Color Buzz

Design Dilemma - Balancing Warm and Cool Shades

Sandy Cove 3005-10A	Caraway Seed 3005-9C	Pelican 4007-1A	Lighthouse Shadows 4008-3B

Hi Beehive!
We just bought our first home and it is painted brown. We want it to remain light brown or sand in the main rooms (Florida open floor plan) and paint the dining room a cool, lighter blue. My dilemma is that I have no idea what a good choice is without going too dark or too light. Do you have any ideas on a sand/brown warm for the entry way and family room/kitchen and a blue that will complement the dining room? I'd be grateful for any suggestions.
Best wishes,
Liz P., Valrico, FL

Color of the Week - Spring Lawn

Spring Lawn 6006-9C	Hotel St. Francis Clay Angel 7002-1	Oatlands Violet 4001-6C

Drawing inspiration from my favorite season, Spring Lawnreminds me of morning dew – that special moment when the sun starts its day. This soft, ultra premium shade can bring out the light in any room. Try it in the foyer to make your entryway stand out! Pair it with a purple hue, like Oatlands Violet, or for something updated and modern, add accents of a white gray like Hotel St. Francis Clay Angel.   

Color of the Week - Polar Star

Last week's color was Polar Star. This beautiful, chalky gray would offer any room an air of cool elegance. Try it an entry, kitchen or bedroom. Since we were in Southern California last week working on a makeover, I'm going to suggest pairing it with warm colors like Soul Chocolate and Fresh Persimmons as accents and Anthem White on the trim and ceiling.

                                   
                 Polar Star 4005-1A                     Soul Chocolate 2011-9

                                   
            Fresh Persimmons 2009-1               Anthem White 7006-24

Friday Project Series – An Entryway

As we get ready to greet our friends and family over the holiday season, we thought it would be interesting to explore the possibilities in designing an entryway. 

The entryway is the point of first impressions.  It’s a place for you to get creative and set the tone for the rest of your home.  What’s great about this space, is that it’s usually relatively small in size and scope, so you could possibly redo it over the course of a weekend...and talk about pay-off! You will have created a space in which your home opens up and says welcome!



Here’s a great way to use happy bright colors. I love this entry. The lime color combined with the light turquoise is uplifting and playful. I love the shine of the ceramics and glass.  And of course, I’m a huge fan of the star burst mirror.  In the Fung Shui tradition, having a mirror in your entry to greet your guest is very auspicious. It make sense; one of the first things they see coming into your home is themselves! What a great way to make them feel at home.  

For the bright lime walls try: Sonic Lime and for the light turquoise try: Sea Kiss

Here’s a beautiful example of a warm and elegant entry.  This could easily be dressed up for the holidays with greens and candles.  I love how the runner is a deeper version of color that is on the walls.  Also, note how the table is the same depth of stain as the railing and treads of the stairs as well as some of the frames of the pictures.  The satin gloss of white on the trim ads a bit of shimmer to this very understated look.

For the warm wheat walls try: Belle Grove Buff

This pink is so over-the-top fun. I love it! You could never come home grumpy if this lush color was there to greet you.

To get this look, try: Pink Burst.

This is an entry created by the world class designer Victoria Hagan.  We helped out on this project by stenciling a Greek key boarder along the top of the wall. As with all her work, it’s the subtle details that add up to an overall feeling of beauty and elegance.

For the light gray walls try: Pelican. For crisp white trim try: Paramount White

Here's a great example of using a deep color and breaking it up with lines of white. 

When you go to paint, first tape out a grid on the diagonal with 2" painters tape. Then, paint the red. When it dries, pull the tape and Voila! You have a gorgeous and dynamic entry.

For this try a deep color like: Oh So Red. 

This is so cool!  I love how the stripes give some formality but the star burst mirror (always a fave) breaks it up and adds a lot of play.

Here is a great example of a cheerful way to great guest and since it’s a space you would be moving through throughout the day, it will bring you a smile too.  I love the lightness of this space.  Would you ever consider painting your floors to achieve this look?

For the walls try: Aqua Glow and for the floor try: Dakota Trial

If you want to get some great tips on how to do some of the details yourself, check out This Old House’s website. In particular this link on how to spruce up your entry.

Paint it Black

Mysterious, elegant and awe-inspiring – painting a room black creates a space that transports you to another place. It sets a mood that allows you to expand your ideas and vision.

In these next three photos we are going to see how and why black works in these rooms.



In the photo above, taken from HGTV’s site, we see a room painted a soft, cool black with blue undertones. The walls are high, so in order to avoid creating a huge black cave, the designer balances the deep color with elements of soft, light, cool grays and crisp, pure whites. The sofas, window treatment, painting, fireplace stone and the wood in the fireplace all add a transition from the depth on the walls. If you peak up onto the ceiling, that too is painted soft gray, which ties that high plane into the rest of the room.

The crisp white of the mantle and the column of wall behind it open up the space and reach upward. The white of the window opens that up too. Expanding the window and the white trim captures the edges of the black so that it holds the space, not swallow it up. The designer brilliantly added elements of sheen with the mirrored coffee table and crystal chandelier – very glam. Also the gorgeous, flame-like white sculpture on the mantle adds another element of expansion. 

In the corner is a wonderful collection of square, beveled mirrors that bring shimmers of reflective light and breaks up the deep wall. I love the warm rich wood floor. It anchors all the cool colors above it. The touch of deep, red flowers on the table also adds heat. Overall, the room is sophisticated, fresh and has a hint of the unknown – very cool.  To get this look, try: Blue Coal for the walls, Polished Silver for the ceiling and Ultra white for the trim.

                                   
                  Blue Coal 4011-3                      Polished Silver 4008-1B




In photo #2, we see an entry vignette created by Texas designer Jan Showers. Here we have a deep, dark black which defies limits and boundaries. The objects in front of the wall seem to float in endless space. The soft, warm, gentle pinks in the painting, lamp and dish, as well as the yummy, honey-toned wood all add an inviting aspect to the entry. The Venetian glass chandelier adds an element of glamour, which the black provides the perfect backdrop for. To get this look, try Valspar’s Dark Kettle Black.  For the hints of pink try, Tea Rose.

                                   
             Dark Kettle Black 4011-2                   Tea Rose 1007-2B




The last photo shows a dining room painted a charcoal black with creamy white trim and warm, rich wood. Here you see how great a deep black color can look with paneling – very chic. The cool black is balanced by warm whites and golds in the fabric. To get this look try: Sharkfin for the walls, Shoreline Haze for the ceiling and Woodlawn Whitewash on the trim.

                   
      Sharkfin 4007-2A         Shoreline Haze 6008-1B      Woodlawn Whitewash
                                                                                          6008-1A

Color of the Week - Hubble House Golden Maize

Hubbell House Golden Maize is a rich golden color that reflects the colors of the changing leaves and harvest moon. This would be a beautiful color for your entry, dining room or small-sized family room. Try it with Fairmont Penthouse Stone on the trim and Shoreline Haze on the ceiling. Bring in accents of cinnamons and silvers.

                   
        Hubbell House          Fairmont Penthouse Stone   Shoreline Haze 6008-1B
   Golden Maize 3004-5C                6008-1C

Color of the Week - Elegant Silk

Last week's Color of the Week, Elegant Silk is a deep, lush green with subtle hints of gold. This would create a gorgeous and dramatic entryway. Try it with a deep colored stained floor, trimmed out with Fennel Splash and Prairie Dance on the ceiling.

                     
     Elegant Silk 5010-7        Fennel Splash 6007-3B      Prairie Dance 3006-10A

We Love This Old House

Just got my copy of November's This Old House ...I love it for many reasons.  One, because they talk about how an old house doesn't need insulation to be warm...can't wait to read that over a steaming bowl of soup.  And second, the Beehives and I were featured in the article entitled, “3 Small Spaces, 9 Bold Color Ideas.” 

This issue has a great spread on how to create color washes, and do a nice job demonstrating technique with many nice color examples.  In the article we contributed to, we talk about many different ideas from using bold colors in an entry (your favorite color is a great way to welcome guest) to using lively kitchen colors to wake you up each morning to adding energy to the small space of a bathroom.

Here are a few Valspar colors to consider:

Entry ideas
 
Trim: 
       
    Woodrow Wilson Putty 6006-1A

Walls:                                             Door:
                  
          Smoked Oyster 6005-1C              Orange Maple 2010-5      

Kitchen ideas

Ceiling:                                          Walls: 
                 
             Polar Star 4005-1A                 Field of Daisies 3003-1B

Bathroom ideas

Ceiling:                                          Walls:  
                   
  Fairmont Penthouse Stone 6008-1C         Jazzy 4005-8B

Trim:                                               Floor: 
                   
          Whitewash Oak 7006-23               Sandalwood 6008-2B