Q: We recently moved…
into a new contemporary high-rise home , and ditched all the British colonial/country French stuff. We’re still living with builder’s paint and are getting eager to make a change. We’d like to try something new (maybe charcoal!) but afraid it will end up a somber cave instead of elegant and crisp.

A: The question of using deep colors…
always comes with the concern “Won’t it make the space feel small?”  Since there is not one simple answer to this, I wanted to briefly touch on a few ideas about the subject. You might call it “advice on psychology of painting darker colors”—but that has such a formidable sound, I’d rather call it “some tips about using deep colors.”

Psychological color associations are so interesting. “Darker colors” often are described as serious, depressing, sad, formidable (see above comment), and other similar mood-and-feeling descriptions. The flip side of the description might be “sophisticated, intimate, cozy, meditative, exotic, solid…” and so forth. In other words, there are many ways to look at how we describe and feel about color!

But psychological associations aside, we have the physical attributes of the space (lighting, room size, wall shapes, ceiling height, floor color and material) and the question of function (what you want to do there)   are all part of the picture and process of choosing the best colors for your needs.

A few ideas on making a space elegant and crisp using deep colors

• Deep on the walls and ceiling, bright contrast on the trim.
• Select brightly colored accessories
• Use texture and light
• Use the deep colors of walls as a dramatic background for artwork or collections
• Use a deep color on an accent wall to extend the view in the room and expand the space.

Deep, earthy EcoHues Full Spectrum – Fieldstone in a very small bedroom, opens to EcoHues Full Spectrum – Pewter on walls and ceiling in the adjacent powder room. Cabinets and lower walls are EcoHues Full Spectrum – Char-Plum Gray.

Closeup of cabinet in above picture: EcoHues Full Spectrum – CharPlum Gray. Brightly colored glass knobs make the deep color stand out and look even richer.

Deep color on the walls of this kitchen “gallery” is Chocolate, from Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum paints.

Deep color again, this one is EcoHues Full Spectrum – Atlantis. Note the wall color is also used on the ceiling in the alcove portion of this space.(below)

Below: Deep on the trim, with contrast color on walls and ceiling (in this case, the ceiling is a soft tinted white)

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Walls are Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum – Mustard Seed. Trim is Benjamin Moore HC-67.

Do have an experience using deeper colors that you would like to share?

My goal is to help create the best possible spaces with colors that help you enjoy your life and accomplish what you dream of doing. Let me help you “Get outside the box of off-white“ with colors for your vibrant life.

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This recent post was brought to my attention today by a friendly reader who wrote me an email that the page was no longer available.

What’s good about that? Now I can make it better.

What happened?
I’d posted an image of a decorative finish, a project in which I’d painted a linen-weave strie design in two colors, two layers. The problem was that I’d not included any info on the picture!

This can be a lovely way to create a hand-painted wall covering, using colors to create depth and interest.

How you do it
First layer, apply glaze evenly, blend, then drag vertically with a wallpaper brush. When it’s dry, do the second layer: the same process, different color, drag horizontally.

Tip
Tape off vertical sections and work in alternating areas. You will actually save some time because you can use a faster-drying glaze. By the time you work your way around the room you may be able to go back and do the 2nd layer. Granted, this may not work for all sizes and shapes of rooms but it is one way to do this process.

What’s your experience?
Have you made tech-errors that were embarrassing? On the other subject, have you tried DIY-decorative finishes that did not work out?

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In choosing an area rug, your main considerations might be your use for the rug, and your budget. Other issues besides cost, color, and design, will include longevity. For some details in a brief “rug primer,” this article in the recent Fabulous Floors Blog will give you some tips to take note of, even before you start to shop for a rug.

A big part of what’s important in rug selection, however, is the issue of who actually made the rug.  Adults? Slave-labor children? Goodweave.org is making great strides in eliminating child labor in the rug industry; rescuing children from the labor market and providing education and a chance at a higher quality of life. This video is one of three from GoodWeave that addresses that subject.  If it’s something you have never thought about, you may be surprised—so please take a look. Each GoodWeave member pays a portion of your purchase price of a GoodWeave certified rug toward this goal.

At least, paint does not carry those considerations.  While some of the main issues with paint are comparable: What you need and where you will use it; budget; VOCs and personal health concerns; durability; ease of touch-up; and of course your color choices, that include colors that have black in them, or true Full Spectrum colors with no black and a minimum of seven tints in each!

But, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed—about either rugs, or paint.

For a rug, be sure to go to a dealer that carries rugs from GoodWeave suppliers. Each GoodWeave certified rug will have a numbered label. For your dilemmas about paint selections, I am here to help.

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That’s the story, right from Sherwin Williams Paints.

It’s a great idea, and on their site they offer a number of useful tips that you will find both accessible and easy to do. Perfect for busy people who want to make a big change.

The simple tips they offer are so practical that it’s a great reminder of how easy it is to make a big change with paint.

Among the tips they have put together in a short video:

• Changing cabinet hardware for a  new look
• Update light fixtures
• Painting an easy, creative decorating project like picture frames, a tabletop, or a small piece of furniture
• Painting an accent wall or ceiling
• Landscaping suggestions
• Taking care of exteriors

It’s true that Spring can be just the beginning of an intensive home-decorating and fixup season. Don’t be overwhelmed! Contact me with your request for help on a project of any size. In addition to basic consultation services, our new DesignerColorPalettes  service offers a variety of ways I can help with “virtual painting” of interior colors, and also larger painting projects such as your home’s exterior. Read some comments at our Client Testimonials page.

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See larger image Fashion in Colors (Paperback) By (author) Paul Warwick Thompson, Yoshikata Tsukamoto, Barbara Bloemink The spectrum of color: content, interest, application, social meanings, trends, materials (to name just a few) naturally includes textile design and fashion. Even if we’re not “fashionistas” (one of those questionable words that somehow actually means something), “Fashion” is in our lives. Book cover: Fashion in COLORS Might as well enjoy it!  And to do so, check out Fashion in COLORS, published for the exhibition, “Fashion in Colors,” at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum at the Smithsonian Institute, 2005-2006, curated by Akiko Fukai. According to the inside cover, the origin of the book was the original exhibition organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute, that was shown at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto, 2004. One unique aspect of this book is in the presentation. Sections on artists, designers, and color families make it a unique exploration of color and design. Works by the iconic designers whose names you will recognize are fascinating and the photography is simply astounding. It’s a complete immersion in color, shape, texture, textile design, and information. List Price: $45.00 USD New From: $69.99 In Stock Used from: $7.52 In Stock

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A few tips for individual homeowners and building professionals
When you start to think about colors for painting your existing home, a renovation, or new construction…

Homeowners: new colors for any size home
From  a small Cape Cod style house to a Victorian mansion, your best color choices are the ones you carefully consider.

• Assess the current condition of your siding, eaves, other trim and architectural details.
• Porches are a great place to introduce new color: Floors, Ceilings, and Trim.
• Alcoves, niches, window seats: all are candidates for minor revisions with color and sheen.
• Even homes with less architectural detail will be more elegant and distinctive with the right color additions.
• Are you planning some landscaping? Coordinate your house color with property updates.

Builders: Single family or a development
Building a single Spec-house, or an entire neighborhood? There’s a lot to consider when it comes to color.

• Multiple, adjacent homes do not have to be made in the same color schemes
• The colors you use have a lot to say to–and about–the buyers you attract.
• The best color plan will include all your building materials to create the most interesting and appealing properties.
• Color is what your customers will notice first. Make it count!

This picture of three houses show examples of different color schemes applied for one house, from more conservative to more dramatic.

Now can be the time that you expand your own color-horizons.

• You can break out of the typical format of “3 colors” for your home.
• Keep your house colors harmonious with your surroundings, appropriate to the architecture of your own home, and fitting in the neighborhood. All are important.
• The key is to use the right colors in the right places, where tasteful and imaginative colors will enhance a simply-structured house as well as one with multiple architectural elements and embellishments.

Designer Color Palettes: See what your home, or other building, will look like before you paint!
In addition to my architectural color services for any type of building, inside or out, I’ve added an exciting new service for individual homeowners and other design/build professionals. With Designer Color Palettes, we’ll use colors you may have already selected but want to see how they will look. We’ll  add a few of my own recommendations, or even show you your house with colors that I’ve selected for you at your request. You can direct exactly what you want to see, and what you want help with.

Don’t be left out in the cold…Weather, that is.
Beautiful days inspire us to get out the paint brushes for a new Spring look. But first, register at the D+D web site and read this important article from Durability + Design.

Share your favorite house colors! What are they?
Let us know!

We don’t even have to be “color-obsessed…,” we just have to be what we are. Human.

We forget from time to time that “color” does not even exist on its own, except where there is light and we are able to recognize it. Then, we assign an identity to what we call the color that we’ve seen. Often we make the understandable mistake of thinking that, while color does matter (and it matters a lot) in so many ways, it is not Really “matter.”  It’s only Perception.

But what a subject! Endless, and so complex. When the ‘buzz words’ about color— from trends to color psychology— are tossed around so glibly, this will give pause to think a bit more about the depth of this vast subject.

With that in mind, I’m delighted to share this video with you. I hope you will share your thoughts after you’ve seen it.

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See larger image Color Creates Light: Studies with Hans Hofmann (Hardcover) By (author) Tina Dickey List Price: $49.95 USD New From: $33.07 In Stock Used from: $33.05 In Stock Release date February 20, 2011.

“In nature, light creates the color; in the picture, color creates light.”
–Hans Hoffman

More than ‘color inspiration,’ looking to fine art is a dynamic way to experience color. Hans Hoffman exemplifies the word “colorist.” This book offers an in-depth exploration of his theories of color as well as gain as sense of the man—his life, teaching, and art work—in a biography. Also included are many illustrations of work by other artists, some of whom were his students.

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From the magazine Period Homes, it’s titled “A Primer on Paint,” and offers a detailed view of trends in paint products. It’s not about ‘color trends’ but rather about the actual development of paint products.

It's the pigments that make color visible. Aren't they beautiful? Kremer Pigments manufactures pigments from natural materials to create a wide range of historically authentic paints and finishes. Photo: courtesy of Kremer Pigments.

Major paint and pigment manufacturers are featured, with comments from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Behr, Fine Paints of Europe, and Kremer Pigments.

If you have been wondering about Waterborne – vs. – Oil based paints, differences in paint qualities, “VOC’s,” and pigments, be sure to read the article. You will also glean a few tips from color consultants James Martin and Barbara Jacobs (Yes, I am honored to be included in this article).

I hope you enjoy reading it, and perusing the magazine, in general.

Do you have a “Period Home?’ What are the joys and challenges?  What do you love the most about it? Let us know about your experience.

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What is the story about the paint price increases? It’s not just for a few “premium” companies, but apparently all across the spectrum of brands, quality and price points.

What’s in that can of paint?
Basically, all paint colors are made up of tinted bases. In sheens from flat to high gloss, the base material is a combination of materials, but this story is about, essentially,  “titanium dioxide.” That’s what makes the the paint color white, in the can, before adding tints to make Your colors. So, when the cost of that material goes up, so goes the price of paint.

If you’re into the economy of science–or the bottom line on why paint products are continuing to get more expensive– you might enjoy this article.

But OK, I will still say it—Paint is the way to go.  All the more reason why we want to really carefully consider what colors we’re using, and paying for.  And, all the more reason to make the most of the paint we are using—and enjoying.

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