Lindsay, who has a degree in anthropology and ceramics is an incredibly talented artist and works closely with designers to see their ideas come to fruition. She owns Red Rock Tileworks, a handmade tile company in Charleston, Illinois, based on principles of beauty and design. The handmade nature of her projects makes each product a work of art. Her ceramics factory creates the tiles, the colors of the tiles (using glaze chemistry) and the tile designs all in-house. The result of such a workshop is entirely unique products with a handmade art quality and luster not found elsewhere.

Urban Archeology owner, Judith Stockman worked with Lindsay to design one of her latest wall surfaces titled ‘Origami.’ The tiles were created to give the look of unfolded origami paper. The three-dimensional nature of origami paper was produced by raised and recessed areas in each of the 6 inch by 6 inch square tiles. This look was created by pressing moist clay into an air-release mold.

The satin, white glaze used for the Origami tiles allows the gentle shadows in the multi-planed tile to create slightly varied values of the color on each surface. The result is a wall with a very dramatic 3-dimensional quality and a varied subtle gray/white color.

It was such a joy when ‘Origami’ by Urban Archeology won for Interior Design’s Best of the Year: Wall Surface!  I was there with my friend Chelsea Rogoff to represent Red Rock Tileworks, and we couldn’t have more pleased!

If you enjoy the subtle geometric design of this work, try to incorporate it into your own home. If you appreciate the style, try to mimic a similar feel by using a light colored paint and white in a pattern of your choosing.  Here are some designs that might be inspiring for such a project:

St Patrick's Day is Here! Here at Beehive, we're taking the idea of "Wearing of the Green" to the walls!  Green is possibly one of the most livable colors.  Not only are we surrounded by it in nature, but there is something soothing and invigorating about this lively color.  Today, we would like to share a small collection of our favorite shades. Enjoy!

I love many shades of green- especially the ones that tend towards yellow.  The one thing that makes green so magical is when it is combined with other shades of greens like when you see it in nature. A great foundation green is  Plum Passion.  It's a complex light golden olive green and can easily be read as a neutral.  Pair it with a crisp white like Du Jour to keep it fresh all year long or with accents of Citrus Tickle (one of my favorite accent colors) and Lime Kiss.  I suggest bringing these colors in through objects like pottery, throw pillows, rugs, drapes, etc.   You can also bring in deep chocolates and touches of bright garden colors such as warm rose, golden yellow, and tangerine.

Michele


Chlo·ro·phyll \’klor-e,fil. Noun. Botany - etymology: From French- chlorophylle. From Greek: chlor green + phyllon. Leaf the green coloring matter of leaves and plants.

Green is my all time favorite color because it breathes and rejuvinates. To me, this elegant trio epitomizes freshness, life, rebirth, sun, shade, youth and maturity.

Combinations of these beautiful shades create an elegant healing ambiance.

Veronique

Spring is only a couple days away, and I can not wait for the annual display of delicate and beautiful greens that nature offers us. As a matter of fact, it is impossible for me to choose an exact green as my favorite. I tend to prefer the early spring paler shades, but either on the bluer side or the yellower side. In home décor - as in nature - they work very beautifully together.

Megan


I really appreciate the color green.  To me, it feels earthy and alive.

I love nature and the outdoors, where green is a very large player.

Green might not be one of the simplest colors, but to me it is a soothing, enriching and direct color. I do a lot of gardening and in caring for the plants one really recognizes how many different and interesting green colors there are in the world.  Here is a very gentle green I have chosen, that I would love to see in my own home.

Belle Grove Light Amber

3006-8B

Fragrant Coriander 

3002-6A

Q: I am confused about the color I picked out for my kitchen. I picked Fragrant Coriander by Valspar, but it looks very different on the walls than the swatch. I like it, but I feel like it's too orange-ish. We are doing a texture, so I bought the lime wash and gold glaze so I know it will look different after and I'm hoping it will tone down the orange and I'll like it. I am going after the earth tones and Tuscan look. Should I get the same paint with a hint of red? Will the texture give this color a Tuscan feel to the kitchen?

- Ana C., Crestline, OH

A: Dear Ana,

You're off to a good start. Adding the texture will reduce the "orange" feel that you were talking about. Try the color wash on a small area like the space next to the door to see the end result.  Adding texture will definitely put you in a Tuscan mode. You may want to have a small quart of a warm yellow-off-white like Belle Grove Light Amber on hand to add here and there to add subtle highlights. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Happy Painting!

I recently discovered a Minneapolis neighborhood that was being transformed. The atmosphere of renewal was so impressive that I wanted to get involved. Volunteering with a team from A Brush With Kindness (ABWK), we worked on an old home in St. Paul, Minnesota in need of some TLC--and tender loving care is exactly what it received.

A Brush With Kindness works with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity to serve homeowners who need assistance with minor repairs. Much of the work focuses on seniors, the disabled and single parent families. In winter, ABWK works on indoor home maintenance projects like painting, which is made possible by Valspar. In the US, Valspar is the national paint sponsor for Habitat For Humanity and the driving force behind ABWK.

Homeowner Daniel Barcus used to be a nurse, but had trouble maintaining his home following a devastating and crippling car accident, so ABWK came to the rescue. Once Daniel selected his favorite colors, we went to work.

I assisted Carolyn Keifer and Betsy Devries, both AmeriCorps ABWK volunteer facilitators, and Diane Goh who volunteered while waiting to attend medical school.

Happy Scroll yellow brightened the little bedroom while the staircase and hallway were transformed with a few coats of Verde Cavigio green.

Jeff Yule, our site manager removed the bathroom’s old wallpaper. We then painted it a fresh clean white.

For a better understanding of the impact such projects have on the community, I met with ABWK founder and manager Pat Lund.

Pat explained that the help ABWK provides goes far beyond home repairs. It brings positive progress in peoples lives and inspires permanent life style changes. The improvements help families protect their financial investments and restore dignity and pride in their home. Valspar, a vital contributor to the program understands the importance of having and keeping a home.

All the people I met on this project were dedicated, dynamic and truly kind. I look forward to working with them again this summer when ABWK focuses on exterior maintenance and painting.

If you would like to find out more about about A Brush With Kindness, click here. If you have ever volunteered with the program, let us know in the comments! We'd love to hear about your experience.

Since St. Patrick's Day is around the corner, I thought it would be fun to feature Ireland's native root, the potato! The potato print area rug is a great project to do with kids as there limitless color choices and potato print shapes. Not only will you enjoy the one-of-a-kind rug for years to come, but it is waterproof, washable and non-slippery. The fact that it's made with house paint make it foolproof to coordinate the rug with existing colors in your room, why not use leftover paint from your other projects? Click through for all the details on how to make your own. 

You Will Need

Note: All paint listed below can either be eggshell or satin finish. Satin would be a bit more shiny but more stain resistant. I used leftover paint but quart sizes are plenty enough for the background. Sample sizes are perfect for the print colors.

Rug Colors

People create red doors all over the world. Where did this colorful practice originate? Like many design traditions, it was formed by religious practices—the most notable: feng shui and Catholicism.

Thought to be a feng shui tradition, a red door is believed to be a bringer of stability and fortune. My sources tell me that this is an Americanized interpretation of the importance of a door in feng shui practice. Red is considered to be the most auspicious (of good omen, indicating future success) of all colors. But to say that a red door is good for any home would be a remedial interpretation of the practice of feng shui.

In Catholicism, a red door signifies that a sacrifice has been made and that ill fortune should pass by. The North, South, East and West doors of the church were painted red to signify the sacrifice of Jesus, and that those who enter would be safe from harm.  It was upon a red church door that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses, thus marking reformed churches and giving specific meaning to the red door for Protestants and Lutherans.

Red doors are simply popular in the U.S. and all over the world. They are believed by many cultures to be welcoming and inviting. My own home was purchased with red doors and I have not had the urge to change them.

My Front Door

Below are some thoughtful reds for doors from the Valspar collection. You can use any finish for a door, but most people use gloss or semi gloss for doors for easy cleaning and a nice, crisp look.

For a Dark Brown or Black home try:

Fabulous Red 1011-2

For a white home try:

Classic Red 1009-2

For a light neutral or cream colored home try:

Baked Bahama 1006-3A

For a yellow or green home try:

La Fonda Antique Red 2002-5A

For a blue or grey home try:

Jekyll Clubhouse Terra Cotta 2002-5C

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

******

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