Color Buzz

Swoon-Worthy Style: "Sex and the City 2" Interiors

Last Thursday, we enjoyed a true “girls night out” at the opening of Sex and the City 2. Besides obvious eye candy like Big and Smith, we couldn’t keep our focus away from the interior designs throughout the film. Lydia Marks (of NYC’s Marks and Frantz) did an exceptional job on the set design, the décor practically stole the show.

Carrie and Big’s apartment is rich in bold textures and patterns, and Lydia did an impeccable job combining Carrie’s chic vibe with Big’s deep masculinity.

Here’s a rundown of some of the rooms and spaces we couldn’t get enough of, and our tips on how to emulate the look in your own home.

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

From the Runway to the Hallway, Persimmon Packs Punch

by Michèle Coppin

Island Orange 2010-2	Butterscotch Sundae 2008-3C

One of the hottest colors on the runway this spring is a juicy shade of Persimmon orange. Persimmon is appearing in fashion, accessories, and in interior decorating. Orange is one of  the warmest colors on the color wheel. It is uplifting, cheerful, energizing  and studies have shown that orange is an appetite stimulator -  a great choice for a kitchen.

Inspired by this gorgeous color, I recently turned a white, sterile kitchen into a cozy cheerful space. 

Design Dilemma - Separating Spaces with Color

Milestone 6007-1B	Oregon Coast 6007-1C	Fennel Splash 6007-3B

Dear Ann,

We just purchased a foreclosed home that needs lots of work. Although we can't afford to add walls at this time, we are planning on installing new hardwood flooring.

The problem: we have a huge living room/dining room and I can't think of a way to separate the spaces. Can I do this with paint? When you walk into the room you can see the kitchen so I need to figure out how to make all of the colors coordinate.

My living room furniture is a rusty orange color and dark wood in the room (end tables, coffee table, and dining room table). I also have brown and beige sheer living room curtains, which I would like to re-use if possible.

The kitchen has dark wood cabinets which we are going to clean up and keep. I'm putting in new stainless steel appliances and adding new nickel-plated hardware to the cabinets.

Do you have any suggestions on colors to paint the rooms that will coordinate with my existing furniture? Also, any suggestion you have on separating the large living room/dining room space would be great!

Best,
Barbara S., Atlanta, GA

Citrus Kitchen

by Megan Leblond  

Example of kitchen inspired by Valspar's "Citrus" colors
Orange Glow 3001-1A	Amber Wheat 3003-3A	Afternoon Tea 3002-3B	Dandelion Chain 3006-1B

My friend Ariane is a talented artist who creates the most beautiful handmade beeswax candles.  She zested several different winter fruits for her candles, which produced a wonderful scent and color combination.  Ariane and her husband Lubor, a contractor from New York City, used this inspiration for their kitchen and dining remodel.  Just as every time they work together, the end result is sensational!

Design Dilemma - Tuscan Kitchen

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?

A: 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!

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: Stay Organized with Chalkboard Paint

By Veronique Linnett


As a single mom, one of my top priorities this year is getting more organized. Nothing is more frustrating than needless errands to pick up something I forgot to pick up the day before. I’ve tried keeping shopping lists, but I often misplace them. To solve this problem, I decided to add a chalkboard in my kitchen where I and my teenage son can track the items we need from the store.

To create this simple and usable item, you’ll need the following: 

 - Valspar chalkboard paint
- a paint brush
- blue painter’s tape
- a level (bubble) ruler
- a used credit card

Follow these simple steps to create the kitchen chalkboard:

- Determine the area you want your chalk board to cover.

- Trace a rectangle on the wall with the bubble ruler to make sure it is straight.  

 - Tape along your tracing.

- Using a used credit, apply pressure along the side of the tape that will be painted to seal the edges.

- Apply paint with the brush, making sure you smooth out brush strokes.

- Add additional coats as needed. 

- Once dry, peel tape off gently.

- Wait 24 hours before writing on your new chalkboard.

You can watch the process from start to finish here:

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

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