May 1999
Well, it's May in Florida, and as I mentioned last month it starts getting pretty hot outside. We have had a few days at 90 degrees already. It's only the end of April, I can't imagine how hot it's going to be this summer. This last weekend we had a cold front that dropped our temperatures to 80 degrees, so I'm trying to finish the last of my spring plantings before we start wilting at the thought of going outside. My husband does not know it yet, but my attentions are soon turning to the inside, and we are going to paint some walls. Decorators and their husbands are just like you and your husbands. Time, energy, money, desire, priorities etc., all get in the way of the decorating projects. They seem to be the last on the list of things to do for lots of reasons, many of them good ones. I have been testing some warm beige colors for my living/dining room walls. There are several swatches of 2-3 paint colors around the rooms. Guess What? I haven't got the right shade yet. Even with an excellent eye for color and understanding the influence of other elements, it's very difficult to choose paint colors from paper swatches. I would much rather spend a $15.00-$20.00 on samples, to be sure I'm happy with my final choice. Nothing aggravates our husbands more, than for them to help paint, with all the stuff that goes with it (Moving furniture, taking down curtains, pictures, preparation, painting, cleanup and them putting it all back) only for you to be unhappy and disappointed with the results. Believe me, he wants you to be HAPPY!! Don't feel bad if you have had trouble choosing paint colors. Your in good company!! All of us have had this problem at some time in the past, or will have in the future. This month, I'm going to give you some good tips and helps for making these decisions easier. Hope you enjoy and Happy Decorating!! Jamie
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAINT COLOR |
Choosing the right paint color is a dilemma we have or will face at some time in our lives. Due to the different elements in everyone's home, there is no exact science that will apply to all. The amount of natural light, artificial light, flooring colors, furniture colors and personal taste will all effect the outcome of the painted surfaces. Use your key/inspiration item as a starting point for paint colors. Go the paint chips that most closely match or blend with your key item. Buy the smallest quantity you can, and test it in the room/rooms to be painted.
Here is the best way to test paint colors. Start with white walls because any other contrast will give you a false impression of the color you are testing. If the walls are not white, apply a coat of primer, which is naturally white and can be used later. Roll one large swatch about four feet square onto the darkest wall, typically the window wall, and another on the sunniest, typically the one opposite the windows. Live with it a few days. If you are not pleased and drawn to the color, try something different.
Deciding on the trim color for your home interior can also be confusing but is really easy. Keep it simple and the same throughout your home. Let's assume you have different colors on the walls throughout your home, whether they are subtle in difference or dramatic. A very unifying way to treat your trim and ceiling is to paint them all the same color. For example: Your master bedroom may be painted a pale blue, your daughter's room lavender, the study has a textured neutral wallpaper, the main living areas are painted warm beige, and the kitchen has a patterned wallpaper in blues, lavenders, and whites. You would now paint all of the trim in your home, white or a custom blend of very soft beige. Though the effect is subtle, it keeps all of the rooms related to each other. Let's assume you are painting your walls a neutral or light color, such as taupe, beige, cream, ivory, or pale yellow. For your moldings and doors, etc. have the paint store mix a blend of your color choice cut with white. A common formula for this is one part color to three parts white. Remember to always test a sample before total application. This same blend of color and white will be perfect for your ceiling, too.
Don't worry about white ceilings, as decorators we realize that most new home construction gives you a basic white ceiling throughout your home. If it is cost prohibitive to do anything else, then the pure white ceilings are fine. It is much more important to address other decorative necessities. Please do not loose any sleep over having pure white ceilings. If your ceilings are pure white, then consider painting all your trim pure white as well. Sometimes this is more desirable. Personal preference plays the larger role in this decision, rather than a decorating right or wrong. Although, if budget and personal preference leads you to using a color on the ceiling, use the above formula as a general rule. Using dark or contrast colors can be a wonderful look, but must be carefully considered and tested.
One idea that can be a compromise and stunning is painting the ceiling a very soft blue or lavender, evoking the sky. In many of the new homes across the country, tray ceilings are very popular. This style ceiling provides wonderful opportunities to paint part of the ceiling in an accent color that coordinates with your scheme without overwhelming the whole room. This does not mean you would use this color on your door and floor moldings. The ceiling treatment is for accent only. I cannot stress enough how strongly I recommend testing paint colors. It can be the difference in disappointment and happiness with your design project. I sincerely hope this info helps some of you with your painting choices.
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TIP OF THE MONTH |
Create a skylight on a budget!!
To create the illusion of a skylight window in your ceiling, paint the ceiling a pale color. In the middle of the ceiling, paint an area in the shape of a skylight pure white or soft sky blue. Frame it with simple, inexpensive molding. The illusion evokes the look of a skylight in your ceiling.
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WEBSITE UPDATE |
The new Decorator Secrets website is almost complete. We hope to have
it up by the end of this month, if not sooner. We have not been
updating the current site with new information because all of our staff's
attention has been toward getting this new site up and running. The
new site will have a "new look" (it's all about color), and many
additions. Here are just a few of the elements:
· Pro Tricks
· Quick Tips
· Eight Steps to a Beautiful Home
· New Home Buyers Section
· Top Ten Internet Resource List for different decorating related products
(category changes every month)
· Glossary
· Recommended Reading
· Archived articles
· At least two new articles each month
· Free Newsletter with a chance to win a free Color Scheme Guide
· Recommended Products
As you can see, with the new look and the additional information, we will
have a lot of information for you to enjoy and use. So, please be
patient, the wait will be worth it. It is our hope to make this a
website of real tools, tips, and ideas to turn your decorating problems into
solutions. During this change over period we may experience down times
on our website. Please bear with us as we work toward making these
improvements. We will notify everyone by E-mail as soon as it is
ready.
We just want to say a word of thanks to our products customers.
Judging from the response we have had, some of you are really enjoying our
Kit and the Color Scheme Guides. Just remember, you are not alone in
your effort to "do it yourself," if you have any questions please
give us a call. Please remember you have the full support of
Affordable Elegance with the products you need for your project, just give
them a call and they will happy to assist you. Thanks again for you
patronage.
If you are considering a home-decorating project, and don't know where to
start, or maybe you don't know what colors you would like to live with, we
have some help for you. We have created 18 of the latest color schemes
for a home. We make it easy for you. Each Color
Scheme Guide comes with a complete resource list that provides the
information on where to find the samples shown. This resource list
also includes recommended carpet and paint suggestions. Each one of
these guides required many hours of design time to create a visual
representation of the color scheme. You will be able to see how the
scheme will flow throughout your home creating a balanced and consistent
color scheme. Take another stroll through our site and discover the
incredible benefit each of these Color Scheme Guides will provide to you.
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THE WINNER IS.... |
This month, the winner of our free gift is Barbara from California. She was
selected in the drawing for a fee gift, and will receive one Color Scheme
Guide ($19.95) of her choice from the 18 listed on our Website at: http://decoratorsecrets.com/
We sell these Guides for this incredibly low price, but they are really
valued at more than $500., which would be a typical starting fee for this
service.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter along to your friends and family.
Remember to bookmark our site as it will be updated regularly and is
currently being rebuilt. If you really want to make your color and selection
choices easy, we have the answers available for you with the Decorator
Secrets System kit.
HAPPY DECORATING!
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