Pro or Con: Painted Stripes

I don't know...I am iffy on the circus/prison stripes. I feel like everyone did this like 8-10 years ago. But, I have seen some images lately that haven't looked so dated. Maybe the key is to keep the decor simple? And keep the stripes tone on tone so it doesn't look like a circus tent? Or better to just go for it? What do you think?

I like that they took it to the ceiling. Makes the image above look unfinished. Although I do hear "dodododidaloohooo" playing in my head...(that is "Entrance of the Gladiators" for those of you that couldn't get my humming).

Now stripes on the horizontal...that I could get on board with!!! PRO, PRO, PRO!

Bravo to you Mary McDonald for taking it to the next level!!!

I love you Lonny but if I were a man bathing in this room then I would definitely be scared to drop the soap!

FLOW

So yesterday I gave some hints on selecting a paint color for one room. Today I am going to give some advice when choosing paint colors for an entire home. Try to select a color palette-three colors that you want to use throughout your home. Ideally pick these colors from something that you already have like a rug or the fabric in a pillow. These are colors that you are going to use throughout your home in fabrics, furniture, art, accessories, etc. I am not saying these are the only colors you can use but they should be predominant colors and they should be used, in some way, in each room so that your house has "flow." No, not your monthly visitor. And not Flo the saucy waitress from Alice.

But flow as in having a rhythm so that the colors easily transition from one room to the next. Flow is something that you don't necessarily notice when it is done correctly but you definitely notice when it is not done in a home. Have you ever been in a house where each room is painted an entirely different and totally random color? It is wacky. And it chops up the place. You need some sort of congruity. I am going to use the same fabric from yesterday to illustrate my point.

You can see that some paint colors are repeated in different rooms throughout the home. You will also notice that variations of the color (or different values of the same hue) are used in different rooms to give some interest. This is an easy design trick. Try to remember this instead of using four different colors of blue, use four different values of the same blue hue. I used Sherwin Williams to illustrate this point because their paint decks show the different values of a hue on the paint strip so it makes it super easy. But you can always ask your paint store to add black or white to get a different version of the hue.

Again, this is best case scenario but it gives you an idea of how the process should work. And to continue my point on making the house flow, I would carry some of these colors to other areas of the house. For example, let's say that the inspiration fabric is on pillows in the living room on the first floor. Then you could have orange linen Parson's chairs in your dining room and/or paint the vanity in your powder room the same orange as your mud room and/or use a blue and orange mosaic tile in the master bathroom. So it doesn't always have to be through paint color alone. Get it? Well, that my friend, is what you call FLOW.

No Fear!

People seem to be terrified of picking paint colors. Oftentimes living with the builder's white for years out of fear. I understand that you can make a poor paint choice...I have done it myself. Once I chose a shade of brown that looked like I had wiped my nephew's diaper all over the wall. It was gross. But guess what I did? I repainted. It is really that simple so have no fear!!! Here are some (hopefully) helpful hints when picking out paint.

For starters, don't arbitrarily select paint colors! Choose the color from something in the room like a rug, bedding, a vase, etc. If you don't have anything in the room then wait to paint until you have made some other selections. It will be worth it. Why? Because there are infinite colors of paint to choose from and you can pick a shade to match anything (literally). It is a bizillion times easier to work forward instead of working backwards. If you have ever spent hours, weeks, months, or years trying to find the perfect fabric to match a paint color that is already in the room then you will know of which I speak.

If you do have let's say a fabric that you are trying to pull a paint color from then you can either match one of the colors in intensity like this...

Or you can go to a lighter or darker version of the color (hue) like this...

If you are afraid of an actual color then you can try pulling one of the neutrals like this...

Or you can match the "ground" (background) of the fabric like this...

**These paint colors show differently on your computer screen. I promise the do match the fabric!

Be sure to look at all of your room selections together when selecting a paint color-carpet, fabrics, trim color, window hardware, furniture finishes, etc. as all of these can affect the way a color is perceived.

Be sure to look at the paint color options in the actual room and in the various lights of the day.

People often have a hard time seeing how the room will look once it is painted just by looking at a tiny paint chip. This is understandable. If you are able, paint out a section of the wall so you can see it in larger scale. If you are unable to do this then paint a sheet of white poster board (paint the entire thing corner to corner and paint on the dull side) and put it in the room.

Once you have selected a color...go for it! And relax, it's just paint.

Re-Think Your Walls

Busy week so sorry for the short post but here are some creative ways to add architectural interest to your walls. As always, I love the "outside the box" thinking!

~Images: 1) Walls, Windows and Floors 2) Martha Stewart 3) Elle Decor 4) Domino May 2006 5) Country Home March/April 2009

Creative Chalkboard Installations

Not a new design trick but still one of my favorites. I am a big believer of designing with function first then make it look pretty! And chalkboards are a must in any active family. They are great for identifying needed groceries in the kitchen, making to do lists in an office or distracting little ones while you prepare dinner. Here are some images of creative chalkboard installations that I have collected over the years. You can buy a can of chalkboard paint for under $20! Check out this how to guide from Lowe's.

I was inspired today by one of my favorite design blogs, Design Sponge, that did a post on colored chalkboard paint. A concept so simple that I cannot believe no one thought of it before! Check out the bevy of colors from Hudson Paint, produced by a family-run paint business in the Hudson Valley.

And check out the creative uses blogger Raina Kattelson found for the new paint!

~Images: 1) Unknown 2) Domino Jan/Feb 2006 3) Unknown 4) Cottage Living Nov 2007 5) Cottage Living September 2007 6) Cottage Living Oct 2007 7) BH&G Oct 2006

I Have Got To Get An iPhone!

I am still kicking myself for getting bamboozled into buying a (very expensive) Treo three days before the iPhone debuted (for less than the Treo mind you). Seriously? Ugh. And the technology on the iPhone keeps getting cooler and cooler further enticing me into Apple's web...

Most designers would agree that the interior design industry, as a whole, is a little behind the times (technologically speaking). I like to think that this is because design is such a tactile and emotional experience so it can be hard to capture the same feelings via a monitor. I know that I prefer to see, touch and feel items before recommending them to a client. Even with AutoCAD, most designers still like to use graph paper and drafting tools. I am somewhere in between, I prefer the old-school techniques yet I appreciate and experiment with all the new technology.

Last night I was reading the September issue of Traditional Home and saw that the iPhone recently debuted an app called "Ben Capture Color" where you can take a photo of an object who's color you like and within seconds you will be given an bevy of paint colors that closely match the object you photographed. Amazing! And this is a FREE download! http://www.apple.com/

Ben Capture Color App

There is also an app for interior designers (or wannabes) called "Mark on Call" which was created by L.A. based interior designer Mark Lewison. With this application, you can layout a room (to scale) then put down flooring, add architectural details and try out various furniture and appliances in the space you have created. Furthermore, you can add color, fabric, wood or stone from your own library or the applications preset options. Check out this full tutorial on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn51PgJYO0E. Super cool! I will put this into the category "why didn't I think of that?"

Mark On Call App

Oh, and the irony is that I splurged for the Treo so that I could have a camera on my phone to take pictures while I was out on shopping excursions! I am so three years ago.

~Images: Courtesy of Apple

I'm Seeing Stripes

When stripes are bad: horizontally on your clothing, on your body when you missed spots with the sunscreen or if you find yourself wearing prison garb. When stripes are good: on the American flag, Stripes: The Movie, The White Stripes (some might say) or the bold stripes in these amazing interiors! Painting stripes on a wall (or ceiling) is not for everyone but as you can see, the technique totally paid off in the rooms featured above because it was well thought out and perfectly executed. By using contrasting colors, you can create a shocking amount of interest in a room but you have to totally go for it! If a subtle look is more your style, try doing a tone on tone treatment instead. After studying these images, I am feeling daring and kinda want to go paint something totally unexpected in stripes...like the interior of my coat closet! (I know, I know, I'm W-I-L-D!)

~Images: 1) Mary McDonald's Office Featured in Domino Feb 2006 2) Mary McDonald's Domino Feb 2009 3) Unknown 4) Domino Oct 2005 5) Domino Nov 2008 6) Unknown

My First Blog!

In this economy it is so hard to remain upbeat and positive but I am doing my best! I created this blog as a way for me to keep my eye on design and to keep my mind stimulated when I am not as busy with projects. And with the cancellation of so many of my favorite design magazines (still mourning you Domino!) I was happy to get this little gem in my mailbox today. Thank you House Beautiful for making me smile!!!

This is an image from the July 2009 issue about painting an accent wall. I think this can be a really effective design technique but only if the architecture warrants it...like in this image. However, I am not a big fan of painting just one wall in a square room. It tends to break up the flow of the space too much. I love to use bold color to paint out a niche or the back wall of a bookcase or even to paint out a section of a wall as a backdrop to highlight a piece of art. Check out the floating wall painted an amazing shade of green in Jennifer Anniston and Ben Affleck's apartment in the movie "He's Just Not That Into You." Notice how the bold color becomes a backdrop to all the amazing artwork adorning it!

~Image: 1) House Beautiful July 2009 2)Domino April 2007 3) Martha Stewart Decorating Details