painting
Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore When she’s going for minimalist style in a design, Chantilly Lace is a no-brainer for interior designer Genna Margolis. “It reads cool and it’s clean, crisp and simple,” she says. “Sometimes when people are fearful to go too white, they wind up choosing something with a yellow undertone, and it winds up reading yellow, making the room look more rustic.” The paint was the right choice for the peaceful, minimalistic look of this yoga studio Margolis designed.
Design Harmony SaveEmail Pure White by Sherwin-Williams “I love Sherwin Williams because they are very user-friendly and they provide large swatches to designers — not all companies do that,” Harmony Weihs of Design Harmony says. One of her go-to whites is the company’s Pure White. She used it on these cabinets in this kitchen. “I love this white because it’s on the brighter side for a white while still being warm, which works great for all of our gray Pacific Northwest days,” she says.
Imagine .01 by Colorhouse Health and environmental consciousness is priority No. 1 for Michelle Ruber of Encircle Design and Build. Her favorite white comes from her favorite paint company, Colorhouse. “I was drawn to the company for its environmental benefits — the paint is zero-VOC and has no fumes, which is extremely important for the painters’ health and for the health of people who are living in the house during a remodel, not to mention the health of the planet,” she says. “So you have all that, plus the colors are amazing — every one of them is spot on.” In this Portland, Oregon, vacation rental that Encircle designed and remodeled, Ruber’s spot-on choice was Colorhouse’s Imagine .01. The white brightens up the walk-out lower level and can hold its own against the city’s many gray days.
Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore “For white trim color, my go-to for years has been Decorator’s White,” interior designer Nikki Dalrymple of Acquire says. “It’s a true bright white that never disappoints. The undertone is so subtle that it never seems to fight with any chosen wall color.” In this lovely living room, the white on the millwork provides a clean contrast to the creamy tan hue on the walls. Wall paint: Monroe Bisque, Benjamin Moore
Pointing by Farrow & Ball “Pointing is a wonderfully classic white with just a hint of warmth. I use it often because it reads as a warm white without veering yellow,” interior designer Lisa Tharp says. “It reminds me of fresh cream in early-morning light.” Tharp is also careful about designing in a healthy and environmentally conscious way. “I like that Farrow & Ball’s line is comprised of healthier low- or no-VOC formulations, depending on sheen level,” she says. In this library in Brookline, Massachusetts, she selected Pointing for the millwork because it offers a clean and warm counterpoint to the metallic specialty finishes on the walls and curved ceiling.
White Wisp by Benjamin Moore “All whites have some undertone. White Wisp has a very slight gray undertone that keeps it from feeling cold or icy,” interior designer Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs says. In this dining room, the paint works wonderfully with the bright Texas light and the different browns and tans in the reclaimed wood.
Simply White by Benjamin Moore “Simply White is a more modern, clean white,” Ben Leavitt of Fox Design Studio says. “It is a beautiful natural shade that works well with any gray tones.” In this space, Leavitt chose Simply White for the walls and ceilings, then painted the trim and doors in Thunder by Benjamin Moore for contrast.
Always, always test it out. And use the exact finish you plan to use — high gloss will look very different from matte or eggshell. If you don't want to deal with test pots, look for a paint company that offers poster-size paint chips and tape them to your wall instead. Even with big paint chips, when you think you have a winner, it's still wise to test out the paint itself before buying all of the paint you need.
Skip the paint-rack confusion. Those paint racks at the hardware store are not the place to begin your hunt for the perfect color! It may be fun at first browsing thousands of colors, but it's not likely to result in the perfect hue for your living room. Do as the pros do: Start with a vision for your space instead. Consider what look you are aiming for, save room photos you love and take a picture with you to the paint store to help you narrow the choices. This room: Texas Leather
Know which hues are easier to work with. If you've had bum luck choosing paint colors in the past, it could be that you were making things harder on yourself than was necessary. Some colors, like pink, are especially difficult to get just right. Neutral hues like gray, beige and soft browns, as well as pale, silvery blues are quite forgiving.
Consider the architecture of your home and the region you live in. What colors are typically used to play up the sort of house you have? Noticing doesn't mean you have to follow suit, but it can help guide you in your process. Southwestern homes, for instance, tend to feature rich earth-tone colors, which complement the landscape beautifully.
Notice the subtle hues that move you. Not everyone is drawn to bold, clear colors; that is only one small slice of the spectrum. Pay attention to the subtle hues and particular shades that move you, as these can become great color palettes. Perhaps you are drawn to the rich browns of worn leather and old wood. If you love blue, is it midnight, pale aqua or French blue? Get specific.
Snap pictures of colors that inspire you on walks and travels. Carry a camera and capture those little details that inspire you as you see them. Taking quick snapshots with your camera phone is fine — the point is more in the noticing than in the quality of your pictures. Sometimes the spirit of a place really shines through in the colors used there, so mine those old vacation photos for inspiration, too.
Test your potential palette. As you narrow down your color choices and think you may have some winners, bring home test pots of paint. Sample cards, even the big ones, can be deceptive. Painting your own swatches will allow you to assess each color in the room it's meant for and check that the colors in visually linked spaces work together.
Test your potential palette. As you narrow down your color choices and think you may have some winners, bring home test pots of paint. Sample cards, even the big ones, can be deceptive. Painting your own swatches will allow you to assess each color in the room it's meant for and check that the colors in visually linked spaces work together.
Consider keeping connecting spaces neutral. White, beige, greige and the like are fairly foolproof choices for halls and landings, and they give the eye a place to rest between areas of more saturated color. On the other hand, if you have decided to stick with white or soft neutrals in your rooms, the halls and landings can be a great place to experiment with a richer hue. It doesn't need to be a big departure from the other colors you are using — just a shade or two darker is enough to make an impact.
Have a strategy when picking colors for an open space. When much of the house is visible at once, as in the open plan space shown here, picking colors that work together is especially important. Using shades or tints (shades are darker; tints are lighter) of the same hue can work well in this type of space. Another approach is to use an environment as inspiration for the whole space — we touched on this concept in part two of this series, using the beach as an example. The colors that go well together in nature will also work as paint colors.
Build your palette with shades of the same hue. Once you have a paint color picked for your first room, one simple way to move on is to choose shades of the same hue for adjacent rooms or walls. You can choose a hue from a nearby paint chip, pick the next color up or down on the same paint chip, or even have the same color mixed at the paint store with white added to make a lighter version. The beauty of this method is that, while it will give your home interest and depth, you also can rest assured that the colors will go well together.
Or start with the room you want to paint the boldest color. If you love color and have a certain hue in mind for a specific room, you can start there instead. Looking out from the bold-hued room, choose a softer, more subdued color for the next rooms. You can, of course, put bold colors next to each other, but that does carry more risk — painter, beware!
Start by picking a color for the biggest, most centrally located room. This will most likely be your living room or kitchen, and it's a great place to start working on your whole-house palette. If picking colors has been stressing you out, choosing a soft, neutral hue for the main room will make picking the other colors easier. And you really can't go wrong with white.
Knowing that both Harding and Hart were huge readers, Ggem designed 15-foot-long built-in bookshelves, painted deep teal and backed in periwinkle. The shelves are a great example of what the pair already owned. “They filled the shelves in one day!” Ggem exclaims. The shelves also house the TV, media equipment and board games. The painted blocks were made by Hart.
Coffee and cream. Whip up your own cappuccino with a mix of coffee and cream hues, from frothed milk to coffee bean. This is a great way to transform beige walls you weren’t so fond of into an asset. Contrast is key to making this look successful, so be sure to include shades that are both darker and lighter than your wall color.
Black and white. Richer and more interesting than a strict black and white scheme, beige, black and white as a palette is subtle and elegant, not stark. Outline beige walls with crisp white trim, black doors and dark floors. Roll out a natural-fiber or fluffy flokati rug for texture, and choose pure white furniture (with slipcovers for practicality) and plenty of black and white artwork. Bring richness to this scheme with chocolate, leather or hide accents and green plants.
Even a small amount of rusty orange can warm up a space, so consider using it for an accent wall in your home.
A rusty color is a great choice for a fireplace wall because it accentuates the warmth of the flame, and that doubles the cozy factor.
Mark Newman DesignSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Clay colors are earthy, but you don't have to limit them to traditional and rustic spaces. Terra cotta works very well in this contemporary dining room and it also accentuates the artwork.
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With vaulted ceilings, a stone floor and an open floor plan, this space could easily have looked chilly. But the color (Benjamin Moore's Grant Beige) warms and domesticates the volume and helps anchor the seating areas.
This whisper-soft hue (C2's Vex) is about as un-green as you can get and still be green. And who would have thought of combining green and orange? But here it works.
Brown. My favorite neutral color for walls is brown. There are many beautiful shades of brown that are so versatile. Brown works great with orange, green, red and other neutral shades. I love the use of this distressed cream armoire against this perfect shade of brown, which is Sherman-Williams' Tea Chest SW6103.
Black. A surprisingly elegant choice for any room, black looks great against most colors. When using black, try contrasting it with crisp white trim and punchy colors in fabrics or rugs. I prefer to see an eggshell finish on walls, and black looks particularly sophisticated in eggshell. This regal bedroom boasts a beautiful shade of black called Beluga, by Behr.
White. White is really one of the most asked-about colors. The perfect white is sought after for cabinets and trim. Undertones in white paint are important and can really shift a palette. My favorite pure white is White Dove OC-17, by Benjamin Moore. This white, shown here in this gorgeous kitchen, is crisp with no undertones. It looks great against any color.
Beige. A basic beige is a must-have for my paint arsenal. I love beige all through the house punctuated with bold color and other neutrals. Loved for its versatility, beige is also a great choice as a backdrop for an art collection. This elegant entry is painted in Sherwin-Williams' Accessible Beige SW7036.
Greige. A made-up color, but important enough to mention because I use it so much. A soft gray with beige undertones that is a perfect complement to most white marbles, such as Calacatta. It's a great solution for those who feel gray is too cold. This elegant bathroom is painted in my favorite greige, Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter HC-172.
Yellow. One of the trickiest paint colors to get right is yellow, but this shade is just right. A tip for picking a yellow from a paint fan deck: Select something that looks almost beige. Yellow is always much brighter on a wall than on a paint chip. This sun-filled dining room is painted in Benjamin Moore's Mushroom Cap 177.
I've always been a fan of in-between colors — those indescribable shades that fall somewhere between one hue and another on the color wheel. These colors rarely look the same from one time of day to the next. (Much of that is due to the number of pigments used. The more pigments that go into the paint, the more mutable the color.) And because these shades are harder to pin down, you're less likely to grow tired of them. Scared of color? Or uncertain whether to go wild or mild? These in-between shades can be a great compromise, offering a tease of color without the commitment. And they're so much more interesting than ho-hum neutrals like cream or beige. Try one of these piquant pigments on your walls. Then, when somebody asks you what the color is, you can tell them, "Well, it's sort of an indescribable mix of ..." Add to ideabook by Olson & Jones Is this color gold? Or green? It probably depends on the time of day and the weather. Think of it as getting several colors for the price of one.
Paint Picks From the Pros Philip Storey For light walls: "C2's LoVo nonreflective flat is an excellent ultraflat finish that has tremendous hiding power and a very smooth finish. Pratt & Lambert's Accolade Velvet is a great eggshell finish that goes on ultrasmooth, is spatterless and covers extremely well. Both are low odor and low VOC." For dark walls: "Fine Paints of Europe's Eurolux Matte is an incredible product for painting dark walls. Their unique pigment system creates high-powered coverage in an exceptionally durable paint." Alex Davison For light walls: "I always buy Regal Select [Benjamin Moore], as this is a very good product, low VOC and at a fair price." For dark walls: "Restoration Hardware has a paint which are their own colors tinted into actual Benjamin Moore paint, so you have the quality and the designer touch. Look at Slate for an example." Jackie Jordan and Rick Watson For dark and light walls: Both recommend Sherwin-Williams' Emerald Interior Paint. "It flows like melted butter," says Watson. "The flow and leveling characteristics of this paint make a beginning painter look like a pro."
Choosing a finish. "When it comes to finish, beauty is in the eye of the beholder," says Watson. However, you can also choose a finish based on the room's purpose. Flat finishes — including matte and eggshell — are generally best for ceilings and walls where you want to hide any imperfections. "With flat paints, you can get by with a lot more," says Watson. Flat paint's matte finish also does well with routine cleaning, making it a good option for less frequently used spaces, like formal living and dining rooms. "The angular shine of flat finishes helps make walls smooth and washable, simply with a damp sponge," says Jordan. However, glossier finishes — including satin and semigloss — clean even more easily, which is why they're often recommended for higher-use spots, like kitchens, bathrooms, trim and cabinets. "These paint formulations traditionally produce the toughest and most stain-resistant finishes," says Jordan. The glossier the finish, the more imperfections can be seen in the surface and your paint job, so Watson recommends using a high-quality brush with glossy paints.
Painting a light color on walls. Test the color you're considering on your existing wall. Look at it in natural light, in artificial light and at night. "Light colors, such as pastels and shades of white, require significant natural light for the color's natural undertones to shine through," says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. Testing the color can also help you figure out how many coats you'll need to cover the old color properly.
Painting a dark color on walls. "Painting dark colors is more difficult and less forgiving than painting light colors," says Storey. Be prepared for three coats of paint — sometimes four — to get the proper dark hue on your walls. Deciding whether or not to prime is often an issue with dark paint colors. "When doing light to light or dark to dark, you don't usually need primer," says Rick Watson, manager of product information at Sherwin-Williams. Otherwise, you'll want to use a high-hiding primer that's designed for the material you're painting. Jordan recommends using a gray-shaded primer to help reveal a color's depth. "When a primer is tinted to the right shade of gray, light absorption and reflection find a harmonized balance, offering maximum top-coat coverage and great hiding and color vibrancy," she says. Again, painting technique is important. "Darker colors are fuzzier and are more likely to leave marks where they dry faster," says Davison. Since these colors can bleed, paint carefully and quickly. "Be more methodical than you would with a light color, as roller marks can be more apparent with a darker color," says Storey. He recommends using a roller with a shorter na...
Idea Space Architecture + Design SaveEmail Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore “One of my favorite whites is Swiss Coffee,” interior designer Julie China of Idea Space Architecture + Design says. “It’s a warm white that doesn’t go too yellow or almond — it is a nice crisp white with warm undertones.” China chose the hue for the trimwork throughout this 1920s home, seen here in the crown molding. “Swiss Coffee was a good choice for this 1920s house due to the warmer color palette and existing chestnut moldings on the first floor,” she says.
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