More in our paint series and Dining Room before and after

Just wanted to pop in and show what a difference color can make in a room. If you have all white walls and are "afraid " of color don't be. If you didn't know already, I have been doing a series on paint. You can see the first in the series here. You will find all kinds of tips and ideas for choosing your color. Just look how much warmer and inviting the room looks in the after photo.
Here is my Dining room all white just after we put the tile in.

And here is the after : SEE, warm and inviting (just ignore the bucket in the left corner We are still in remodel mode at our house.) I really really love it (maybe because other than needing to lower the chandelier it is the only room on the main floor that is 100% finished. Hooray!!)

Notice also that we have replace the trim under the window and the baseboards from icky thin brown to white with some character. 

And just another view of the room.

NOTE:

Don't forget to enter the $60.00 CSN stores giveaway here

Next week, more in our paint series :

The right tools for the right paint job to help you professional results and later next week faux finishes.

Linking to 

 

And

Paint series #4 choosing color continued

If the tips from yesterday are still leaving you apprehensive about picking color, here are a few more things to help you. Take your favorite samples home and tape to the wall in various places around the room. check to see what the lighting at different times of the day does to the color. Even the natural lighting in the room, carpet, furnishings etc. can make it look very different than you thought in the store. Another option, if you need to, is get the "sample" made  up and come home and paint a large square of the color in a spot where you will be able to see it at all times of the day. Sherwin Williams has a great selection of "to go" samples to try at home.

I normally don't do this, but I know it can be very helpful if you have trouble visualizing what it can look like on a whole wall. Last but not least, find a friend that has an eye for color and ask for help. But do remember that it is only paint and can be changed fairly easy. 

By the way if you have picked a color and want to paint this weekend Sherwin Williams is having a sale this weekend. (no, they did not pay me to say this) 
















And valspar has this on their facebook page too

Paint series part 3

So you have decided to paint .. now what? If you're not sure where to begin using color, experiment in a powder room or bathroom, a small hall, or an accent wall. Pick an area that's small so you can see your results quickly.
Once you decide what to paint we need to pick a color. Colors are often referred to as "warm" and "cool." Oranges, and reds, are considered "warm" colors, while blues, greens, and violets are thought to be "cool." Knowing what you are naturally drawn to, either warm or cool is helpful. 
Lets look at the color wheel for a minute: Color schemes fall into three categories: complementary, analogous, and neutral. Complementary schemes combine a primary and secondary color from opposite sides of the color wheel (red and green). Analogous colors are either warm (reds, oranges, and yellows) and cool (greens, blues, and violets). Neutrals are colors not included in a color wheel, such as browns, whites, and blacks.



While this color wheel info is helpful for many,  I find it easier to start first by looking at colors I am drawn to naturally. Look around the room, What color is predominate? What color may there be just a hint of ? The very easiest for me is to grab a throw or a pillow, or look at the area rug and start my color selection from those items. For example I have a hallway runner that is in browns, golds, greens, camel color, and burgandy

I wanted to paint the stairway entry wall a color that  would pop and still work with my color scheme, so I picked paint samples in all of the colors in the rug

brought them home and picked this one

It actually photographed a bit more red than it really is but you get the idea.

The wall behind is going to be painted the Camel color very soon.

 See how easy it is to pick color using things you already have and love.

Many paint companies have visualizer tools now that let you upload a picture of your room and "try" different colors on the walls. This is a great tool and fun to use.

Another thing I like to do when starting from scratch is get an idea what color scheme I want to use. For example, in my home I am using greens, golds,carmel and a hint of red. So decide on that first, then go to different paint stores and pick colors in those catagories from each paint brand, come home and compare them and 9 times out of ten, I will have picked the same exact colors (although the names are of course different) from every store. That is a pretty good indicator of what I like and what will go together in my home.

Many paint companies will help you in the selection process also by having brochures with preselected color combos as well. 

This is a lot of information to take in so I will pause now and follow up with more in a day or two.

Paint series part 2

 If you missed my last post , I am doing starting a series over the next week or two about paint. I have many clients who just freeze when it comes to picking a color. Picking the color can be very intimidating.  I am going to give some tips for taking the fear out of this process, and over the next several days we will talk about, priming or not priming, preparation work involved in painting, proper tools, how much paint to purchase for any given room and so much more. I will even answer some of your questions too
So stay tuned. This is going to be good and I hope it will help you to enter the paint store without fear and trepidation.

Painting tips series part 1

I have had several questions about paint lately so I am starting a new series over the next week or two on finishes, types, and picking the right color. I am starting with a post I did in 2009 as a review for some of you and new info for many of you.

I thought it would be fun since most of my clients lately have been people needing help picking paint colors, to give a liitle bit of information about paint types and finishes. You already know that paint can update and help personalize your space for very little investment. However going into the paint section of your local hardware store can be a bit intimidating. There is ceiling paint and floor paint and satin finish and high gloss, flat paint and glazing etc. There are tools that we never knew we needed and tools what can't figure out the use for(stay away from those :)). Hopefully this will help take a bit of the intimidation out of it for you.

Flat paint is just that, it is flat in appearance or matte if you will. It is harder for cleaning, so use of it is best in a room that doesn't get high traffic. (I personally never use flat paint.) While it will hide some imperfections better than other finishes it is not my favorite.

Satin paint has a slight sheen and gives a nice glow to any room. It cleans up well, much better than flat paint. Satin is my very favorite finish and is in most every room of the house.

Gloss in my opinion should almost never be used, but is great for high moisture areas such as a bathroom. It is also great on trims and doors. It is intersting to note that using a gloss on trims and doors in the same color as your satin wall paint will create a slight contrast in color just because the finish has changed.

Ceiling paints are designed for just that use and again the finish you select should be determined by the use of the room. It is best to keep your ceilings a lighter color than your wall color to keep the room from feeling closed in or small.

When taking the time to paint, don't skimp on quality. The better quality the paint, the better coverage and the less paint you will use. Make sure you have all tools you need, good brushes(again don't skimp here there is a difference in brushes), painters tape, rollers and tarps or other floor and furniture coverings.

Feel free to ask questions and I will help the best I can. There is so much more about paint, but I thought the basics would be a great place to start.

Happy Painting! Oh by the way, after you get your painting done, stop by www.lovethedecor.willowhouse.com to find new accessories for your new look.