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benjamin moore paint

HOME DECOR, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS

Paint Colour Concept for the Whole Home

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When it comes to a paint colour concept you really need to think about the whole home.  We just finished meeting with some clients earlier today to put together their paint colour concept – they have hired a painter to start later in the week and during our paint consultation we discussed the idea of a paint colour concept for the whole home – even though they aren’t thinking of paitning the entire home at this stage.

Photo credit : HomeBunch – This mudroom is painted in ‘Stonington Gray’ by Benjamin Moore

What is a paint colour concept?

Basically it is a plan with a series of colours for the whole home.  The colours all work together even though they may be different – there is a fluidity to the whole look, so as you walk through the home room by room the colours will work in a cohesive manner.

You may not be ready right now (for a variety of reasons) to paint the entire home now but if you have a plan you can focus on the rooms to paint now and still know what the overall look and feel of the space will be.  Be sure to record and file all of the paint info – so brand, name and code – you can refer to it when you are ready to paint the next set of rooms.

What to know when making your paint colour concept?

You really need to understand the lighting in your home.  Which rooms have a lot of light (natural or otherwise) and at what time of day.  Paint looks different in different lights – natural vs artificial, it also looks different depending on the amount of light and time of day.  So we always suggest to clients to paint test swatches on the wall and take a look at them at various points in the day.  Be sure you like the colour at all times of day before fully committing.

Our clients wanted a light and airy look with some ‘beachy’ inspiration without going too literal – their furniture is most neutral (think light warm grey sofas and coffee hardwood floors).  the home is an older home with original interior doors and baseboards, they wanted to maintain that character but give the home a fresher and more current feel.

Here is the paint colour concept we put together for our clients:

Benjamin Moore ‘Balboa Mist’ OC-27 is perfect for their hallways and guest bedroom – it is a soft and warm grey tone and it is one of our favourites to work with.

Benjamin Moore ‘Stonington Gray’ HC-170 is another favourite of ours – it is a true gray that adds some really pigmentation on the wall without being too deep and it has a great freshness about it too.  This is for the dining room (and will be paired with a farmhouse inspired table)

‘Silver Half Dollar’ 2121-40 by Benjamin Moore is a colour that’s really inspired by the beach (not just in name). We chose this for the living room – it is one of the brighter rooms in the house and they wanted a bit more colour in the room that they spend the most time in.

There master bedroom is on the top floor in an attic space – so the sloped ceilings add architectural detail to their master but the ceilings are also a bit lower – so we opted for a light and airy white.  This is a clean and calming tone for the room and offers with great contrast to the dark coffee floors plus this means they have a lot of options for accent colours in bedding and more  – We selected ‘White Heron’ OC-57 by Benjamin Moore.

The homeowners  are happy with some of the existing colours in the home – such as the kitchen and bathrooms (so previous owners must have really focused on where to spend their money when prepping the home for the resale market as the bathrooms and kitchens all had a fresh coat of paint). So we worked with those tones along with their own tastes to create a a whole home paint colour concept.

A paint colour conept is a great way to stay focused on your style and have a designer look in your home…

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INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS, OUR FAVOURITES

My 5 Favourite Paint Colours (Right now….)

5-favourite-paint-colours-right-now

If you have been reading our blog (thank you!) you have noticed that I have recently posted some amazing before and after photos of a paint transformation.  The right paint colour truly make a huge difference! 

Paint is your backdrop, your canvas and with paint you can really set the tone for your decor style.  Like all designers and decorators I definitely have our favourite paint colours but it really does depend on your light, existing finishes and the mood you want to set .  I want to share with you our 5 favourite paint colours (and in no particular order)

Here are my 5 favourite paint colours (right now)…

#1. Paint – Classic Gray:

Benjamin Moore ‘Classic Gray’ is a soft and light grey tone .  It is on the warm side. It is a favourite of mine – I have used it with my investment clients – to give their rental properties a current and fresh look but still bright and clean.  I am also using this in one of our ‘sample board’ projects for a townhome community in the city!

This stunning living room, designed by Studio McGee, is a great example of ‘Classic Gray’ walls – see how light and warm it is! Even Jillian Harris did a Home tour video of the home she just sold as was talking about her love of Benjamin Moore’s ‘Classic Gray’. These 2 amazing designers can’t be wrong!

#2. Paint – Stonington Gray:

Benjamin Moore’s ‘Stonington Gray’ This is a true grey tone that I have used a number of times. It’s a medium tone grey that looks great in space where you want to add just a touch a depth. It’s still very fresh and clean looking too! It’s from the Historical collection and works nicely with exteriors too. Take the tour of the Stittsville Walk model home and see how I used Stonington Grey in this space. 

Stonington Gray looks great in this eat-in kitchen space! It makes the space look fresh and current and with all the big windows and natural light this colour adds depth without making the space feel dark. The white light shade, trim and chairs are a nice contrast to the grey wall paint.

#3. Paint – Swiss Coffee:

Benjamin Moore’s ‘Swiss Coffee‘ not a new colour but a new favourite of mine! It’s rich and creamy warm white and it’s amazing with the whole Farmhouse style.  It’s so clean and crisp and looks great as a canvas for artwork and other decor pieces. I am using this in a model that I am working on right now – that’s launching in early June (stay tuned…)

This living room designed by Onekindesign.com – it’s incredible!! So now that you have taken in the beauty of this room, here’s why we love this paint colour.  It really allows the other elements in the room to be the star and it pulls everything together. The wood and the stone really stand out and give the room a big WOW factor but that paint compliments and adds a subtle warmth to the room.

#4. Paint – Revere Pewter:

Benjamin Moore’s ‘Revere Pewter’  This is another paint colour from the Benjamin Moore Historical collection.  This is a great colour for anyone who is a bit hesitant to jump into a gray paint colour.  This is more a member of the taupe family or a warm grey.

You can see here, in the image above, how soft, neutral and warmth this paint colour is! It’s enough pigment on the walls but not too deep or intense.  It is a great neutral taupe-y tone without any yellow under tones. It’s great for gender neutral space or even a boy’s bedroom – you can all the accessories and colours you want and they will work!

#5. Paint – Wedgewood gray:

Benjamin Moore’s ‘Wedgewood gray’ is a beautiful shade of blue.  Typically I am a big fan of neutral walls but if I had to pick a colour it would be something in a shade of blue. This is a great colour for certain areas of the home that you want to bring colour into with art and accessories so for instance a mudroom or front entry. There’s usually a lot of trim, flooring and other hard textures, so a bit of colour on the wall breaks it up a bit.

So here’s an entry painted out in Wedgewood Gray – it’s such a fresh and clean colour.  The white trim and wall paneling really pop too.  The hall tree is painted in Kendall Charcoal – both Benjamin Moore colours – it’s a great colour combination with the white and blue.

So these are my 5 favourite paint colours right now….what do you think?

SHOP FARMHOUSE FAVOURITES …

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OUR FAVOURITES, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – 6 Best White Paint Colour for Trim

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“My house needs a fresh paint job.  I feel good about picking a wall colour but do you have any suggestions for the perfect white trim paint colour?”

 

You are so right, picking the right white can be tricky.  The look of a fresh coat of paint is spectacular and painting that trim really completes the feel. But like every other colour – there are many whites to choose from.  Not knowing which paint colour you will choose, your safest best is you use a pure and true white tone, you can’t go wrong with that. We have a few favourites to share with you.

 

  1. Simply White by Benjamin Moore – this was BM colour of the year for 2016.

 

  1. Cloud White by Benjamin Moore – this is a designer (and painter) go-to.

 

  1. Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore -just like the name, it is a decorator’s (and painter’s) favourite.  It’s clean and crisp.

 

  1. Ultra Pure White by BEHR – so clean and so crisp -this is one of the purest whites you will see.

 

  1. Extra White by Sherwin-Williams – a great white trim choice, bright white!

 

  1. All White by Farrow & Ball – a perfect white

 

Other trim painting tips:

Caulking – be sure that before you start painting that trim to caulk any gaps

Order – paint the trim first and then the walls

Finish – be sure to use a semi-gloss when it comes to choosing a finish for your trim. A semi-gloss adds even more brightness but also when it comes to cleaning, the dust doesn’t stick!

I hope these tips  and suggestions on finding the ‘perfect’ shade of white work for you,

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STORAGE + ORGANIZING

We Answer Wednesday : 5 Ideas to Organize in 2016

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“One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to focus more on my home.. I am hoping to update my décor and get more organized. What are some areas I should focus on?”

 

 

January is here! The start of the New Year is so refreshing for many people. It’s a time to reset your goals and reflect on the previous year. Lots of us make New Year’s Resolutions, depending on your lifestyle and your objectives, these vary for everyone. Maybe you’re going to commit to the gym or a healthier routine, perhaps your goal is to save money, or to travel more this year. If your resolutions involve home décor, we have some fabulous suggestions for you.

Here are 5 suggestions to kick off your new year resolutions.

 

Decluttering Closets:

Closets are the spot where a lot of items can hide out behind closed doors. Out of sight, out of mind… Items just keep being piled in there and forgotten about, so why not sort and purge what you no longer require?

Decluttering is a surprisingly great feeling. Getting closets and pantries organized is helpful for your everyday life, having extra useable space is never a bad thing. We recommend baskets and bins to make sure everything has a home and is placed back inside neat & tidy.

 

Paint:

Resolve to paint one room in your home a different colour, however bold or muted you desire. A fresh coat of paint signifies fresh, new beginnings. Never underestimate the power of paint. Changing the colour in a room is an inexpensive way to change the mood and décor without having to replace everything in the space.

Depending on your current décor, choose a paint colour that will be a noticeable change. This can be challenging if you have a very set colour palette in your current décor. Even using the same colour you currently have and making it a shade or two darker will be a welcome change. If painting the entire room is too large of a task to undertake, try painting an accent wall! Choose a colour from your current colour scheme and use that as your new accent wall.

Weekly Cleaning:

Most of us clean our houses weekly in the common areas, bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens etc. But there are many places that are often overlooked that need some TLC. For example, the inside of the kitchen cabinets as often ignored.

Cleaning the inside of your fridge.

Washing baseboards.

Dusting hard to reach places.

Pick one “overlooked” area a week and focus on that as well.

 

Refresh some accessories:

Depending on your budget, adding some new accessories to a room gives it new life. This is a very budget friendly way to refresh your rooms. Adding a few new pillows, or a throw blanket, or maybe a new art piece will be a fabulous way to change up your décor and redesign your space. Try adding a colourful side table or garden stool or changing some frames on your wall.

Fixing Odds and Ends:

Do you have a “to do list” that just keeps piling up? Take the time and tackle these items. The little things that are ignored in your home continue to pile up, so just spend a few hours and get them done. You’ll feel so good knowing you can check off some items you’ve been meaning to get to.

 

 
 The new year is a great time to get started on these tasks but in reality it is never too late and once you get started you will love the feeling of accomplishment but also you will feel pride in your space and yourself.
Just do it,
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