Design & Build magazine March/April 2015

TalkOfTheTrade
Color
For the Love of Color
The paint color palette you choose is
one of the most important factors when
it comes to creating an inviting interior
space.
Design & Build magazine brings you...
Vanessa Reilly
SSO MANY TIMES WE NEGATE THE
importance of color and choose something
trendy or safe, only to be left with a bland,
“builder-basic” room.
When I was growing up we moved a lot,
and my mother always found a way to paint
her bedroom a dusty, soft rose color. The rest
of the house was usually a disaster, but the
moment you entered her bedroom, there was
an overwhelming feeling of peace, love and
happiness as the warm, rose walls embraced
you and the smell of white linen hit your nostrils.
To this day, I can close my eyes and remember
the warmth of being in my mother’s
bedroom.
Colors create feelings, and the way we feel
when we are inside our home is so important.
But, don’t be discouraged or overly focused
on distasteful wall colors. To me, this is the
easiest most rewarding thing to fix. Give me a
neon pink painted house any day of the week,
and I’ll transform that sucker with a cool palette
of modern grey!
Where do you start when it comes to picking
the right palette for your space? It’s easy
to feel overwhelmed, especially when you are
standing at Home Depot looking at the bazillion
paint swatches, I think that’s why so
many of us reach for the safe “beige” option.
Step One-Consider your space: Do you have
good natural lighting? Wood floors? Tall ceilings?
What’s the best asset this room has to
offer? Play it up. Many of the homes I renovate
have beautiful wood ceilings, so I often
make them pop with high gloss white beams
and soft grey walls.
Step Two-Embrace what IS: So many people
hate pine panelling in older homes. I say
EMBRACE IT. One of my favorite rooms
that I recently renovated was a basement
den that had beautiful knotty pine paneling.
My hubby wanted to sheetrock over it, and
I said absolutely not! We painted the ceiling
a crisp white and primed and painted all the
trim work and crown molding a deep, sophisticated,
glossy grey. When we were done, the
room felt like an expensive antique.
Step Three-Get inspired: Go out in nature or
look around your house. What do you love?
What colors speak to your soul? How do you
feel when you see that light peachy sky caressed
by the purple horizon? Colors can be
fun and energizing! This is YOUR space to
personalize any way you see fit, whether or
not the Jones’ approved.
Q: Am I allowed to paint brick?
A: I get this question a lot when renovating
older homes. YES, paint that ugly old brick
till you can’t paint it no more! There’s a time
and a place for untouched, preserved natural
brick – if you have a perfect, turn of the
century, bungalow or pre-civil war estate, I
would probably say stay away from the paint.
If not, knock yourself out! Here are my rules
for painting brick: Stick to one color. It looks
best when all brick surfaces are the same
color. Also, make sure you prime and paint
as many coats as needed so that no spot is
left untouched. There is nothing worse than a
sloppy paint job on brick, so if you don’t have
the patience to do it right, hire a professional.
Q: Are there rules for bedroom colors?
A: This is your space to relax, unwind and
cozy up with your hubby on a rainy Sunday
morning. Pick a color that makes you feel
warm and fuzzy inside. For some reason, I
have always been drawn to blueish grey for
my personal bedroom. It seems that the darker
the color, the more cozy the space feels.
Make sure to accessorize with a complimentary
color scheme that plays up the wall
colors!
Q: What are your thoughts on accent
walls?
A: I say go for it! One way to play up an
accent color is to go all out with some fun
shelving, decor, a picture collage, or a big
statement mirror. There is something so unexpected
and interesting about a dramatic color
behind a wall full of shelves and interesting
decor. It’s a great way to add spice to a room
and highlight your collections in a creative
bold way.
Picking the right color is a personal expression.
Don’t be timid or shy. Conquer your
walls and don’t forget the trim and ceiling are
just as important. Always make sure to collect
a handful of paint swatch options or test
paint to try out in the space before you paint
the entire room. Many times, the paint color
looks totally different when you get it in your
space because of lighting and reflection variables.
Be bold, have fun and just remember
—if the color doesn’t turn out like the way
you anticipated, you can always paint over it!
Have a question for Vanessa? She is available
by email at Vanessa@designbuildmagazine.net.
She can also be reached through her website
at DomoRealty.com.
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