I came across some concept work by Sami Halim.  The packaging alone is cool enough for me to want to buy some paint!  Too bad it is just a concept for now!  I think it would be so amazing to have paints come in Pantone colours.  Oh well!  Hopefully one day!…..

Image from http://www.thirteenandsouth.blogspot.com

Black has been a hot colour for the last little bit now….personally I love the drama of a black wall in a space.  To avoid making the space too dark, especially if it is a small space, accessorize the room with mirrors, crystal and chrome to lighten up the room and to add that extra bit of sparkle to it.  Like any other colour, black can be used in every style ranging from traditional to clean-lined modern. 

If you’re scared of making the plunge, experiment first in a smaller scale!   Have an art wall where you hang oversize art pieces with black on them…..or paint something black such as the trim in a room, or a niche area.  There are many ways to still achieve the look without committing to too much of it.

Here are some of my favorite rooms with this trend:

Image from http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Image from http://www.athenasays.typepad.com

Image from http://www.decor8blog.com

Image from http://www.channel4.com

Image from http://homeinteriordesignthemes.com

Image from http://www.paintcafe.com

What are your thoughts on green paint & accents in a room?  Green is a great colour to use because it is often associated with comfort and relaxation.  Usually actors waiting to go on wait in a “green room” to relax. 

The colour green is best suited for a living room or a bedroom but as with any colour, there are so many shades of the colour green…..use soothing soft tones for a calming bedroom and save the more electric limes for a fun living room.

The colour green offers so many possibilities while designing because there are so many great colours that it pairs nicely with!

Here are some great green rooms that I had come across! 

Image from http://www.houseandhome.com

Image from http://www.houseandhome.com

Image from http://www.houseandhome.com

Image from http://www.houseandhome.com

Image from http://www.houseandhome.com

Image from http://www.styleathome.com

The real estate market in Vancouver seems to be picking up or even hot these days.  Picking paint colours for selling can be a difficult thing because what appeals to one person may very well turn another person off.  I came across this great article on picking suitable paint colours for resale and wanted to share:

Paint Colours for Home Resale

 One of the most important rules of thumb when you’re preparing your home for resale is to look at it from a buyer’s point of view, not just from your own. Nowhere is that truer than in the wall colours you choose. You may love strong colours and have very stylish interior decor that goes with them, but colour can present several drawbacks when it comes to resale.

As Toronto designer Shelley Kirsch points out, “Colour adds a lot of personality to an environment — which is good and bad. If a buyer is very visual, they can see beyond a certain colour; but if they aren’t, the colour can distract, making it hard for them to visualize themselves in the room.”

Of course, that needn’t mean you should always paint all the rooms boring beige before you put a house on the market. In fact, that could conceivably have the opposite effect, making a house seem plain-Jane (especially if it’s limited in architectural detail or is underfurnished).

The ideal, in Kirsch’s view, is to choose colours with just the right touch of life to them: neutral enough to present a blank canvas,but interesting enough to add some character. We asked her to give us some of her favourite all-round paint colours, both for resale and for very livable interiors in general.

40YY-51/084 ICI Paints

“Grey is very trendy right now, especially warm greys like this one. It’s especially beautiful in townhouses, with architectural detail picked out in white trim, like cornice and crown mouldings, or marble. It’s a very sophisticated colour, and classic settings like this seem to suit it better than modern or too-bright settings, which might make it look cold.”

Quincy Tan HC-25 Benjamin Moore

“I find this putty-grey-beigey-taupe to be a very neutral, non-competitive colour, but it also adds a certain depth and character that brings out the beauty of the home, rather than merely acting as a backdrop. Also, it allows you to use accents in stronger colours and still maintain a classic look.”

Stone White 11 Farrow & Ball.

“This has a vintage, mission feeling to it that I like. They call it a white, but it’s really a chalky grey-green. It’s beautiful with gumwood trim, wood floors, in fact any natural wood.”

Sesame - Sico Paints

“If you want the warmth of yellow but are unsure — and I consider yellows to be the hardest colour in the palette to work with — you might want to try going for an amber or cloudy yellow instead. This is a beautiful, soft greyed yellow that looks marvellous with Cloud White [Benjamin Moore OC-40] trim.”

Silver Blonde 2141 - Pratt & Lambert

“A mushroomy tone like this one is very versatile. It looks equally lovely with red, or with cream upholstery. This is what you’d call the most ‘circular’ of colours, in that it looks lovely with both light and dark woods and accents. It’s a clean, modern, almost Scandinavian look.”

Anyone a fan of yellow walls? Personally not my “go to” colour but I can definitely appreciate how it does make a room seem more cheery!  There are so many shades of yellow and so many ways to use it.  For in rooms like a bedroom, go for a more muted tone so it isn’t so electrifying! 

What do you think?  Anyone a fan?

Image from http://www.djimenez.com

Image from http://www.djimenez.com

Image from http;//www.orangecoastmagazine.com

Image from http://www.dominomag.com

Image from http://www.ohdeedoh.com

The varied color, width, and pattern of the stripes keeps the look dynamic yet balanced. In much the same way vertical stripes can lend a sense of height to a room, horizontal stripes can balance the proportions of spaces with high ceilings.

The cream and yellow stripes are spaced evenly throughout. The strongest color, is used as a thinner line, patterned to skip every third yellow stripe. This varied placement and size works well with the dark wood elements of the table setting, neither overpowering it, nor being overwhelmed by it.

The two largest pieces of the setting – the picture frame and lamp, are vertical, giving the eye a visual resting place upon which to focus. The gentle curve of the table legs, the cylindrical lamp, and even the choice to lean the picture against the wall so it takes on a different angle, all provide softening elements to what could otherwise be an overtly linear display.

Finally, the chairs are upholstered in a delicate velvet sage, adding another dimension of color but one that quietly complements the room’s overall delicate color palette. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prime the surfaces with Fresh Start® Primer.
2. Paint your first wall color (this should be the lightest color) and allow to dry thoroughly.
3. Use a pencil to lightly mark the stripes of the second color. Mask off your first set of stripes with tape.
4. Paint second color (this should be a darker color) on the open stripe section. After stripes are painted, remove tape immediately while paint is still wet. Allow to dry thoroughly.

[via: Benjamin Moore Canada]

1. Once the paint has dried, mask of the next set of stripes with tape.
2. Paint third color (this should be the darkest color) on the open stripe section. After stripes are painted, remove tape immediately while paint is still wet. Allow to dry.
3. Paint trim and allow to dry.

Supply List

Supplies:

• Drop cloth
• Benjamin Moore rollers
• Roller tray
• Painter’s tape
• Benjamin Moore paint brushes
• Rags for cleanup

Paint:

• Fresh Start Primer 023
• Walls/Stripes: Regal® Matte Finish N221 in Ticonderoga Taupe 992, Vellum 207, and Albescent OC-40
• Trim: Regal Semi-Gloss Finish N333 in OC-40

image from http://materialgirlsblog.com

SO why are most of us always afraid to go bold?  I was thinking recently just how much I appreciated residential, retail, or even hotel spaces that utilized black into their interior spaces.  It’s a colour that wont ever go out of style, and provides a captivating look that surely will turn heads!  Maybe you’re afraid it will make your space look smaller?…well in my experience i’ve found that it can sometimes provide a more impactful backdrop than white, while creating a more intimate atmosphere.  Here’s my suggestion: don’t necessarily splash it everywhere but rather start with a wall/a column/a ceiling…just something!  I like it. So will you.

image from http://materialgirlsblog.com

image from http://materialgirlsblog.com