About Paint

Recently a Charlotte, NC interior design client wanted to repaint a home they had just purchased. The homeowner is a do it yourself guru and insisted on doing his own paint job. When I suggested Benjamin Moore paint for the job, this couple was agreeable until they saw the price tag on the Aura brand paint that I had specified for the job. The homeowner just didn’t believe that paying that much for paint could possibly be worth it. I encouraged him to buy one quart to use on the tray ceiling drop. You can compare high quality paint to a high thread count sheet. A cotton/poly blend gets the job done and if you don’t know better, you won’t know what you are missing. If, however, you have ever slept on 1000 count Egyptian cotton sheets, you know the difference is totally worth it! I told him that if he wasn’t convinced that the paint wasn’t significantly better than what he was used to using, I would not say a word! Needless to say, he couldn’t believe how much easier the whole process was with the Benjamin Moore Aura paint. “It went on easier, like butter, and covered in one coat!” said the homeowner. He went on to paint the rest of his home in the Aura paint. Fortunately for me, he liked the paint because, what I didn’t tell him is, that other brands of paint can rarely match the Benjamin Moore colors to their fullest depth. .
Clients often call me for color consultation when it comes to choosing paint. The process of choosing involves lots of considerations. How much light is in the room, what the homeowners want in terms of warm or cool, is there a focal wall, what other colors are at play… all of these and more help narrow the field of color choices. Once we have two or three choices, I encourage clients to buy a sample pot or color sheet so that they can see it in the room in a significant amount. I advise them to observe the color in different light at different times of the day. The way that color and light interact can make a difference in the color choice. Once a selection has been made, I encourage the painter, whether a professional or do it yourselfer, to color test the paint against the sample after it has been mixed. Once, a Benjamin Moore dealer had a problem with the calibration of their color mix and the colors that we chose came out significantly off from the samples. Fortunately, we did poster sized color boards, for one last review with the client, when we noticed the flaw. Had we not tested, the color would have gone on the walls with disastrous results!
I often tell clients that painting is the least expensive way to completely change the look of a room. If you get some color advice, choose high quality paint, look at the colors in different lights, and test the final paint mix before you begin painting, you can expect a beautiful result.

To Market, To Market...

We are just back from the High Point Furniture Market in High Point, NC. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this monumental trade show. It was, as usual, spectacular! It is hard to describe to those that have never been and I always feel compelled to try. Imagine an entire downtown area, sky scrapers ( well really short ones but none the less), cubby holes, strip shopping centers and office buildings filled to the brim with the brightest and best that every vendor can offer. Ten million square feet of show with give aways, food, festivities, and transportation at your beck and call. The way the city handles the thousands upon thousands of visitors is truly remarkable!

Every season, I report on the trends that I saw at the market. This year, I actually attended a seminar that reviewed 100 years of design trends and then a 15 minute wrap up on trends that are coming. I found the presentation to be fascinating and the speaker to be right on the money with his predictions.

Every season, there are multiple trends to track and this year was no different. The two most predominate that I noticed is the story of sober versus saturated. By that, I include color, pattern, and the overall style.

On the one hand is sober. It is a trend that sort of reflects the current economy, if you will. This trend is all about a sober and serious aesthetic. Think colors called "French Rain" and "London Fog" in the gray tones. For texture; wools, slubby linen, raw silk and other natural textures. Finishes include a "french market finish" which is a light wood with sort of a greyed out whitewash that showed up at Habersham as well as smaller vendors. This look is carried off with low voltage lighting and moody wall colors and accents. This quiet and somber trend is in direct juxtaposition to the other trend that I am calling saturated.

As with current runway fashion, the home furnishing industry is inspired by the 60's and 70's and they are bringing back colors and pattern from that era in a big way. Think Kelly green and marine blue, black, white and yellow, or, pink and orange in combinations. A pop art pattern, over sized and exaggerated, finish out the look. Even some of the most traditional vendors show cased this look.

Of course there are always "sub" trends. Metallics and embellishments are still a huge presence. Think nail heads and shells, sequins, buttons and other "bling". There is still a large segment of the market dedicated to what I have come to think of as a 'green' aesthetic. Reclaimed wood and recycled materials mark this style. Natural materials, vegetable dyed or tea stained colors are shown with natural elements. For example,the use of wooden stumps turned into stools or burlap turned into drapery panels. This pared down look works when the textures are really layered into the room. This trend is kind of colorless but really soothing and appealing in its own right.

As always, there is color trends to watch. At this market besides the grey and the saturated colors of the 70's, teal was seen across the board. Teal, a purple that leans toward pink (like a wine stain on a white napkin) orange and lime green were all fighting for dominance at the show. I had a client that wanted to find some coral accents and we did not find one!

That is the wrap up on the major trends that we saw at market. In later posts, I will share some of my favorite finds!

Artwork for your walls...

As a former art major in college, I am completely opinionated when it comes to the subject of art in the home. I have a real hard time purchasing artwork with the sole purpose of “matching” the room. Art should be personal and meaningful to the client. If you are not emotionally involved with a piece of art, it has no place on your walls! I don’t care where you find it or if it is considered “serious” art, it has to speak to you on some personal level.

When clients are doing a space, we look to see if what they already own will work. If something new is needed, I encourage them to think “locally” and support the artists in the community whose work interests them. There are art galleries, art and craft fairs, art leagues that have shows and events, and, even restaurants that showcase art work. It makes local work easy to find.

Today there are many options for wall décor. We have used mirrors, game boards, photographs, old signs, iron pieces, wall vases, shadowboxes, baskets, tapestries, textiles, architectural salvage, sports equipment, pressed tin, dried botanicals, children’s artwork, plates, platters, maps, and matchbooks. We have framed keys, doorknobs, letters, baby clothes, ballet shoes, spoons, antique certificates, pages from books, pages from calendars, mementos from trips, playbills from theaters, sports memorabilia, movie theater posters, and nautical items. There are so many options that the sky is the limit. I have even coached clients in creating their own art piece and have hung several pieces of art created by the client’s children. I encourage you to leave the commercial retail print off your shopping list when there are so many other options for the walls in your home. Have fun with your choices, be bold, shop original, create your own and the walls of your home will have a personality as unique as your own!