Color Buzz

Design Dilemma: Pairing Paint with Peach

Hello!

I’m getting married in May of 2011 and I’m looking for color advice. I would like suggestions of colors that go with peach. Do you have any recommendations?  

Thanks,

Yvonne

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Hi Yvonne,

Congratulations on your engagement! Peach is a great color and we will certainly see more of it this year. Peach is very flattering for almost every skin tone so painting a room this color is a smart idea for those who want a glowing complexion.

One of my favorite peach partners is a soft, gray khaki. Muted khaki allows peach to be the focus, while supporting it with green undertones. Look at Shoreline Haze, Milestone and Oatbran. Other colors that go well with peach are silvers, warm lavenders like Brushed Lavender or Timid Violet, gray sages like Mellow Spring or Pale Pastures, chocolate browns like Rich Chocolate or Lyndhurst Mahogany and taupes like Lilac Gray, Dusky Hyacinth and La Fonda Mindoro.  Of course, you can't go wrong with pairing it with other peaches. 

          
Shoreline Haze 6008-1B   Milestone 6007-1B         Oatbran 6006-1B

          
Brushed Lavender 4001-3B    Timid Violet 4001-3A

          
Mellow Spring 5007-3B    Pale Pastures 5006-3A

          
Rich Chocolate 1005-9A   Lyndhurst Mahogany 2002-9A

             
  Lilac Gray 1003-9C   Dusky Hyacinth 1003-10A   La Fonda Mindoro 1004-10A

 Have fun! Peach is a cheerful, happy color and any room would be lucky to be painted in it.

Best of luck,

Ann McGuire

Design Dilemma: Melissa's Bathroom

Dear Ann,

I have a small bathroom with the old style, aqua-bluish tub/toilet and sink. What color paint should be used to calm those down? The floor has a very light shade of blue tile and the counter top is white with blue swirls and stained woodwork.

Thanks,

Melissa

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Hey Melissa,

When you have a color you want to downplay, the first rule is "don't fight it". Find a soft neutral that will subdue the tone, and then bring in accents with colors to distract the eye. In your case, with aqua, I would go with a neutral that has a touch of green/gray to harmonize with the green of the dominant color. Take a look at Cliveden Mist or White Scallion. Then bring in colors you do want to emphasize through your shower curtain, towels and bath mat/rug. Try bringing in rusts or deep coral/roses in small doses. You could also try bringing in navy which can look very crisp and modern against aqua. Let us know how it goes!

Best,

Ann

                                   
               Cliveden Mist 6007-1A                  White Scallion 6006-3A

Design Dilemma: Pat's Family Room

Dear Ann,

I'm looking for help on colors for our family room. The picture is of the fireplace wall and shelving. Our trim is a medium oak and I am planning to put in new light and floor tile. I would like to use neutral colors which also have style and aren’t bland. What do you suggest? More than one color suggestion would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Pat

Design Dilemma: Liz's Sitting Room

Hi,

I am looking for a color to make my sitting room warm and cozy. I need to work around the existing furniture, which includes a sage green sofa and a deep red leather chair, as well as laminate flooring with browns/oranges in it, and deep red fabric for drapes, with small bits of deep caramel, cinnamon, and pale apricot in it. The room faces east, with two large windows on the east side, for lots of natural light, particularly in the morning. I am considering colors such as caramel, cinnamon, or even a pale dusty apricot, but am struggling with what will be the best fit. Any color suggestions? Please be specific so I can go pick up a sample pot. Thanks so much for your help!

Liz

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Hi Liz,

Thanks for your inquiry! It looks like you see gorgeous light in that room.  Because you have a lot of existing elements, I'm going to give you a few colors to consider.  They range from golden tones to more peach/apricot tones. Let me know what you think! 

                 
      Laredo 2004-5C  Oatlands Gold Buff 3004-8A  Belle Grove Light Amber 3006-8B

                    
   Warm Buff 3002-10A     Sweet Cardamom 2006-5C   Montpelier Peach 2006-6B

Best wishes,
Ann and the Beehive Studios Team

Design Dilemma: Letisha's Kitchen

Hi,

I painted my kitchen a Valspar shade of brown. I love the color but do not know the name. Now that it is on my walls, I don't know what to do with the new color. I like calm greens, golden shades, and elegant jewel tones in any range and would like to incorporate it with my new wall color. Help me enjoy my kitchen! I appreciate your help.

Letisha

Design Dilemma – Pairing Paint with Carpet

Hi!

I just installed wall to wall leopard carpet in my sunroom. What color can I paint the walls that will warm up this very bright room, keeping in mind that it is a very small space (11x15).

Thanks!

Kim

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Hi Kim,

I understand you are looking to create a warm and cozy space. Without having the fabric of the sofa and the carpet, I can give you a few suggestions that you can see which works the best.

Here are three color choices:

Oregon Coast 6007-1C – This color casts off an olive/green shade.

Warm Buff – This color has beautiful golden tones.

Coral Gables Biltmore Mediterranean Caramel – This shade has a toasty feel.

These are all mid-toned colors. You don't seem to have a lot of wall space and lots of light, which is why I'm going in this direction. If you don’t want to go this deep, you might also want to look at the colors above them on the chip.

Let us know how it goes.

Best,

Ann

A Lighter Shade of Ivory

I have some wonderful clients who recently remodeled their home.


Their family has grown and now grandchildren are filling their home. They've created a kitchen that is functional (he's an amazing cook), but also a place where the family can gather. They were happy with everything except the color of the walls.




They called me in to address this problem; they weren't sure what they wanted. "Something to make it look bigger," they kept saying, "We feel like we’re in a cave."

There were several elements in the room that had to be taken into consideration. First, one wall was made completely of field stone with lots of greens and blues. Their countertops were a gorgeous raw granite, which had ivories and golds. Also, they had lots of stainless steel throughout the space.

We pulled out the color chips from the neutral side of the deck – putties, taupes, grays, straws and honey colors. At first we wanted to pull colors from the stone, but that would have left them with a room that was cooler than the warm kitchen in their minds.


We all agreed on a milky warm palette of Shoreline Haze, Filoli Gold Ecru, Cloudy Sunset and Woodlawn Whitewash. Then to add just a touch of the stone, I added Oatlands Subtle Taupe.


For this finish, I used a 3" brush and washed over the existing terracotta-colored wall.


I went with a color wash because the walls have a grainy texture to them, which looks great with a color wash. Also, a color wash creates the illusion of expansion so the room looks bigger. Here are the results:






They are very pleased! But more importantly, their grandchildren love being in this room, especially when Pop is cooking up something good.

                   
  Shoreline Haze 6008-1B   Filoli Gold Ecru 3008-8C    Cloudy Sunset 3005-8A

                                   
            Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A  Oatlands Subtle Taupe 6005-1B

Los Angeles Couple Wins Valspar’s Makeover!

Lately, we have posted a series of stories with tips and advice on how newlyweds and couples can merge styles as part of a program with Valspar. The “Love, Our Style” program also included a contest for couples to share their design dilemmas to win the ultimate prize of a room makeover.

I am happy to announce our grand prize winner, Leo and Robert from Los Angeles! The couple will receive a free paint and décor makeover from Beehive Studios, courtesy of Valspar.

Leo and Robert want to highlight their impressive collection of artwork in their home. But tall cathedral ceilings, a loft, and large open spaces create a challenge for the couple when deciding on colors for each room.

Leo likes bright, splashy colors, while Robert enjoys more subtle earth tones. For this couple, we had to choose a palette of colors to distinguish each room, enhance the art and bring a sense of unity to the entire apartment. 

This couple was on the right track because looking at favorite art is a great way to find color inspiration. Working with their artwork, we recommended a warm environment with bright elements to complement both of their individual styles and bring out the subtleties of each painting. As part of their online color consultation, we suggested:

        

Ancient Scroll 3008-8B or Dakota Trail 6008-3B: These warm neutrals for the living room will give a soft background to enhance the artwork and make it a focal point.  

         

Woodlawn Misty Morn 6008-3A or Filoli Gold Ecru 3008-8C: Warm neutrals that are a touch lighter for the living room.  

         

Jekyll Club Cherokee Tan 6008-2A or Au Lait Ole 3003-9C: These two are deeper colors that can bring an element of sophistication to the loft space without overpowering the living room.

          

Fairmont Suite Gold 3003-8A or Cloudy Sunset 3005-8A: For a brighter, more gold tone, these colors would also work well for the loft space.

   

Florentine Clay 2003-5B: To make a splash in the dining room, use this bold color.  

These colors can really pop by adding a few bright accents, such as pillows, window treatments and ceramics. 

Please stay tuned as we share before and after photos of Leo and Robert’s room transformation. We’ll be working with them over the next few weeks to create a decorative paint design that will bring together each of their distinct styles in a look they love. We look forward to the challenge and to sharing the results with you.

Design Dilemma: Jen's Dining Room Trim

Hi! I recently moved into an apartment and was in a rush to get the walls painted. For my dining room, I was looking for a deep sage color and planned to highlight the trim in a bright white. Instead, I wound up with mint and unpainted molding.

My question is: should I paint the trim a different color to offset the light green and white ceiling? If so, what color should I pick? What can I do to tone it done other than repaint the entire room? You should also know that the furniture currently in there is white and black with different shades of grey, but I am not sure that I will be keeping it, so a versatile color would be best. Thank you for your help!

Jen
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Hello Jen,

You can try painting the trim a soft, warm grey to offset the mint. Try something like Woodlawn Whitewash. It will soften the mint just a bit.

Other than that, you can try altering the color with lighting. Try lampshades that are ivory or parchment. You can even try painting the lampshade gold on the inside to cast a warm light on the walls. Let us know if that does the trick!

Thanks,
Ann                  

                                        
                                  Woodlawn Whitewash 6008-1A

Design Dilemma: Creating a Hotel Chic Bedroom Part 2

This post is a continuation of Wednesday's Design Dilemma.

JoJo,

The space has many interesting features; the spiral staircase, glass tiles and a bay window. Hotel Chic is very soothing and calming and one way to achieve that is by layering tone on tone. 

If you want to incorporate pattern, try using subtle ones. The decorative painting in this space is beautiful but in order to get a more neutral space, I would go with a straight paint job. By choosing an eggshell finish, light can play around the room. 

There are two color directions I would suggest: one towards the warm beige: Oregon Coast on the walls with Arid Plains as an accent and Milestone for the trim. The other color direction is towards the roses, which is what is there now: Rosario Ridge for the main color and La Fonda Sonoran as the accent and Ancestral Haze for trim.

           
  Oregon Coast 6007-1C    Arid Plains 6007-2A       Milestone 6007-1B   

                       
             Rosario Ridge 1005-10C    Ancestral Haze 1004-10C

Restoration Hardware has some great linens in their Italian Hotel Satin Stitch White Bedding. They have two color ways that may work: Blush and Silver Sage. Their Diamond Matelasse Coverlets and Shams come in Thyme, Rose and Taupe, all colors I would suggest. The following are sketches of how I could imagine the room looking.... let me know what you think.

Ann

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Hello Ann,

I was actually looking at a catalog from Restoration Hardware because I was talking with them about their Italian Satin Stitch collection and was interested in the Diamond Matelasse Coverlet and Shams. Which would work best between the two, Satin Stitch or Diamond Matelasse?

JoJo
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JoJo,

I would go with 4 pillows: 2 in Diamond Matalesse and 2 in the Satin Stitch. Place the Satin Stitch in front of the Matalesse ones when finishing the bed. I would put a Satin Stitch duvet cover with a Diamond Matalesse Bed Skirt and coverlet which can be folded at the end of the bed. For rugs, you can try their Solid Ribbed Tibetan Rug in Chocolate. They still have some available.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Ann