Monthly Archives: April 2015

Creating Punch… Mixing Warm and Cool Colors .

soothing cool colored bedroomBerdorf chalet bedroom
As an interior color specialist I recommend that if you are looking to create a soothing, peaceful space there are a number of ways to go about it. You can choose all muted tones, ones which are “knocked down” by the addition of black or grey. You can use pale pastels, which are desaturated by the addition of white. Or you can choose analogous colors from the cool side of the color wheel. See the photo above. These hues sit right next to one another on the cool side of color wheel. They include blue, green and violet and those colors in between.… Continue reading...

Country Kitchen Color: Beyond All White

yellow kitchen blue kitchenYellow and Blue Kitchens
There is no doubt that the all white kitchen is the standard in home design today. Whether housed in a country home or part of a sleek urban apartment, the all white kitchen is endlessly versatile and seemingly universally appealing. It works with every color palette, is always bright and projects its clean persona. While the ultra modern, minimalist version sometimes runs the risk of chilliness with its surfeit of reflective surfaces, the all white country kitchen is more often very warm in temperament. Bright white walls and cabinets, Cararra marble or similar stone and the use of white subway tile is everywhere, albeit with variations.… Continue reading...

Paint Sheen & High Gloss Glamour.

Paint sheen trips up lots of people. Click bait shots of glossy walls appeal to some but beware. A steadfast devotee of chalky, matte paint, my idea of a beautiful wall runs more towards plaster and lime wash rather than anything with a lick of shine. For practical reasons only, I advise my clients and readers to use an eggshell finish solely for its durability in high traffic areas like bathrooms, kitchens, kid’s rooms and occasionally stairwells. Trim of course, is a different story and eggshell, satin, semi gloss or high gloss are fine for that use. Higher paint sheen adds reflectivity to walls and in doing so sometimes adds the appearance of a milky white film to the surface, the amount of which wanes and waxes based on the amount and direction of light in the room and your angle of incidence viewing the walls.… Continue reading...