A few years ago chalkboard paint was a cool, new idea.  Allow your kids to express their creativity without indelible results!  But after the initial novelty wore off you were stuck with a green or black wall and a heck of a lot of dust.  That’s why chalkboards have fallen by the wayside in most schools and been replaced with the whiteboards you see in offices.  You can write smooth as silk and really get your inner Picasso going with a wide array of colored markers.

Well, now you can do the same thing on any wall in your home.  Idea Paint is an innovative new finish that makes any wall into a white board.  It recently won awards for Innovation, Best Wall Treatment and Unique Solutions at NeoCon, the largest trade show for interior design in North America.  It is being used in offices, schools and residential projects.  The thing I love about it is that it invites collaboration.  I know you can type at lightening speed on your Blackberry but have you ever had the pleasure of seeing a piece of art or an idea come together with a group?  It’s definitely one of those situations where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. 

I firmly believe that allowing your creativity to flow in even the smallest way releases a bit of the stress that builds up each day from multiple responsibilities, snarled traffic and not enough yummy chocolate.  Personally, I would love to paint a wall in my home office to organize my overflowing supply of ideas.  Add one in the kitchen to keep track of the groceries (or lack there of).  Pick a spot in your home for some Idea Paint, it might open up a whole new world.

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The use of horizontal stripes gives the room a more modern feel.

Faux Painting can be pretty tricky to understand with all the fancy French terms and do-it-yourself assurances.  What does faux mean?  Is Venetian Plaster really plaster? Does my “sponged” bathroom count as faux?  The subject can be easily become overwhelming.

In my book, any painting technique or look that is more than a solid coat of regular paint on the wall is decorative painting or “faux” painting as most people call it.  All the various techniques from glazes to plasters fall under this umbrella.  Faux is a French word that means “false” or “fake.”  And while many a poorly sponged bathroom is called “faux” painting, it’s simply not so. 

Should you do it yourself?  The short answer is “No, leave it to the pros.”  It seems to me that homeowners often get their courage up in the powder room and while it’s not the focal point of your home, guests will visit that tiny room and wonder what you were thinking.  Experts range in cost and ability so judge their talent in the technique you desire.  Every artist has their strengths.  Review their portfolio, sample finishes and ask for references.  Also, make sure they will commit to showing you a sample of your exact finish before they start working on the walls.  Most times you will have to make a deposit or at the very least pay them a fee that covers the time it takes to make the sample board.  It is a commitment but a sample board can prevent a world of misunderstanding.

Painting a faux wood grain on garage doors makes a dramatic statement and gives European architecture more authenticity. (Duration Painting)

Here’s a rundown on some of the many techniques:

Wood Graining, Marbling and Metals

Some techniques are actually aiming to replicate the original material and those include wood graining, marbling or gold/silver leafing.  This is a great solution for woodwork where the labor and materials to install the real material is too costly.  It makes a dramatic difference on garage doors and kitchen cabinetry.

The beautiful faux work on this ceiling gives a lovely stone look. (Garay Artisans)

Glazing

Glazes offer a lot of depth and warmth to walls inside and out.  They are achieved with multiple layers of paint and glaze applied with sponges, rags and plastic wrap just to name a few.  This is the technique that is most often referred to as faux painting.

Incredible plaster work by Jonas Everets Design

Plasters and Textures

These finishes add texture and character to your walls.  Think of European frescoes or adobe homes.  They range from quite smooth to crumbly-looking three-dimensional textures.  Venetian plaster is a technique where thin layers of plaster are applied with a spatula or trowel and then burnished to create a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture. Molds can also be made to create patterns and scenes.

An amazing example of trompe l'oeil on what was once a plain building.

Trompe L’oeil

Another French word meaning “trick the eye.”  This involves the creation of extremely realistic imagery meant to trick the viewer into thinking that the piece is three dimensional when in fact it is only two dimensional.  Many people try, but there are only a few true masters of this technique which originated in Greek and Roman times.  Some of the best examples are in European churches such as the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

A light, two-toned diamond pattern on the floor gives the room a shabby-chic feel.

Lettering & Stenciling

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Sherwin Williams Honeydew (SW6428) - To achieve an analogous color scheme I chose a pastel shade of green. It gives the room a light, airy feeling. This would be a nice look for a breakfast room or child’s room.

Painting is the #1 way to change a room quickly and economically.  The problem is that many people do not take their time in choosing a color and they paint themselves into a corner (I know, corny).  Above all, do not go the paint store until you have given your project some clear consideration.  Choosing colors from a paint chip is not a good idea and rarely results in the look you desire.  Plus, the guy with the orange smock will probably not be much help.

Benjamin Moore Blue Lagoon (2054-40) - This monochromatic look is relaxing but the darker tone adds drama.This combination would work well in a living room or home office.

Before you can start sampling paint on your walls you need to choose a clear direction for your project.  Designers have many methods of choosing paint colors but a great way to start is with your main fabric.  It can be a fantastic jumping off point to get you rolling.  Some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you want to play it safe with a neutral you can “live with” for a while or do you want to make a bolder choice that expresses your taste and personality?
2. If you change your fabric selections in a couple of years, are you comfortable with re-painting or will the color still work for you?
3. What is the overall feel you are aiming for?  Consider what drew you to that particular fabric.

Relaxed - Consider similar colors that are a shade lighter or darker then the main color in your fabric.

Light-hearted - Look for colors in pastel tones.

Dramatic - Darker colors with more pigment make a bold statement.

Taking your time to thoughtfully consider your desired look will significantly pare down the number of choices and start you on your way.

Sherwin Williams Anjou Pear (SW6381) - To give the room an uplifted feel I chose a yellow-orange color that contrasts well with the green and picks up the tones in the flowers. This is a comfortable combination for a guest room or family room.

To demonstrate I have featured the James Chair from Maine Cottage with Tweet Sweet Porch fabric and three distinct directions you can go with the paint.  As you can see, each color significantly changes the feel of the room.  So get your swatches out and start exploring the possibilities.

~Lorrie

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Do you love a dramatic makeover? Of course you do and I totally agree!  You would think after all these years of being a designer that the charm would have worn off, but it definitely has not.  The process of taking a room from lackluster to extraordinary really fires me up!     

The project above is the bathroom in my friend Amy’s home.  Amy and I have been friends since our 7th grade Spanish class.  Instead of conjugating verbs, we were plotting a Friday night foray at the local movie theatre.  Her guest bath (which she lovingly referred to as the “sucky pink bathroom” before the makeover) needed a face-lift.  And with so many other projects (including 3 kids and a dog) going on at her home, she was not ready to do a full renovation.  As you can see, this bathroom featured the lovely pink tiles that were featured prominently in many homes from the 1960’s.  Replacing tile is a big job!  So if you are not ready to tackle the job, then figure out how you can work with it.  A new window treatment, paint, lighting and accessories helped transform this space into a glowing retreat. 

These are the tips I gave to Amy.  I am sure you will find them helpful as a general guidleine in most bathrooms.  Just adjust the colors for your project accordingly and have fun!

• Paint the walls brown, yes “brown.”  And I don’t mean a wimpy taupe color.  Benjamin Moore “espresso” 2099-30 is very pretty, or somewhere in that family.  It is going to take 2-3 coats to do it properly.  I know Dave (her husband) is going to hate me.  Rest assured this is going to give the room the face lift it needs!
• Window:  An off-white or ivory roman shade will look great.  West Elm has a nice one.  Don’t worry that the shade is too long.   It will look more substantial if it has some fabric folded up at the bottom.
• Put simple chrome hardware on the cabinetry. 
• Install a simple light fixture that has a chrome finish.  Get rid of anything brass.
• Find a brown vase (craft store) and put an orchid in it. Fake or real.
• Artwork - If you have some good digital photos of the kids and the beach, print them out in a “sepia” tone, which is brown and white.  Then get some white frames and use either white or pink mattes.  White frames are best beacuse they will show up beatifully against the brown walls.
• Rugs - Brown

Here is an alternate plan if you want to leave the walls white.

• Just paint the walls a warm ivory.
• Brown shade from West Elm
• Brown Frames on the pictures.

Since I know you all never tire of looking at photos, I have just posted a sample of my Portfolio online for you!

Shop for great bathroom furnishings at My Design Secrets!

You put your personal spin on home decorating by choosing colors and patterns that create the mood you love.  But no matter how hard you try, there’s no denying that the products and colors that are available to us are influenced by extensive research and forecasting.  I always encourage you to go with your gut on what colors appeal to you; but that doesn’t mean you cannot appreciate and utilize the new shades, tones and palettes that have been carefully orchestrated by the color forecasting teams at the large paint companies.  They present new points of view on old favorites and totally new colors are being formulated as a result of improved technology in the paint industry.

Trends in home design make a couple of stops before they wind their way to your doorstep.  We often see patterns and colors starting a trend in the world of fashion.  The following year you will see these colors start to infuse the world of custom interior design.  Finally these palettes arrive in the retail home decorating world in large retail furniture and fabric collections.  These are the colors that reflect our communal thoughts about what’s going on in the world and what colors feel like “home” to us.  There is some fantastic inspiration out there and I see some common themes popping up:  Organic, Comfort, Modern, Tranquil, Opulent, Natural, Classic & Getaway.  Start with what you have and add something refreshing and new!

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Selecting a paint color often tops the list of decorating challenges.  It also holds the promise of a dramatic room transformation!  We have all seen it on HGTV; dining rooms that go from drab to dramatic.  And Master Suites that go from boring to beautiful.  I have done it countless times and the process of selecting a color is a breeze if you take it step by step.

1. Plan the project -   Take a look around the house and decide what rooms you are going to paint.  Be honest.  Are you ready to tackle more than one room?  Are you going to be dissatisfied with the rooms that have not been painted once you finish one?  If the rooms are adjacent to one other, coordinating new colors for both may be necessary.

1. Gather your ideas - Interior designers rarely choose a paint color first and neither should you.  If you are using your existing furnishings and you don’t have fabric samples, then try to gather all fabrics in one area of the room (chair, pillow, draperies & bold accessories) and take a good digital photo.  If you are selecting new furnishings, then ask for fabric swatches if possible, or use the digital camera again.  There may be some details in a fabric pattern that give you color inspiration.

1. Consider your options - Vibrant paint colors can be fun and dramatic, but please consider what you are most comfortable with on a day to day basis.  (All bets are off in children’s rooms!)  Look at the clothes in your closet.  What colors do you wear most often?  If you choose a high intensity color for the walls, then go a bit simpler with your furnishings.  For instance, with apple green on the walls, you might want to consider a color palette of green plus blue and white.  A more neutral color on the walls gives you more room to incorporate multiple colors in the furnishings and it will also accommodate color palette changes down the line.  When I say neutral, I don’t mean boring.  Neutral colors work well with many different colors such as these below.

   

        Explore different shades of one color. Which brings us to…

1. Sample the Colors - I advise getting a sample pint of your chosen color, plus two lighter shades.  Often the color you choose on that tiny paint chip is more intense than you imagine when painted in an entire room.  The color can look different depending on the room size, ceiling height and number of windows in your room.  You cannot judge the impact or depth of a paint color from a paint chip!  Sampling colors removes doubt and gives you a true sense of how the color will work.

         Ask the paint store for:

• Your original color selection
• 90% of your color and 10% white
• 75% of your color and 25% white

      Sampling Tips and Tricks:

• I like to put paint samples directly on the wall. If you have samples on your walls you will be motivated to make a choice and get moving! Sample boards are not the same texture as your walls, and they can easily be put away in a closet and the procrastination of painting continues. If you don’t want to put the samples on your walls, then you can put them on foam board and move the board around the room.
• Paint samples on that wall of the room that are at least 2′x 2′ in different locations.
• Paint samples on walls with windows and walls opposite the windows.
• Let the paint dry before you judge it and live with the colors for a few days and see how you like them at different times of the day.  Optimally you want to judge the color at the same time of day when you spend the most time in that room.  Colors change depending on the time of day and whether you are using natural or artificial light.  Be patient, it may take some time to get used to the change.
• If you have an existing paint color that will not be there after you paint, make sure you cup your hands and use some tunnel vision when looking at the color. You do not want the existing color to influence your opinion of the new color.

1. Frame the Room- White trim is a classic touch that works in most any room, but the right shade is critical.  Many paint companies have at least 10 pre-mixed whites for you to choose from.  Take a look at a sample chart of whites.  You will see that each shade of white has a different tinge to it such as grey, yellow or pink.  If you want a crisp contrast that will really pop, then go for the brightest white; but if you want to create a more subtle effect then choose the tone that has a similar tint to your wall color.

1. Look Up - The ceiling is really the 5^th wall, so don’t neglect it.  Chances are it could use a coat of paint to freshen it up at the very least.  If you want to go for something different, you can choose a very light shade of the color you are putting on the wall for the ceiling.  Remember, we are used to a light color above us, just like the sky.

Enjoy the process!  Don’t rush yourself and you are sure to find colors that you will enjoy for years to come.  If not, you can always paint over it!

All photos in this post courtesy of Yolo Colorhouse and Pittsburgh Paint! 

Today is Earth Day, but our planet needs a lot more attention than one day, so here are some tips you can use all year long.  It is simple to help our environment by choosing products for your home wisely.  Here are some top eco-friendly picks that qualify for different reasons, but they do not sacrifice style in the least.

Sumptuous Eileen Fisher Organic Cotton Towels from Garnet Hill.  Their pastel colors are soothing, but what is more comforting is the fact that you are not drying your body with towels that are full of pesticides.  Less pesticides are good for the environment and the people who work in the cotton fields and factories.

 The Classic Schoolhouse Pendant fixture from Rejuvenation Lighting can be ordered with a socket for a compact fluorescent bulb.  This is the same style of fixture I have in my kitchen and I love it.  Compact Fluorescent bulbs are going to be the standard in the future, so get on board now!  They use 75% less electricity and produce 75% less heat than an incandescent bulb.  They last about 10,000 hours, so there will be less burned out bulbs in landfills.

Mythic Paint - 0% Toxic. 100% Smart!  Mythic paint has a fun and easy to use 50’s style website that shows all of their lovely colors and gives you the VOC lowdown.  The traditional formula that paint companies have used for years were very toxic and emitted gases in our home environment for years.  I am sure you have heard the term “no VOC” or “low VOC”.  VOC’s are volatile organic compounds and they are dangerous for people, pets and the planet.  They are bad for our lungs and can produce greenhouse gases.  Mythic Paint.  There is an alternative!

It is much simpler to live in a more eco-friendly manner if you develop an awareness of items you use everyday.  Here are some quick fixes:

• Do not use disposable serving items - no paper or plastic cups, napkins or utensils. Start using cloth napkins and reusable lunch sacks. 

• Unplug small appliances when they are not being used because they are always drawing electricity- Toaster, blender, etc.

• Turn down your heat down 1 degree or the A/C up 1 degree.

• Wash most clothes in cold water (unless you need to use hot water for allergies).

• Buy loose veggies instead of those in Styrofoam trays.

• Return all plastic bags to your grocery store for recycling.

Every little thing helps!

Don’t forget that when you are using My Secret Database that vendors who have this symbol feature Eco-friendly products!

To complete this room I would use the Benjamin Moore Paint color Waterbury Cream as a neutral wall color and then paint the ceiling Blue Allure for a celestial feel. Add some great little art pieces from the Yuki Lau Gallery on http://www.art.com/ and you are all set. When selecting the type of paint, you may want to consider using Benjamin Moore’s new EcoSpec paint. It has low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). That is what causes the “paint smell” that lingers. Even after the smell is gone, these compounds continue to damage the environment, not to mention your babe’s little lungs. Children are more sensitive to chemicals when they are growing so why not try to avoid all the chemicals we can!