A little while back, we posted a picture of a bathroom that needed a bit of color help. The combination of salmon-pink tile and mint green appliances was a little much for the owner. She struggled to choose a color to balance them out. Here’s the update on the color that was chosen for the walls - Chocolate Brown! What do you think? Do you have any nightmare rooms in your house that need some color support? For more color consulting ideas, visit the Hue blog.

Okay, so this ad isn’t exactly selling paint, just using it to make a fun point. Enjoy Sony’s marketing efforts to promote one of their new products.

I am a subscriber to a great color blog called Hue, and today I received the most recent post from author Rachel Perls who’s in the process of painting her new home in California. Her bathroom is a clash of two very distinct colors, mint green appliances and a peachy, rose-colored tile. She’s trying to figure out what color to paint it. What would you suggest? At one time or another, we’ve probably all been in her shoes!

 

I recently came across a great website that helps people choose color palettes. It’s pretty comprehensive, and it seems to be the place to go if you love color. I perused their collection of popular palettes, and this one caught my eye. If you’re looking to repaint your home, consider visiting the COLOURlovers website for some ideas.

When considering new additions to your home decor, consider supporting a local artist:

Last year during a trip to local coffee shop Stir Crazy, I was awestruck by an art installation featuring mobiles made out of (among other things) recycled teabags, candle wax, and bamboo. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan of the artist, Dale Keator. It turns out that she’s featured again this month in the same location. Do yourself a favor — Take some time to visit Stir Crazy, grab a tasty beverage (I recommend the ginseng peppermint tea), pull up a comfy chair and admire the beauty of her work. Dale’s pieces vary in size from just a few inches to spanning an entire wall. Here is a statement from Dale about her teabag collages to give you a sense of the energy behind her work:

My artwork is a collaborative effort. The teabags; having had a previous life from perhaps an endearing conversation, a thoughtful quiet moment, or a relaxing sigh of relief from a hectic day, help to create the calming charm that is intended for my pieces. All of the teabags are saved and “gifted” to me, by friends. It is friends that started the momentum on this “project”, which actually started as a result 9/11 and realizing the importance of friendships. Every teabag paper is different, much the way people and relationships are.

I would like the viewer to enjoy the experience of the teabags by watching the movement, smelling the tea particles left on the papers, listening to the sounds as the sewn strands of teabags gently touch each other.

The tea, the tags, the string, the staples, and of course the papers…all are used in making my pieces. And all are used to evoke compassion.

Dale Keator is a sculptural collage artist whose work is created from recycled tea bags. Her work has a zen like quality that inspires it’s viewers to “slow down” and experience its gentle movements. She holds a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, has worked with the Children’s Museum of Richmond and taught for the Neighborhood School of the Arts. She has had two recent shows at Lift Coffee Shop and Stir Crazy Café. Dale says that her work is absolutely a “labor of love” and continues to enjoy collecting tea bags from very loyal tea drinkers.

To learn more about this great local artist’s work, feel free to contact her at sewsart@yahoo.com.

In our business, We find ourselves addressing this topic all the time. We go to someone’s house, listen to them describe their needs, and we provide them an estimate based on what painting needs to be done in their home. Homeowners often ask, “What kind of paint do you use”? Here are a couple of important things to consider…

Whether you’re having your home painted professionally or doing it yourself, we encourage you to choose paint that meets the following criteria:

- eco-friendly

- excellent quality (I know, it sounds like a no-brainer)

- can be purchased from a local business

Consider shopping at Eco Supply, Power of Color, EcoLogic, or Virginia Paint Company. Their healthy paint options perform as well if not better than their traditional competitors. They’re reasonably priced, often costing the same as a reputable brand. Best of all, by buying from these local businesses, you’re supporting our local economy. It’s a win-win situation.

As the resident paint and color fanatic, my eyes are always peeled for new ideas. I glean inspiration from everywhere — Yesterday, I fell in love with the color of the shirt worn by a woman in front of me in line at Cafe Caturra. It was the most awesome red — a bit weathered, a little bit orangey (is that even a word?), sort of salmony. The walls of my living room are an airy, pale green-blue-gray, and now I’m craving a gigantic painting for my walls that has the “lady’s shirt red” in it. I also have a ton of plants, and I love the idea of the airy aqua combined with green and red.

How do you choose the colors for your home? We work with local color consultants in Virginia who specialize in helping homeowners who want help decorating their space with the right hues, and are happy to put you in contact with them.

To learn more about color consulting, have a look at this blog entry I came across this morning: http://colourific.blogspot.com/2008/04/professional-color-consultant.html

A friend of mine is in the process of putting her house up for sale, and in this market, she wants to be as attentive to detail as possible. We ended up talking about paint, and she asked what colors I thought the walls should be in order to make it attractive to a buyer. It’s a fairly subjective topic, one that would solicit a different answer depending on who you ask. After milling it over, I had this response:

From a personal perspective, I would think most people would want a home that feels warm and inviting. From a practical perspective, You want to maximize the space in each room. So there are 2 things to consider: choosing a color that has warm tones, so something with a touch of yellow, brown, or orange, but neutral enough so as not to evoke a strong response from prospective buyers. You also want the color to be light, because lighter colors make rooms feel larger and more spacious than colors with stronger pigment.

There’s a great line of paint available here in Richmond from a manufacturer called AFM Safecoat that has done their homework in selecting colors with therapeutic properties. It’s based on the principles of Ayurveda, which literally translates to mean “the science of life”. To learn more about these paints, click on the highlighted link for Safecoat above, and be sure to check out the following colors: Forward, Autumn, Poetry, Light, Awake, and Sacred.

There are multiple Richmond retailers offering this product, and we’re happy to point you in their direction. Feel free to contact us if you’d like more information.

As we all know, Richmond is a town that loves its art. If you haven’t visited yet, consider dropping by the Glave Kocen Gallery at 1620 W. Main Street one afternoon. The owners, Jennifer and BJ, are drawn to artwork which inspires, invigorates and relaxes the viewer. Their current exhibit, entitled Color as Light, features work by local artist Laura Loe, is a vibrant, colorful collection that’s sure to leave an impression. In addition to having a strong following as a painter, Laura also teaches out of the Virginia Museum’s Studio School and is director of the Nimrod Hall Arts Colony in Bath County. This exhibit will be on display through the end of April.

Feel free to check their website for hours and updates on other great events!

I was surfing on an internet site called LinkedIn yesterday and came across a question that I felt compelled to answer. The person wanted to know whether or not color could help alleviate stress. So I ask, do you think color makes a difference in the way we feel?

Part of my answer to this question was:

Sure it can! People are always spouting off the well-known phrase, “You are what you eat”. Similarly, I believe we are what we see, we are who we choose to spend time with, and we are what we choose to do WITH our time. We’re influenced by everything in our environments. Color (among other things) can be a powerful tool when used properly.

When I walk into a room painted with a beautiful color, it has a definite effect on me. It makes feel more relaxed, and I often don’t want to leave the space! I know color affects other people, too, because they often tell us so! Our clients are often looking to make their homes feel special, not just for their guests, but for themselves. We spend so much time at home. Shouldn’t it be a place we love?

Think back to when you were young. As kids, we all had favorite colors. It was one of the standard questions we asked other kids as we got to know them. How old are you? When is your birthday? What’s your favorite animal? What’s your favorite color? Color was a big deal. Adulthood isn’t any different, most of us are just busy thinking about other things like families, jobs, or money, and have forgotten how important it is to surround ourselves with the things we love, color included.

So I ask, what’s your favorite color? And how does it make you feel? How can you integrate it into your life?