Voice of Color Cafe » Tips

4 Things to Think About Inside

Dee Schlotter — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:36:40 +0000

Decorating a room is about creating a mood. Do you want to relax in a quiet space or be energized? Each of our color families contains colors that create a certain feel and help to define a particular mood. To make it simple, we have selected a range of ideal colors from each family that will look good on the wall, and that you can trust to create a room you love.

Step 1: Find Your Inspiration Do the Color Sense Game™ to discover your color personality. Collect elements that inspire you and create an Inspiration Scrapbook, including photos, fabric or wallpaper samples that you love. Or, if you have a favorite piece such as a carpet, painting, or cushion that will be part of your room, use that as your inspiration starting point. Choose colors pulled from your Inspiration Scrapbook so that your room flows together beautifully.

Step 2: Test Choose the colors from your Inspiration Scrapbook that appeal to you the most and then select paint chips in similar shades — some duller, some brighter — to test at home. Look at chips vertically on the wall. Be certain! The only way to be sure you’ll love a particular color is to actually try it on the wall. Take advantage of the new Pittsburgh® Paints Trial Size and try at least a 12” square beside your trim, and ideally, on all the walls you wish to paint. See how the color changes throughout the day. Beware of Color Shock! Your eyes and your memory take time to adjust to what they expected to see and it is therefore natural not to love the change right away. Especially when it is drastically different, you’ll find it can be a few days before you are accustomed to it, and then you can fully embrace your new colors. After you finish painting an entire room, you should live with it for a few days.

Step 3: Color and Light The colors you choose will appear different in various settings, as they are always affected by the light they receive. Though many lighting products are available, keep in mind that generally, incandescent lighting is warmer (more yellow), standard fluorescent light tends to be cooler (more blue), and halogen light is typically the most like daylight. Make sure you like your color at morning, noon, and night, and make your final decision based on the time of day you most plan to spend in the room.

Step 4: Complete the Look To create interest and depth, and in order for your palette to look intentional, a color should always appear at least twice in a room. For instance, if you paint a feature wall, add that same color in accessories to really pull your scheme together. Similarly, one great piece of art, or a fabric that combines all of your key colors, will be that final, unifying element that truly completes your look.

TIP of the Week

Dee Schlotter — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:20:16 +0000

It’s a Wrap: When taking a coffee break from painting, you don’t always need to clean your brush. Wrap the brush tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

The brush will stay moist for up to one hour without a problem.

10 Things to Think About Exterior Paint

Dee Schlotter — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:36:48 +0000

1. An effective exterior palette consists of three main colors including body, trim, and accent colors.

2. Colors appear paler outside, therefore always choose final colors outside, and check them morning, noon, and especially at dusk – when daylight becomes more purple, and taupes can often look pink.

3. Use a semi-gloss finish to highlight trim and accents, and less sheen, such as flat or eggshell, on the body of your home.

4. Consider your neighbor, community, and climate. It is appealing for your home to look slightly different or unique, however, it is suggested you also keep it in harmony with your neighborhood.

5. In all cases, test patches are strongly recommended. Surface texture changes the appearance of color due to the effects of light and shadow. Utilize our 2 oz. trial size paints to test the colors on your home before you paint. Many of the colors featured in this card are available in trial size, please ask your Pittsburgh® Paints retailer.

6. When choosing colors, take into consideration what direction your home faces. For example, colors will seem warmer if your home faces south, and cooler if it faces north.

7. If you like your brick and mortar combination, a simple, effective solution is to choose a neutral body color that is similar to the mortar, but a shade or two lighter or darker.

8. If you are painting above a stone facing, create a subtle and elegant effect by choosing a color pulled from the stone.

9. You can minimize attention to vents and gutters by painting them the same color as the body of the house or by choosing a trim color that is similar to them.

10. Consider your landscaping: if you always plant red flowers for spring, then a red front door is a sure-fire complement.

TIP of the Week

Dee Schlotter — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:50:00 +0000

Keeping Paint Leftovers: Keeping paint leftovers is a good idea; this way, whenever you need to touch up a small area, you have the right color at hand. In order to keep paint in a can that has been opened, you need to ensure good sealing of the lid. To do that, with a wet paper towel, clean paint on the lid and in the groove in the rim of the paint can. Cover the can with plastic wrap and press the lid back into place. If the paint is alkyd based, put a piece of waxed paper directly onto the paint surface before placing the lid back.

This will help remove the film that tends to form on alkyd paint. And don’t forget – latex paint may freeze!

Our Harmony Collection 60/30/10 Rule

Dee Schlotter — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:10:00 +0000

Because decorating is about more than just one color, each Harmony Chip offers 5 colors that work together beautifully. Experiment with these colors in any ratio. Choose one color as the dominant color 60% walls, floors, dominant fabric and furniture. Choose an immediate color 30% ceiling, cabinet, floors, smaller furniture. Incorporate one or two accent colors 10% trim and molding, pillows, rugs and accessories.

TIP of the Week

Dee Schlotter — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:02:49 +0000

Gloss or Eggshell: Choose your finish on the basis of the ambiance you wish to create and with maintenance in mind. Lightly glossed finishes are very attractive, but you should know that they are not suited to a child’s room where finger marks are liable to show up everywhere. You should use an eggshell finish, which washes more easily.

Illusions of Space

Dee Schlotter — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:33:28 +0000

To create the impression that a room is larger than it is, paint it in a pale or cold color. Pale colors seem lighter and more distant than dark colors. As for cold colors, such as blue, green or lilac, they always appear more removed than warm colors. Use these decorator effects to make a room seem larger and airier. The illusion of space rests on warm-cold, bright-dark and quantity contrasts.

Paint and Sunlight

Dee Schlotter — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:53:05 +0000

My bedroom faces north and does not receive much natural light. I’d like to make it look warmer, do you have any suggestions?

The light which enters a room influences the color and atmosphere of that room in a number of ways. By understanding how this works, it becomes possible to counter certain tendencies by using the right colors, in the right degree of saturation and value. You will find some clear explanations by visiting Lighting in the Decorating Library in the About Color section.

TIP of the Week

Dee Schlotter — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:24:23 +0000

A Colored Ceiling: The ceiling color doesn’t always have to default to white; in fact, it can be an important asset in home décor. To negate the boundaries between ceiling and walls, paint them in the same color. To heighten a room, apply a paler or cooler color to the ceiling. For a cozy feel in a grand room, darken the ceiling slightly, or use a warm hue. A good rule of thumb: For a more unified look, try a failsafe, monochromatic approach: apply ceiling color that is only one or two shades lighter or darker than the wall color.

Ceiling Effects

Dee Schlotter — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:30:26 +0000

If the ceiling seems too high, lower it visually with a darker, warmer hue or one that is more unsaturated than that of the walls. As a bonus, you’ll find the room more intimate. If the ceiling seems too low, paint it in a lighter, colder or more saturated color than the walls. This will create an illusion of height. The effects that make a ceiling appear higher or lower rest on warm-cold, light-dark and quality contrasts.