great but sometimes they just come out and say, “NO!” Hey, you don't know until you try right? 

I see it this way. You've hired a Color Specialist to choose color for your home, make it unique to your home, your neighborhood and your personality. In some cases people just want color as the background to hold up their house but in some cases, people really want to live in a new and colorful world for their home.

So when I'm in your home, let's get outside of the crayon box and enjoy the colors that are around us. Let's chance things up with some unique color just for you!

My Top Fall Color Palettes

As we leave summer behind and approach Fall, I know many of us are welcoming the change of colors. The spicy oranges and gold from the foliage all sound beautiful right? Right. But as I've said 1,000 times, color is more than just color.  Color is about feelings and memories and all has a huge impact on on lives.

Here are a few color palettes that I think about when Autumn approaches. I'm sure you'll find comfort in them as well. Enjoy!

You can almost smell the color! Soft beige and light browns will work in any room. Keep the lightest beige in mind for your foyer and the darkest color for a splash of accent.

Crisp, clean color you can sink your teeth into. Be careful with these red hues, you'll need to use a gray primer for best results or your color will turn … into a “bad apple.” 

Here are your typical pumpkin spicy colors. They're gourd-ous!

Who doesn't love hot chocolate? Now you can love it on your walls. Also, consider a tinted primer when working with dark colors. It'll reduce the amount of coats you'll need to get the true color on your wall.

It's all about change.

Here's a lighter version of the spicy colors. These are great choices for a kitchen that opens into the living  or dining room. So comforting to have great color in the kitchen!

That's right! We just stepped outside the crayon box with these colors! It's the harvest moon and very much part of Fall. It's all good color!

Fall also means getting out those favorite pair of jeans!

Don't forget the most important part of Fall. The weather is cooler which makes it great for snuggling! Enjoy your color and if you need help, contact me to help you out.

Making a first impression with color

We've all heard the expression “you only have one chance to make a first impression” right? Well the same goes for your home. As you enter your home, what colors will be making an impression on your guests?

Something bold and exotic? 

 Something earthy and defined?

Or something safe, soft and neutral?

They're all beautiful choices but it depends one which one makes the best impression on you! If you want impressive color in your home, email me to schedule a color consultation. I'll choose color to impress :-)

Nautical Colors of Port Jefferson, Long Island

Like these colors?

Try Benjamin Moore's 

Gypsy Love • Aqua Marina  

Blue Heron • Stormy Monday

This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting my hometown of Port Jefferson, Long Island. I spent the first 28 years of my life enjoying these nautical colors.

The typical colors that come to mind when you say “nautical colors” are red, navy and various blue hues. Keep in mind, there's more to those maritime, sailor loving colors. Here's what I've found.

Harbor Town • Shenendoah  

Rosepine • Bridal Boutique 

Like green? Algae greens can be seen by the docks which also makes up a large part of any harbor side palette. 

Stone • Feather Gray • Palm Trees • Bath Salts

Here's another twist on unsuspecting color you can use as your nautical themed room. Here you see the weathered wood grays and again that sea green. I love these too!

Yellow Hibiscus • Orange Appeal  

Lazy Sunday • Dune White

You may not think these colors are nautical at all but if you're a harbor girl, you've seen these buoys all over the docks and in various hues of bold and bright. You can really have fun with a buoy palette.

This is a picture of Danford's the hotel by Port Jefferson harbor where I stayed. Here's the typical sail boat and wheel that is very common in this type of decor.  If you're decorating in this style, keep in mind there's other accessories you can use instead of being so common in your decor. Here's some suggestions:

FABRICS

Add some bright colors like you'd see in the buoys.

Love this selection from Kravet.

TEXTURE

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Ever walk barefoot on the docks?

 I did! Don't forget to add texture to your design.

FURNITURE

Use a combination of ALL the colors found at the harbor.  Kravet's furniture captures the look.

So from the notorious red and navy of ships and sail to the sea greens of the tiny chlorophyll packed algae, you find more color at the harbor then you'll know what to do with.

If you need help sailing this color palette in your home, contact me at DecoratingbyDonna@mac.com and I'd love to show you how this Island girl does it!

Home Furnishing Color Trends for 2012/2013 • From Runway to Home?

From the runways to fashion.

We see designers showing off their colors, fabrics, designs and style. But how, and I've said this before, will be get these colors into our home? Should we have these colors in our home or should they stay in fashion where they originated?

Do we even know what these colors will be?

The funny thing is, if you ask 10 Designers what color trends they think will be next, you'll have 10 different answers. It gets even more compelling because most if not all of the venues, not one or two colors are mentioned but an entire repertoire of colors. One is bound to catch when you mention quite so many.

Looking at the first photo I have in this post shows a snap shot from Fashion Snoops. The model there is shown in blue/gray hues. Not looking at the style of the outfit but only the color, is THIS a color scheme you'd like to see in your home?

Of course! Start looking at fashion as color schemes and not actual outfits. Some styles are really out there but look at the basic color grouping it has. It's like a potential home buyer looking at an un-staged house and having to “look beyond” all the clutter.

Again referencing the first picture, here is a color combo I recently chose for a clients dining room. There's your blue/gray palette and it works. “Software” was the color choice for below the chair rail and “Online” for the rest of the walls. Coincidence? Not really. Look at ALL the models in a runway. So many models - so many colors. I just happened to “find” one.

These are both Sherwin Williams colors. 

See how fashion can start a trend towards the colors we love and would WANT to bring into our home? If you like the clothes that tells me you like the colors which in return means you'll like the colors in your home as well.

Now for a complicated question. What colors do I think will be seen in our homes for 2012 and 2013? That's a loaded question. I think it should be more so what colors will FEEL right in our homes and that can be literally dozens. Having said that, here's what I feel may work.

Seriously though, if I had to choose a palette I'd like to see in homes, it would be real close to these. The main colors being the green and salmon, the rest of the palette is earthy, gentle yet still has a splash of trend. It's warm undertones make it a “happy” palette and colors that may be familiar to us at one point in time or another. So much you can do when color gets Back to Basics.

and here's how they'd work in your home.

Point of this post: ALL colors belong in our home and not just for that current year. Fashion and home furnishings are what we put into our home but when you think about it - WE CHOOSE these colors - be it in clothes or couches, because we LIKE the colors. Don't let fashion influence you on the choices you make to put into your life. Choose color because it feels good to  you.

Here's some related posts you may like to read.

Where are all the NEW colors?

What's my color prediction for 2010?

Color trends to consider for 2011

The color that will be next

As a Color Specialist in the South Charlotte area, I specialize in choosing color for the homes in Weddington, Waxhaw, Ballantyne, Wesley Chapel and Charlotte. I can't help you with your wardrobe but I certainly can make the color choices right for you and your home. 

UPDATE: 

Keep in mind that I can help you get color trends into your home such as Tangerine Tango, Gray or even purple. They are all great looks, beautiful colors but have to be done correctly if your choosing these hues for inside your home.

I'm Donna Frasca, a Color Expert in the South Charlotte area. I specialize in JUST color for your home, partially very large homes with open floor plans. Contact me if you need color of for your home.

Which comes first? Paint or Flooring?

You've heard it before, which came first - the chicken or the egg? Well the same applies to paint and flooring. Which project should you start first? The painting or the flooring?

Now this question pops up often. Do you paint your room first THEN stain your floor or stain your floor THEN paint your walls?

I saw this at a clients house last week and must say I was a bit frightened. I loved the flooring colors but I was there to choose color and the floor re-finishers were right behind me! I told the client that it's not in the best of conditions if I have to wear a dust mask and yell over the floor sander while discussing her color options.

She of course was very understanding and asked the crew to come back in about 2 hours. But it still leaves me with the question -  what would you do first?

If it were my home, I'd paint first. I don't care how great your paint team is they ALWAYS seems to drop a bit or splatter here and there which is fine but if you paint first, you'll have the option to sand it all way!

The result? We chose the dark walnut stain (the last sample on the right) and these two techno colors for her dining room.

Like these colors? Come visit the Sherwin Williams in Waxhaw (or your local Sherwin Williams) ask for Dave and tell him Donna Frasca sent you!

You can contact me directly at DecoratingbyDonna@mac.com