There certainly aren’t too many things more exciting than a new baby. Preparing for a baby is fun, but sometimes a little scary. A nursery project is a great way to involve family or friends in the welcoming of a new child.  Small accents or larger projects can be a relaxing way to get ready for the new arrival. Now, there are many different ways one could decorate a nursery. You might choose an accent wall, a border, or even an overall landscape. (Oh-heck, let’s just say babyscape for fun!) 

First, carefully look at the manpower (awesome friends and family that will help) as well as your timeline. Choose a project that is well within your power to complete before baby’s arrival.  Plan tasks strategically so each person is aware of their duties.  Employ some friends for the basic wall color and others for the more creative or complex duties.  Also you will want to take a careful look at color swatches. There are those of us who know our babies sex before they are born and those of us who stay giddy at the thought of the surprise. Some of us really like gender specific decorating, and others prefer a more unilateral approach.  Decide who you are!

For your own information, babies can see color when they are born, but not fully and clearly until they are four months old. They can see high contrast (colors very different from one another) early on, by three months they can see color with more clarity and pay closer attention to edges. By four months their sense of color has fully developed.

Do these factors play a role in your color choices for the nursery- It certainly doesn’t have to- remember you make the rules around here!  Make sure that it is a space that you appreciate and enjoy.

Below are some color choices I have come up with from the Valspar line for a baby boy, baby girl and if you're keeping it a surprise.

A Little Mister

A Sweet Lil' Miss

Soon to be Revealed!

If you'd like to go the mural route, here are some beautiful nursery mural examples from three different companies

Aki Murals of Chicago

MuralMax

McLamarre Murals*

We are trying to choose a new color scheme for our living room. My husband would like to do the whole room in bright red, but I think this would make the room feel too small. It is the largest room in our house at 13x17. Ideally I'd like a color scheme that would make the fire place wall and the wall with the clock behind the couch accent feature walls. The other walls have a lighter earthy tone. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

Kim D., Salem, NH

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Dear Kim,

Thank you for sending the photo. It makes it much easier to figure out the right direction. Your instincts are right about the earthy tones. Take a look at Dakota Trail for the two walls you're thinking of -- this color has a hint of khaki in it which would allow the reds in the fireplace to come out making it a good color for an accent wall. This may make your husband happy. Try Woodlawn Misty Morn on the other walls, it's slightly lighter in tone. For the wall going up the stairs, I would try Epic as it is slightly deeper and would add more dimension to the room.

Let us know how it goes. Happy painting!

Ann

What a night it was! After an endless pass of one gorgeously gowned star after another, Kathryn Bigelow, beautifully dressed herself, wins both awards for best director and best movie.

There were a lot of blue gowns—perhaps Avatar influenced? But, here are my favorite dresses of the evening paired with some room ideas and color swatches. 

Kathryn Bigelow

Zoe Saldaña

Vera Farminga

Demi Moore

 Winter is almost over! March is the month of escape--the month when I really want to spend more time outside. I recently painted this mural for a client of mine who spends hours in her windowless home office. There are many ways to bring the outdoors in, but I find this technique of painting a sky on your wall is really easy. The results are soft, with a dream-like quality. It's all about layering. 

 
I used leftover paint from other jobs, but quart sizes and sample sizes are plenty enough. Just a reminder, sample sizes only come in satin finish, which is more shiny, but perfect for highlights in the sky!

You will need:

• Valspar "Pink Burst" eggshell finish (quart)
• Valspar "Woodlawn Sterling Blue" eggshell finish (quart)
• Valspar "Whitewashed Oak" eggshell finish (quart)
• Valspar "Dust Storm" (sample size)
• Valspar "Gentle Wind" (sample size)
• Valspar "La Fonda Sombrero" (sample size)
• Valspar "Tinsel Beam" (sample size)
• A "bubble ruler"
• 2" chip brushes
• Blue painters tape
• Used credit card
• Pencil
• Exacto knife or small box cutter
• Cutting board
• Rags
• Downloaded template
• Mylar Paper

• Determine the area you want to have your mural in
• Using the bubble ruler mark a rectangle on the wall
• Tape the outline of the rectangle with the blue painter's tape
• Press along the inside edges of the taped rectangle in order to seal the tape and prevent "bleeding"
• Apply a first coat of "Pink Burst" paint then let dry for an hour or so.
• Here is where the layering comes in: Alternate between the different blues and the white. Dip your brush in paint, then wipe your brush on a rag (this is called dry brushing) and work your brush on the wall in a circular motion.
• The more layers, the more blended they are, the more subtle the effect will be. Play around, adding highlights with the warmer colors. 
• Now that you have created your sky, you can use the template of the birds, copy them on mylar paper or draw them freehand on the wall.

Excitement builds as the Academy Awards approach and like many, the reason I enjoy watching is to find out who will wear what. This is it; one "faux pas" and a celebrity can stay on the worst dressed list for years to come, or the right choice and a barely known starlet can be catapulted to the top.

I can't wait for next Monday to report my take on color trends, but I would like to pay homage to what this event is really about: cinema. The following nominated movies' colors inspired me the most this year. I created a few palettes for each movie according to a scene that moved me the most. Let the colors talk!

Avatar

Grand Hotel Mackinac Blue	Peach Champagne 2006-4C	Lime Kiss 6008-9A

Quarry Pond 5011-10	Cliveden Camelback Sofa	Plum Good 4011-10

A Single Man

Labrador 3009-9	Jekyll Island Veranda Ivory 7003-20
Black Raisin 4002-2C	Blanched Pine 7005-15

Afternoon Delight	Peach Punch 1008-2A	Antelope Hide 3005-7B

Nine

Classic Red 1009-2	Smoke Infusion 5002-1	Lhyndhurst Castle Sand 5008-1C

 

Very Berry 1002-1A	Dark Kettle Black 4011-2	Soft Silk 7004-2

Hi!

I am getting married in 7 weeks and my fiancé and I are looking for the right color to paint our bedroom.  I’d like it to be warm, in the yellow family without it being too bright of a yellow.  If a color had a smell, it would smell like almond and vanilla. I’m attaching a picture of the bedding we’re using, but the walls in the picture are lighter than I’d like ours to be. Any suggestions? Thank you!

Erin K., Waco, TX

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Hi Erin,

Love that bedding.  Those colors are so cozy and sophisticated at the same time. 

For a deep warm vanilla try looking at:

Prairie Dance 3006-10A (most neutral)	Belle Grove Light Amber 3006-8B
Redstone Dining Room	Honeysuckle Beige 3007-6A (most yellow).

Let us know if these colors are in the right direction. Try some of the sample pots.  It's always good to take a little test run.

All the best,

Ann

 Coco Before Chanel

This film focuses on Coco before she became a fashion icon—her rise from humble beginnings and her struggles to be recognized. This fascinating story bursts with glamour and tragedy as it traces the life and loves of young Gabrielle Chanel on her way to becoming the world’s most stylish woman, while celebrating the classic Chanel style.

Coco before Chanel was directed by Anne Fontaine and stars Audrey Tautou.  It is nominated for Best Costume Design.

Very Black 5011-2 Silver Dust 7004-19       Cool Gray 7006-10
 
  

Chanel’s signature palette is a combination of whites and black which create sexy elegant and dramatic effects.

Ethnic, sophisticated or retro, this palette is always very graphic and clean.

Young Victoria

This movie is a love story full of political intrigue – a romantic dramatization of events preceding and following the coronation of Queen Victoria, focusing on her early reign and romance with Prince Albert in the 1830’s. It is a human drama as well as an exploration of a key period in British history.

Young Victoria is visually stunning as well.  It captures the luxurious fashions, colors and atmosphere of the Victorian era.  The palaces and their interiors are gorgeous; the costumes are splendid and lavish.

Directed by Jean Marc Vallée and starring Emily Blunt, Young Victoria is nominated for best Art Direction, Costume Design and Make-up.

The entire movie is bathed in jewel overtones: emeralds, sapphires and regal purples, colors very reminiscent of peacock feathers and Valspar’s Vintage Romance trend:

 Monterey Bay Teal 5004–10 C      Plum Good 4011 – 10

 
 
 
 Salamander 6001 – 8B  Fairmont Penthouse Mosaic Blue 4009-6

A luxurious, sultry effect: 

A playful, young look: 

So while I’m looking out my window watching the snow melt, I can only dream of colors this bright.

Beach Sparkle 5004-9C   Garden Fresh 6008-7C  Anthem White 7006-24

A recent client of ours had in her possession two old side tables that she absolutely loved. The tables were in need of a face lift, but the problem we faced was that they had been subjected to several coats of paint overtime, so if we applied a new coat, the result still would not produce a fresh look unless we stripped each coat first. Stripping paint is a very long process, so I decided to give them an antique look by using the "antiquing" method. There are many ways to antique furniture, but I found a real simple and rewarding way to do this is by using a water-based paint. Here is what you will need:

-A quart of Valspar paint in woodland misty morning eggshell finish.

-A sample size of Valspar semi sweet (sample sizes only come in satin and that is fine)

-3’’ and 2” chip brushes

-Soft absorbent rags

-A container of water

How to:

  
 
-Apply a coat of woodland misty morning paint on the clean tables and let them dry overnight. 

-Dip your 2’’ brush in semi sweet paint and wipe your brush on one of the rags, there should be very little paint left on your brush

-Apply softly to one area at a time of the table, making sure more paint gets in the grooved areas and corners of the table.

-Before the dark paint dries, dip a clean rag in water and squeeze. The rag should be barely wet, then wipe the paint off leaving just enough to get an antique look.

-Repeat in all areas of the table and don’t be afraid to experiment. If you leave too much paint you can always go back with the light paint. If you take to much dark paint off you can always add more.

What piece of furniture will you be antiquing? We would love for you to share your end result with us!

Also, check out the video below to see the process from start to finish.