Painting the ensuite

I was suuuuuper excited when I got a pair of white tramp art mirrors for the girls' bathroom, and for a steal.  But, naturally, these mirror were just a touch shorter than the old ones, leaving a bunch of big old holes in the walls.  Which means I need to paint.  Which dominoes into the sink skirts and the shower curtain and who knows what else.

As it turns out, my girls have opinions.  Specifically, they have opinions about what color we should paint their bathroom.  Clio would like either "swimming pool" (I mentioned I had two leftover samples we could try, "swimming" and "pool."  Naturally she thinks we should mix them because the names go so well together.)  Otherwise, she wants golden honey.  Eleri thinks we should paint a silvery grey, which would actually be very pretty with the marble tile floor, but I'm not sure I want to go for a pink and grey combo (their room is pink.)

Just to get the ball rolling (and in the name of no turning back), I threw some samples on the wall--colors in the general direction that we are discussing, but probably not the perfect color themselves.

You mostly see this color form in the girls room, but you can also see it from the hallway if you look in.  In these photos, I kind of like the intensity of that chartreuse (currently in the hallway, but also changing....).  But in person, I think the softer yellowy green (which is not reading very green here) might be better.  I just worry about a rainbow sherbert situation.....

What do you think?

When you have to replace your siding....make lemonade.

Yes, I am mixing up that metaphor, but life may have given us lemons and I am staying positive.

A small piece of siding came off the front of the house, just under a window, and when my husband got some repairman types out to take a look, one of them thought we might need to replace all the siding on our practically new house.  Why?  Because it came primed but was possibly never painted.  Replacing the siding is worst-case scenario, painting the whole house and garage is best.  Still a whopping expense that we weren't expecting quite yet, but hey, it's a chance to change the look of the house, right?

Here's the current color.  Sort of bland and unassuming, but also neutral and modern in feel.

At first I was thinking there weren't many options, but of course that's not true.  There are lots of elements to consider: upper and lower s, house trim, window and door trim.  The more monochromatic, the more modern.  The more different colors, the more traditional.  Let's play, shall we?

First step: tweak the color (warmer, greener), add contrast trim.

Next up, add a second tone to the bottom half of the house.

Or how about using the darker tone up top?

Different color palettes start to evoke different vibes, too.

Modern cottage

Coastal

Or cabin in the woods.

If I had my druthers, I would probably paint the house black.  Did anyone watch American Dream Builders, Nate Berkus's new design show?  There was some controversy over the choice to paint the exterior of a beach house black in the finale, but I personally loved it.  Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home recently revealed that she had gone dark with her home's exterior, and it is pretty fabulous.  

Here is mine dressed all in black, or with high-contrast trim.

Only problem?  As a teardown/ new construction, our house is already out of scale for the neighborhood, and painting it black would be like giving our neighbors the finger.  And we like our neighbors.

I'm not sure what we will do just yet.  I let my husband play around with the paint tool, and here is what he came up with.

So.....There's that.

What scheme do you like?

Trend alert: up and over

From her Dutch teacher, my 5 year old picked up the very cute habit of saying "oofta!"  and I keep hearing that word, with a little bump in the middle ( OOF-ta!) when I look at these wall-and-ceiling treatments.

Design Sponge

Betsy Burnham

Source unknown.

I think this works especially well in the first example, where there is a little ceiling angle to highlight.  There is a real energy to these up-and-over stripes, isn't there?

OOF-ta.

Dispatches

I always love getting photos from far off friends (or strangers!) who have been inspired in some small way by this here blog.

Amy sent me some progress shots of her basement, where a fireplace went dark and the stairs got some ombre.  (Yes, those links are to the inspiration posts.)

Thanks to the crazy weather of 2013, these guys had a flood in their Colorado basement.  Here's the waterlogged before:

And the lovely after!

Detail of the stairs:

I love how the same technique has such a different feeling in a different context.  This one is so much moodier than the bright and airy inspiration.

Amy is an artist who is always adding her special touch to her home.

Making it ours: isn't that the fun of it?

Exterior Colors

This week is all about progress with ongoing clients.  I worked with a client on a whole-house (interior) paint palette as well as a design framework and some specific furnishing and rug selections, and they get so many compliments on the colors, they asked me to tackle the exterior.  Which of course I was happy to do!

I love the balance of bringing green against the orange brick, whether with dark olive trim

 Or light trim and deep, burnt orange mullions.

Pale green walls with ivory trim is a brighter take on the scheme, with charcoal mullions for contrast.

But green was a no-go, so we had a go at grey, another nice compliment to the orange brick.

In the end we went with a lighter/ brighter approach.

It is the least "different" from the existing house colors, but it gives the best hint at what's inside (like aqua living room walls!).  

What do you think: should the exterior of a house give some hint to what's inside?

Cheap Trick: Fireplace Before and After

I did a staging job back  in February, and I haven't shared one tiny little piece of interesting advice or dramatic before and after just yet.  And you wouldn't think I would have fireplaces on the brain, but I've actually been using ours: it has been mid-50s, rainy, and grey.

Fireplace surrounds can be pricey, and I wanted to share this inexpensive fix.

My client had a surround that was really a family heirloom, and they planned to take it with them.  We needed to install a replacement but didn't want to spring for wood to match the trim--which would have been a natural choice.

(before)

(after)

Instead, we bought one from mantelsdirect.com and painted it a color three steps down the paint card from the wall color.  

Yes, you read that right:  Mantelsdirect.com!  I chose the profile that went best with the style of the moldings (The Yosemite, if you're curious) and customized it to fit my size requirements.  (The tile was existing and we weren't  messing with it.)  A few weeks and less than $400 later, the mantel arrived, primed MDF, in nearly one piece.  (I could have had them paint it for me, but since my painter was already knocking out the whole house, it made more sense to have him do it.)

I have to say, in a pinch this tonal paint solution really worked.  The same mantel in solid wood would have run us at least times as much--not smart when you are staging, and not always possible even when you are staying put.

What do you think?  I'm really into painted trim these days.

Reader Design Dilemma: Black in a girl's room

I recently got an email that went a little something like this:

I have a perfect Reader Dilemma for you: The kids decided to switch back to each having their own room, and my 5-year-old is over-the-moon excited about painting her room BLACK.  Right now, it's the perfect shade of age neutral green.  Her idea is that if the room is pitch black, silver stars would show up better.  Do I let her do it, or talk her out of it?!

The reader was taken aback when I said, Do it!

Here's how:

Natural

Take the edge off the black with lots of natural tones and natural materials:  an antique pine dresser; linen headboard, lampshade and curtains; woven rattan swing chair; and sisal or jute rug.  

Then add in some modern shapes, like a simple round mirror, a geometric white lamp, and a retro-modern flushmount fixture (the little perforations mimic the stars on the ceiling).

To make it fun and youthful, add color and whimsy in bedding, accessories, and art.

Bold

As another tack, double down on the boldness of black walls with graphic patterns and strong solid colors.  

Make sure you mix static patterns (stripes, ribbon trim, chevron) with those that have movement (the star wallpaper on the ceiling, the floral bed and floral elephant print).

To keep it from getting too crazy, take your palette from one print (in this case the bed fabric), drawing a couple of the colors out in solids (pink chair, chartreuse lighting).

Finally, keep the shapes simple and streamlined, and keep it real with one or two natural materials--here, the flokati rug and wood dresser.

Romantic

Finally, for the girly girl, a different kind of drama.  Instead of stars, use a gold leaf pen to draw constellations on the ceiling (think grand Central Station), then repeat glamorous gold around the room (mirror, chandelier, throw pillow, accent table.)

Match the drama of black with dramatic pieces, like a four poster bed, overdyed rug, and black velvet chairs.

Ivory bedding and curtains with voluminous ruffles break up the darkness and add more than a dash of romance.  Tie it together with little details: the black edge to the curtains, the stars falling in the background of the art nouveau print.

Have I convinced you?  Would you dare try black walls in a girls' room?

If you want another blogger's take on black--in a nursery!--check this out.

Fuschia, grey, yellow + aqua?

Whew.

At the end of last week, I found myself picking new paint colors for a client I've been working with in bits and pieces over the past year.

I've been thinking our palette will look a bit like this:

Source: allthingsstylish.tumblr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: somewheresplendid.com via Heather on Pinterest

Love the happy vintagey quality of the fuschia and mustard/ochre, tempered by the grey and white or cream. But it is a bit strong for a whole space, yes?  And they want light and bright.

A deep or bright pink always makes me want blue.  (Remember this?)  And to keep things fresh, I love the addition of aqua, with just enough green in the yellows to keep the palette from dipping into rainbow sherbert territory.

Source: bhg.com via Heather on Pinterest

Why thank you, Better Homes and Gardens, that's just what I had in mind.

We could put the yellow on the walls

Source: lonnymag.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Or  the aqua

Source: styledhaven.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: fourwallsandaroof.com via Heather on Pinterest

Of course, none of these have the total palette, but it can be helpful, when you're stuck, to visualize a wall color this way.

While searching for inspiration, I revisited some Domino magazines, including a piece about designer Barrie Benson's own home.  She originally painted it all white, before realizing it was too stark and cold, and she came back in with a palette of pale blues and greens.

Design is a process, sometimes easier than others.

Fireplace transformation

People.

I have been holding out on you with the long-promised fireplace transformation.  Why?  Because I was planning one more little project for the whole fireplace wall.  But then I had a nice, sunny warm day, great for taking pictures, so I decided to show you anyway.

BEFORE

The before.  Yikes!  Now that it is better, I can't believe I lived with this for two years.  The fireplace insert is just so awkwardly placed, floating in the wall, with no surround or mantel--no nothing!  And my assortment of random objects placed in descending height order is not helping.

Well, all that has changed.  Witness:

It's good, right?  Here, take another look:

So what was the project?  I'm making an upholstered top for that bench which isn't really a bench but a coffee table.  My husband is VERY unhappy at the idea that people will sit on this, but I bought the thing at the flea market when I was 24 and I went ahead and pulled rank.  And then compromised with the idea of an upholstered board instead of a loose cushion--for more stability, weight evenly spread across the bench, yadda yadda practical stuff.

I'm choosing a fabric from the stacks, and thinking tealy/emerald green glazed linen.

But in the meantime, books work.  Fur throws and pillows work.

It is a dramatic change (and the very first design idea I had for this house.)  My only regret?  I should have done it sooner.  Even if it was terrible, it's just paint!

Taking the plunge

When we bought this house two years ago, the very first thing I knew I wanted to do was to paint the fireplace wall black.  The fireplace is a gas insert that was placed strangely in the wall, with no surround of an kind.  Painting the wall black will make the fireplace disappear but also create a focal wall.



Then we moved in and I chickened out.  Or, rather, became completely indecisive.  I know I would tell a client to do it, though I acknowledge that it is a risk.  For me, the question is not one of color: though dramatic, black will make sense.  The question is one of texture: paint is so flat, and while that look works for the architecture of the house, it is less in synch with my layered style, and black grasscloth is currently out of the budget.

So I pinned a million pins.  There are a lot of black accent walls on pinterest.  Here are some of the ones most convincing to me.

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: vtinteriors.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: thenletitbe.tumblr.com via Heather on Pinterest

I will tell you this much: I bought a quart of black paint, a dragging brush, and some metallic glaze. I am thinking about painting the wall flat black then experimenting OFF the wall with different paint techniques for adding texture.

We'll see how this goes...!

Oh, P.S. I'll have a little giveaway tomorrow.

Two tone cabinets and Martha Stewart hardware for Home Depot

First, thanks for all your kind comments yesterday.  I hope it didn't sound like I was being a drama queen!  Writing that post, I was alone in the house for the first time since the break in and I was feeling nervous.

But back to work, right?  I'm working on an awesome living room and dining room, and got to hare some of the details with the homeowner last evening.  The kitchen is getting a little refresher as a bonus.  New wall color, new window treatments, and most dramatically, new cabinet treatments.  We're going for something serene and soothing but naturally we want it to feel interesting and dynamic.  To accomplish this, we'll be painting the upper cabinets a lovely, creamy off white, and the lower cabinets will get a pretty green with a healthy bit of blue in it, and brassy knobs and pulls will brighten it all up.

Here are some beautiful inspiration images for this cabinet approach.

designsponge

Tobi Fairley

Traditional Home

Cottage Living

Source: colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

The Lettered Cottage

And two with contrasting islands--same kind of idea.

Barry Dixon in House Beautiful

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Patrick on Pinterest

Love.

And have you seen the Martha Stewart line of hardware for Home Depot?  There aren't a ton of pieces, but I was really drawn to them all.  In the end, I think we'll put these knobs on the cabinets--the oval shape is so elegant--and these pulls on the drawers.

Pretty, no?