Transform Your Home With Color

Have you seen that commercial with the couple standing in the middle of their empty family room? They are staring at these large, blank, white walls. The husband breathes a heavy sigh and the words "It looks great..." (or something along those lines) and asks the wife..."what do you think?" Her reply is "It looks like we couldn't figure out what color to paint." Brutal but honest. Are you suffering from White Wall Syndrome? I say to you, heal thyself. Don't be afraid of color on your walls.The worst that can happen is you paint over it. Reality in today's world is not the repaint but the time to repaint right? Maybe we can help you get it right the first time.There are a lot of Paint manufacturers out there. I am going to reference Benjamin Moore because most of us know where to go to get the Benjamin Moore brand without having to drive into the next universe.

Let us start at the beginning. First things first, don't start with your walls. Begin with the fabrics you will have in the room. What I mean is this- if you already have your furniture and it is not going to change in the next 12 months or more, that is where you start. If you are purchasing new furniture then you will need your fabric swatches from the new upholstery. Lay your fabrics all out on the table/ottoman in the room you are wanting to paint. Lay them together and overlapping so that your entire palette of fabrics will be seen all together with your possible paint selections. Look closely at the fabrics in front of you. Which color is least represented in the group? If you have a pale aqua background with a deep chocolate pattern, which is the dominant color? The Aqua? "Wait" you say, "I can't have chocolate walls!" My question to you is, Why not? Create a beautiful and opulent feel in your room. Keep the trim and doors a bright white. Please, don't forget the ceiling. It too is a wall and will suffer from neglect.
You still insist you cannot have chocolate walls, "The room will get too dark for me!" Okay. It's alright. Let's look at the aqua. Because in this case you only have 2 color choices. Aqua and Chocolate right? You can take the aqua color and go with a deeper version of it and still be able to pull off a fabulous room. You have to be careful if you want to go with a paler version of the color because your walls could end up looking like they are merely another version of white. Remember, your trim and doors are still going to be a bright white, it keeps the color palette looking crisp and fresh.

After your color goes up on the walls it's time to add more color. This palette opens the door for some fabulous accents with pillows, art, area rugs, and so much more. Don't be afraid of color. Use it and live in it.

You want that bright and airy feeling.You also want warm and inviting. Don't despair.You want your fabrics to be conversational. The point here is to choose a paint color that will allow your furniture/fabrics to come to life. Choose color that will give you bright, airy and still warm and inviting. Am I making sense? Let me ask this question....Do you love your fabrics? Do you love your upholstery pieces? Don't you want them to come to life the way you imagined they would when you bought them? POP!? Use the fabric to find the right hue. Don't try to guess it. If you can't take your fabric with you to the paint store then grab every paint swatch of "pale to deep aqua" and "chocolate"(insert your own colors here)you can find. Bring them home and lay them out on your fabrics. The color will choose itself. You won't have to guess.

Now, in spite of all of this, you are still petrified...call a Designer. Ask them for a simple paint consultation. Most designers offer this service. Isn't it worth the consult fee? Time is money, if you have limited time, spend the money on a Designer. In the long run, it will save you money as well as give you back much of your valuable time.

Benjamin Moore offers a program on their website where you can "try on" color combos before you start. It can give you a feeling for your color before you leap. It won't be exact because color will change in your own lighting. Swatches are the way to go. If you buy a sample jar and paint a small swatch on your wall, you could still be misled. Imagine a huge white wall with a tiny square of color. Your color will be intensified by all of the white. Keep an open mind. A small square can give you a feel, but remember, it's only a sampling. Still cannot decide? Call that Designer I told you about. You can reach us at 813.259.4959

Why Hire a Professional?

Why Hire a Professional?

• Between work, kids, spouses, sports scheduling, volunteering and chores are you just too busy to try and tackle one more thing?
  
• Have you started to decorate a room/ your home and left it half finished?
  
• You know you want your room to look like the picture you pulled from the magazine but you don’t know where to begin?
  
• Is your home an older home that you want to decorate in a manner that reflects it’s history?
  
• Have you been busy “collecting” pieces over the years and now you don’t know how to pull it all together?
  
• Is it time to renovate? Do you want to add a room?
  
• Are you finding yourself at an impasse on design style with your spouse or significant other?
  
• Do you think the choices you have made so far are boring? Do you need help just to jazz up what you have already?
  
• Have you toured one too many Model homes and yet still can’t find that right look?
  
• Are you interested in items that are labeled “To The Trade Only”?
  
• Are you tired of the hassle of trying to pull it all together yourself?
  
• Do you want something unique? Something that reflects your personal style?
  
• Are all of your local retailers all showing the same things and none of them reflect your tastes?


• Do you want to see some beautiful faux painting throughout your home? Custom Murals?
  
• Are you tired of living in chaos and tired of being unorganized in your home?

If you have decided that any of the questions listed above are followed by you saying “Yes” then you need to hire a Professional Design Consultant. You can decide in what capacity you need to utilize our skills. If all you need is someone to come in and consult with you on items you already own, then call and ask what it would be for a 2 or 3 hour Consultation.

If you need someone who will simply take over your design project for you, call now. Run. Don’t walk to the phone. Relieve yourself of the pressure you have placed on yourself. You will be grateful to yourself for having made the decision to trust a Professional Design Consultant.
You can reach us at 813-259-4959