Category Archives: Color Advice

How to Choose Paint Colors for Rooms with Wood Trim

Many homes, especially in the country, have wood trim that is stained not painted. The trim can include moldings; baseboard or crown, window jambs and casings, overhead beams or millwork like the fireplace wall in the photo above. Wood trim in a wood stain color adds complexity to the overall palette as the room usually has hardwood floors as well. Here are tips to choose the best paint colors for rooms with wood trim. What to consider when choosing paint colors Rarely are the floors and trim the same color stain. This may make the task of choosing wall colors confusing.… Continue reading...

Creating Accent Walls that Work

Accent wall with TVAccent wall Amy Krane Color
Updated Feb 2022 While painting all four walls of a room creates cohesion and unity sometimes we want to kick it up a notch with a painted accent wall. Hopefully you adore the color chosen for the room but if your heart is set on something more – an accent wall can help. It adds the wow factor. In the photo above, not only does the navy blue accent wall add a note of fun and whimsy, it helps integrate one of the key colors used throughout the room and has the added bonus of “hiding” the TV in plain site.… Continue reading...

Decorating with Variations of the Same Color

How to choose paint colorsAmy Krane Color
As an Architectural Color Consultant I’m often asked how I know which colors “go” together. One particular design direction, decorating with variations of the same color stumps many people. There is the science and art of working with color. The science is established. Colors can be quantified and measured in many ways. The art has more to do with one’s taste and sensibility. It’s personal. ( I don’t mean private). In the end it’s about who you are and what you like. How adventurous are you in your color tastes? When it comes to being liberal or conservative in one’s color proclivities, either goes, and unlike in politics, people who are one or the other have no trouble sharing the Thanksgiving table!… Continue reading...

10 Design Trends for 2018

Amy Krane ColorGeneral Assembly
It’s that time again to take stock of what’s happening in the world of interior design and see what’s on the horizon in terms of design trends. Some trends are just starting to poke their heads above the fray while others have been gaining popularity since the beginning of 2017 and even before. Terracotta Tiles I know what you’re thinking. “Not those dated floor tiles from the 70’s!” Nope, not those. Check out this gorgeous, original use of hex shaped terra-cotta tiles by design firm General Assembly. The photo above highlights no less than 3 trends for 2018. One is the choice of terracotta, two is mixing different tile styles together in a very unique and creative way.… Continue reading...

A Primer on Paint Sheen

choosing paint sheen
We all know that choosing paint sheen (or finish) is one of the most difficult decisions for the average home owner. There are many different sheens and to complicate the matter paint manufacturers use a different array of names to describe more or less the same finish from brand to brand.   What to consider when choosing paint sheen. The proper choice of appropriate paint sheen is a matter of considering the type and function of the room, the amount and direction of natural light and to a lesser degree, personal taste and design goals. Semi-Gloss and High Gloss Paint. The higher the sheen, the more reflection on the surface.… Continue reading...

How to Choose Interior & Exterior Paint Colors For Your Home

how to choose paint colors
Are you about to redecorate, renovate or build? Learn how to choose paint colors. Many people want to make their own color decisions but end up stuck, staring at color chips pasted to their wall for months. Choosing colors is difficult but the right color makes the difference between a home that makes you feel great, reflecting who you are and one which leaves you cold and uninspired. Exterior house color is the number one factor affecting your home’s curb appeal and therefore its value. Learn how to choose paint colors which reflect your individual stye, the ambience you want to create and the decor you have.… Continue reading...

A Look to 2017: 10 Design Trends

Heather Nette kingPhoto: Mike Baker
While it’s been a tumultuous year politically, design trends spotted in 2016 and even before, continue to manifest. Warm metals like copper and brass abound, pinks of all types continue to appear as sophisticated wall color choices and dark tones are showing up everywhere. Live edge wood used in everything from tabletops and shelving to bed frames continues to be featured in shelter magazines and homes alike. Here’s my take as an interior color specialist on what’s coming in interior design. Purple A deep jewel purple, Shadow is Benjamin Moore’s 2017 Color of the Year. Mid-toned violets like PPG’s Violet Verbena and Olympic’s Cloudberry made the top list as well.… Continue reading...

Paint Color for an Open Plan House

lindal cedar Home
In 2001, a Bucks County, PA couple fell in love with Woodstock and began what was to become an annual ritual visiting the area. In 2008 they bought 3.5 acres. Drawn to area by the excellent hiking and the Woodstock Film Festival they decided to build their retirement home there. They started researching house styles and realized the perfect layout was one that they designed themselves. The couple chose to work with Atlantic Custom Homes, independent dealers for Lindal Cedar Homes. The Lindal Homes are semi-custom and the house they designed is loosely based on the Elements line. Using a software program called Chief Architect, they made drawings of what they wanted, then bounced ideas back and forth with the Atlantic rep, eventually submitting drawings to the Lindal architects for the final plans. … Continue reading...