Tip # 8 ~ Add Depth with Decorative Finishes ~ Tip #9 ~ Walk Into Another Room ~ Tip #10 ~Choose Different Paint Finishes

Tip #8 ~ Add Depth with Decorative Finishes
Transform flat, dull walls into interesting and personal spaces with subtle or dramatic visual texture and broken color. Burnished mineral/metal finishes and layered colored glazes add depth. Some examples of softly reflective metals are mica, copper, pewter, bronze, antiqued silver & gold.

Tip #9 ~ Walk Into Another Room
Consider walls as planes of color, and see how they interact when viewing one next to the other in adjacent rooms. Approach it like a composition. You're in one room, but you're going to see a piece of another room through it. So as you're choosing colors, consider how they will flow from room to room to create your picture.

Tip #10 ~ Choose Different Paint Finishes
A single color used on walls and trim takes on new significance when applied in different finishes. For example, wall and trim colors can remain the same hue, but use an eggshell (matte and less reflective) finish on the walls and a satin or semigloss on trim. The color wall appear slightly different on each surface.

10 Tips for Picking Interior Paint Color

Tip #6 ~ Learn the Color Terms
It helps to understand the terminology used to describe color.

• Hue is what we call a color. Red is a hue. Blue is a hue.
• The value of the hue is how light or dark it is.
• Saturation refers to how dominant the hue is. As we go from red to pink, the red hue becomes less dominant.
• Intensity is the brilliance of the color. The pure colors such as red are more intense than the combined colors such as yellow-green. A stronger intense color usually has a more dominant hue.

If you want a more active space, consider introducing stronger, more intense color. Even if you want a light-colored room, choose colors that are slightly more saturated than off-white or light pastel. Very light color can feel bright and stark when it appears on all surfaces in a room. However, two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colors can create a luminous effect when used in the same room. A bit technical...I know...that's where I come in!

10 Tips for Picking Interior Paint Color

Why do we find one place appealing and are uneasy in another? Why are we attracted to one product over another? Color ~ whether architectural or in products ~ accounts for 60% of our response to an object or a place. Interesting!

The "buzz" about color is usually called "color psychology". But the effects of color are subtle and significant; physical and psychological. Color use is not something that results in a definitive equation between "color and our moods", as is a currently popular expression. Wherever we go we respond to color, but the importance of color is often underestimated. Color use is important to us personally in our homes and in the places where we work.

It's a good way to create a cohesive look in rooms with many windows and doors, and relatively little wall area.

Tip #1 ~ Follow the Color Wheel
A small color wheel is a great reference tool for modifying and intensifying two or more colors. For example, red and green, which are complementary (opposite) colors, are most intense when used together. You may be surprised at how many combinations function beautifully together, and you may even become attracted to entirely new color palettes. The color wheel also illustrates the visual temperature of color. Draw a line from the yellow-green mark on the color wheel all the way down to the red-violet; you'll see that all the colors on the left are warm and all the colors on the right are cool.
Complicated...no wonder clients hire Interior Designers! 

Tip #2 ~ Play Up Monochromatic Schemes
Think one color is boring? Create bold or subtle variations within one color group with contrasting paint finishes. For example, use closely related colors, or try a single color in different finishes, for walls and trim in one space.

For an accent color, select a warmer (more towards reds) or cooler (more towards blues) color to complement your main color group. For a quieter ambiance, make sure your colors are not extremely bright. White or an off-white tint can be a striking accent when used as trim with a monochromatic color group.

Tip #3 ~ Start Small

If you're not sure where to begin with color, experiment in a powder room or bathroom, a small hall or area between rooms, or an accent wall. I usually paint the ceiling the same color as the walls in power rooms. It makes the room more dramatic! If you're doing your own painting, pick an area that's quick to do so you can see your results sooner, and be happy with it or change it. Let the room "grow" on you for several weeks before deciding how you "feel" about it. Look at the process as an adventure.

To get started, select a favorite color drawn from artwork, a rug, dishes, accessories or a furniture piece.

Tip #4 ~ Think About Your Mood
When selecting a color, consider the mood of a room. In a bedroom do you want the feeling to be restful and soothing or dramatic and intimate? Soft, cool colors and neutrals usually create a quieter feeling while stronger colors are for drama.

Do you want a dining area to feel sociable and stimulating or appear formal and quiet? Warmer, contrasting and somewhat brighter colors add to a sociable atmosphere; deeper blue-greens and neutrals will give a more formal ambiance.

Do you want your kid's room to create an active and exciting energy or an orderly and restful feeling? Be careful not to overstimulate your children with intensely bright hues. You may not know it, but some brighter colors can lead to unrest and irritability.

Tip #5 ~ Pay Attention to Lighting

The reason why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint chips:
~  Natural daylight shows the truest color
~  Incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows
~  Fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone

So, a strong color might be too bright and overpowering when used on all walls or next to a large window, but it might be effective when used as an accent wall with indirect light.

Check back next week for Tip #6....

Winter Guests

Winter Guests ~ Are you ready for your Winter guests? Make sure that extra blankets and pillows are in the closet. Remember to clear plenty of hanging space & purchase new heavy duty hangers. Buy two fluffy white terry cloth bathrobes for guests to use during their stay. That way they can lounge around and go to and from the bathroom easily.

The Front Entry

The entry to your home is an important focal point. Plant multiple pots of perennial flowers. Pick flowers in colors that will complement those that you have in your interior. Autumn colors are also a good choice (i.e.) gold, cinnamon, rust and a splash of cream. Using varying sizes, shapes & heights of containers adds more interest. If space allows place a tall topiary in a vertical urn on each side of the front door. This creates grandeur and symmetry. If you are feeling adventurous consider painting the front door a bold color like lipstick red or cobalt blue (if you live in a MP community check with your homeowner's association before painting). Placing a large wreath on the door creates visual interest & adds dimension. Change the wreath seasonally to coordinate with your potted flowers. Always keep the entry tidy & free of cobwebs. Use the entry as an invitation for your guests, beckoning them to come inside with curiosity to explore the many other creative ideas you have designed!

Fall Is In The Air!

Ahhh...the weather is delightful! Now is the time to start preparing our homes for the upcoming Holiday seasons. Let us begin with the front of our homes. Look at your landscaping and take time to assess the general health of your existing plants and trees. How did they fare during the summer months? Do you need to invest in cleaning things up & perhaps adding new ground cover or perennial flowers? Do you need to add additional granite around your shrubs? Fall is a perfect time to plant, so take advantage of the great cool weather.