Kate Smith's Color for Your Home

Color Confidence: The Crash Course

Kate Smith — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:15:37 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Online class begins whenever you’re ready to learn more about using color. Visit ColorKnowledge.com

25 Eggs + 25 Colors - 45 Minutes = Easter

Kate Smith — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:04:23 +0000

My son is now 18 years old so it has been quite a few years since I colored Easter eggs but while I was a the grocery store today I saw a Paas set of five color cups for $1.99 and I thought what the heck it might be fun to color some some eggs tonight. So I grabbed a couple dozen eggs for under $2.00 a dozen and was off for a little fun.

Never one to be one satisfied with colors straight out of the box I decided to experiment with a bit of over-dying. Here are the results.

Here’s what I did. I started with 25 eggs and dyed 5 eggs in each color for 3 minutes. Since I these cups only hold one egg at a time this took me about 20 minutes.

The blue dye turned out the darkest. The red dye didn’t take very well and turned out splotchy but once I dyed the in a second color the results were pretty interesting.

I then took all the 5 yellow eggs and put one in each dye cup for 3 minutes, then 5 orange eggs, then 5 pink, 5 blue and 5 green.

Here’s the first batch of the original yellow eggs are done and the original orange eggs are in the dye cups.

All yellow eggs were over-dyed and from left to right the second dye bath was yellow-orange-pink-blue-green. I was careful to keep each subsequent row in the same order so that I would know what two color produced what.

And here they are with all 25 eggs dyed twice.

I ended up with eggs in 25 different colors. Although some look the same in the photo no two eggs are exactly the same color.

Not bad for less than $6 bucks and 45 minutes.

Happy Easter!

Unleash the Power of Color

Kate Smith — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:00:23 +0000

I was quoted in an article by Joanne Richard of Sun Media that appears today in:

Unleash the power of colour

FRESH AS SPRING: Lift the doom and gloom with splashes of paint

Changing the mood of your decor

Brush away the blues with spring’s strong hues.

In all this doom and gloom, “we’re attracted to colours that are optimistic, upbeat and full of life, and at the same time drawn to neutrals that give us the sense of stability and permanence of solid foundations,” says hue guru Kate Smith.

So why not grab some paint and coat your home in shades of happiness.

Paint is powerful, says Smith.

“Without changing anything else, paint can change the entire way you feel in a room and take it from so-so to sensational in just hours.”

The wall colour creates a background for your furnishings but also sets the mood of the room and expresses your personality: “there is a lot of value in a can of paint.”

Continue reading on The Expositor

Join me at House Beautiful Color Institute

Kate Smith — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:02:28 +0000

I had such fun speaking at the House Beautiful events around the country last year and a happy to let you know that I’ll be joining them again this year.

The first event is in Florida! House Beautiful will bring the topic of color to life. The Color Institute will feature presentations, informative seminars and exclusive showroom events hosted by House Beautiful experts and top designers.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009.
Design Center of the Americas
1855 Griffin Rd., Dania Beach, FL.
Time: 9:00am — 1:00pm
Complimentary admission. RSVP required. HouseBeautifulRSVP@Hearst.com

Presenting sponsor:
Benjamin Moore® Paints.

Sponsors: Duralee®, Pierre Deux® and Design Center of the Americas

I’d love to see you at this event or future Color Institute events in Atlanta and Houston.

Family Room & Kitchen Combo Update

Kate Smith — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:01:29 +0000

Today’s reader dilemma:

We have a combined kitchen and family room. The couches are medium blue with a floral print and the window coverings are yellow. The kitchen has cherry and white accents. The furniture in the family room is cherry. Currently the wall color is a medium sage green. Katherine

Kate suggests:

To update without many changes to your furniture and accessories a new wall color is always a great option.

I think your existing scheme sounds lovely and your color combination made me immediately think of the sun-drenched colors of Provence. There are the colors often associated with French Country style. Even if this isn’t the style in your home the colors still bring to mind that same warm and comfortable feeling.

Shown above is a print from Pierre Deux that shows color similar to the ones you describe in your own scheme. Depending on where and how you use the colors the scheme can be sophisticated, traditional or lively.

Another picture from Pierre Deux shows a more sophisticated yet comfortable look with blue print sofa. Depending on your style I like the idea of replacing the sage green walls with a combination of beautiful neutrals. The three colors on the bottom would be a place to begin thinking about going with a neutral or combination of neutrals. Keep in mind that every home’s style and lightening is different it will be important for you to sample and study the colors in the room to make sure they are pleasing to you.

The blue is to show a color close to that in your coach, along with colors from Sherwin-Williams Pennywise SW6681, Gleeful 6709, Brentwood SW8146, Shore SW8115, Antique White SW6119

Shown above is a green that I think is probably a bit brighter and clear than the current green. Just updating the green to a fresher version of the color is another option that could work to give you a whole new feeling. As could going with yellow on the walls and not just the window treatments.

This is a Sherwin-Williams ad showing a brighter green with blue and yellow. In this case the blue and yellow they have chosen make it perfect for a nursery but with deeper blue, yellow and red a green that is a bit more vibrant and less grayed than sage green could work in your Family Room and adjoining kitchen.

Color for Living Room with Cathedral Ceiling

Kate Smith — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:59:37 +0000

Today’s question in the makeover gallery is from a woman who say she likes reds and browns for her living room. I want to make it modern and warm but I was afraid with the cathedral ceiling it will be overwhelming if I don’t pick the right color. My rug is tan and the couch (which is gonna go soon is also tan). Thank you.

Here’s a picture of the room now followed by my advice.

Red is a wonderful color but I agree it could be a bit overwhelming if you don’t chose just the right color. If you really want to go with red I would choose a color that is more of an earthy red such as EB 38-1 Cabin Red. This color is part of the Eddie Bauer collection from Valspar and is available at Lowes.

Here is a picture I grabbed off the Valspar website to show you how this color looks. As you can see it is not a bright, stop sign red but rather a red that looks like it has aged or weathered.

Still red covering the large wall space you have could seem a bit too much even it you like the color. As an alternate I would suggest a natural soft green for the walls and then you could bring the red in as accents and accessories.

Here’s an example from the Martha Stewart collection. This collection is also made by Valspar and is available at Lowes. I like MS266 Anjou Pear and as you can see in this picture it works very nicely with the red cushions, black trim and dark brown table.

This close up shows the colors in the fabrics a bit better. The print may not be as contemporary as you might like but you could bring other accent colors in accessories that suit your style. I just wanted to get you thinking about color options.

Another wall color that would work beautifully with the brown and red is MS285 Fountain. This works well with dark brown and would make a nice background for red.

I’ll look forward to seeing a picture of your completed project.

Colors to Paint a Tray Ceiling

Kate Smith — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:25:21 +0000

I’m trying to choose a colour for the Master Bedroom, something that would go well with cherry finish of the furniture in the room.(curtains and lamps will be replaced after the room is painted) Also, I have no idea what to do with tray ceiling - what is the best way to paint it?

Here’s what I recommended:

I see either a creamy golden tone or a very complex and muted gray with a touch of blue or blue green. Either would work beautifully with the cherry finish.

For the tray ceiling you have a few options. Many homeowners leave the ceiling of the room white and then paint the entire inside of the tray the same color as the walls. However, I prefer to use two or three colors to draw the eye towards the feature and to highlight this wonderful detail of the room.

A color from SW that you might find appealing is Compatible Cream #6387 for the walls and vertical surfaces inside the tray and Napery SW#6386 for the ceiling of both the room and inside horizontal surface of the tray.

Or you could use Dover White #6385 on the ceiling surrounding the tray, the Compatible Cream on the walls and vertical surfaces of the tray and Napery on the horizontal or ceiling surface of the tray.

Alternately you could use a completely different color on the horizontal surface inside the tray. Maybe Silver Peony SW6547 would give you a dreamy ceiling to fall asleep beneath each night. This would be my choice and the combination of this whisper soft gold and lavender combination is comforting and healing.

Paint Color for an Open Living Room

Kate Smith — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:04:27 +0000

In the makeover gallery BMendoza ask for some assitance with choosing colors for an open floor plan. Here’s what was shared:

Living Room shares a wall with my kitchen. I will be purchasing a new sofa and putting in a couple of chairs along. Later, I may add a nice wood flooring. So really, no color scheme is concrete based on furniture. Three big windows which let in pretty good amount of indirect light.

I recommend looking at the following Behr paint colors:

Nomad in kitchen
Ocean Pearl for main wall color
Spartan Stone for accent wall color around doorway, back wall of exercise area and/or LR window wall.

All will work now and will work when you add hardwood floors or buy new furnishings.

Hear more about why I’m suggesting these colors:

Blue Stone Fireplace Inspired Scheme

Kate Smith — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:43:47 +0000

In the makeover gallery Roland asked for advice on a paint color that would work with his blue stone fireplace. Here’s the pictures he shared of his living area.

I recommend the following paint colors from Sherwin-Williams.

Living Space:
Bagel SW 6114
Samovar Silver SW6233

Kitchen:
Heart of Palm SW 6415
Viva Gold SW6367

You can hear why I suggested these paint colors here:

Paint Color to Show Off an Antique Cabinet

Kate Smith — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:13:28 +0000

In the makeover gallery JSG asked, “What color works with this piece of furniture?”

I recommend looking at the following Benjamin Moore paint colors:

Audubon Russett HC-51
Copper Mountain AC-12
Silver Pine AC-21

Listen to why these are the colors to set off this antique blue cabinet: