Category Archives: Color Advice

11 Paint Color and Interior Design Trends for 2021

wood tone and olive green kitchenMadison Nicole Design
Always my favorite blog post, this year, corralling paint color and interior design trends into a coherent POV is tempered by my acknowledgement of the distressing state of the world and the relative insignificance of this task. But not wanting to add to this year’s sense of aberration I’m forging ahead with it. Like most years in the past, this year’s trends are a combination of those newly emerging with those already ongoing. Some also take a relatively fresh idea from the recent past and morph it into something just a squosh different. Last year, pre-Covid, I forecasted the new trend in warm, saturated paint colors like russet, bronze, burnt orange and the like. Continue reading...

Paint Color Palette of the Year 2021

Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2021
Almost as much as Pantone, Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year and corresponding Palette of the Year is always greatly anticipated. This year the colors in the Palette of the Year 2021 have a seriously cohesive feel. Why these colors? We’re told the palette was developed before covid arrived which is interesting. In many respects it seems a natural reaction to our current situation. I always advise, whether designing a palette for one room or for a whole house, to mix cool and warm colors with the goal of creating a sense of balance.… Continue reading...

How to Choose a White Paint Color for Your House Exterior

White house exteriorMark Reuter Design
Choosing the best white paint color for your house exterior can be difficult. Let’s’ face it, many folks find choosing white colors for both exteriors and interiors challenging. That’s why you should go to an exterior paint color consultant for help! Most paint companies make many white choices. When you compare a lot of them you realize that accompanying the white exists many other tones. White can appear a tad pink or creamy with some yellow. It can contain some gray, blue, green, or a mix of more than one other color.  Like other colors besides white, the color comes from a particular hue family and traces of those families are part of the white’s makeup.… Continue reading...

Exterior Paint Color Trends for 2020

exterior paint color trends 2020Amy Krane Color &  Quatrefoil Inc. Builders  r
Unless you’ve been driving around with blinders on you’ve had to have noticed the prevalence of very dark homes by now. Exterior paint color trends for 2020 practically starts and ends with black, charcoal, navy and other very dark hues.  I’ve been writing about this trend for years as they started showing up in about 2014 or 2015 but dark houses seem to be moving more and more into the mainstream. Chances are you’ll see more dark homes in cities and the countryside. The trend is lagging in the suburbs for obvious reasons. And while they seem most appropriate for very modern homes you’ll note dark hues on historic homes like the Victorian above as well as colonials and other architectural styles, much to the delight of some and horror of others.… Continue reading...

Color and Interior Design Trends 2020

cut out pullsWinkelman Architects Photo by : Jeff Roberts
It’s that time of year that I forecast color and interior design trends for residences and I’m getting a jump on it this year. I am proud to say design pundits and shelter mags have consistently lagged behind identifying these concepts, reporting much later than I about new trends for the coming year. Like most years, some trends remain strong and carry on for longer than 12 months. This year those include, the use of pink, deep saturated wall color in hues like blue, green and teal, the use of caning in seating and case goods, dark green kitchen cabinets and the on-going love affair with light neutral spaces.… Continue reading...

Dining Room Color

pick the perfect Dining room paint colorAmy Krane Color
The kids are back in school, the fall season with its apple picking and pumpkin carving is here so inevitably the holidays are upon us. Even if you weren’t thinking about redecorating your home you are cognizant that the least used room is about to get a workout. Are you panicking? Don’t! Jazz up your dining room by choosing the perfect dining room paint color. Here’s how to choose dining room color.  My philosophy about dining room color is to let the architectural style and decor direction of the whole home guide you. Homes which employ one overall theme should continue this theme into the dining room.… Continue reading...

Paint Colors to Sell your House

Colors to sell your houseAmy Krane Color
Popular  “wisdom” says paint colors to sell your house should be warm neutrals. This has been the direction many paint color experts and Realtors alike have purported for years. They say don’t choose personal, idiosyncratic, boisterous colors and don’t paint it white. “Builder’s beige” had been a go-to for landlords and builders forever with colors like Benjamin Moore’s Linen White being used for rentals or new construction for decades. As a color consultant as well as a Realtor I say, “not so fast.” The choices are not so limited or rigid.  Paint colors that sell says Zillow Zillow’s statistics regarding paint colors to sell your house which garnered more money for their homeowners in 2018 include a black or charcoal front door, navy or black kitchen islands with white cabinets, light blue bathrooms and light taupe living rooms.… Continue reading...

The Best Neutral Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore

best neutral paint colorsPorteous Studio
You’ve researched the best neutral paint colors. You’ve spent weeks on Pinterest and Houzz finding inspiration and ideas. You pay extra attention when Joanna Gaines talks about wall color (but she never talks specifics!). You’ve been led to the likes of White Dove and Revere Pewter ad infinitum. But you’re looking for the ultimate “best of” list, not tired old suggestions. Here it is! You don’t need to go to new paint brands like Clare and Backdrop to get a curated list of the most attractive, versatile neutral paint colors. Just keep reading.  What are neutral paint colors? The most commonly understood meaning of a neutral paint color is one which goes with everything.… Continue reading...