July, 2011

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Beautiful Gray Color Combinations

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

apartment therapy

I love gray and yellow together, don’t you?

apartment therapy

source

ashley gray hc-87 da vinci’s canvas 208

Gorgeous Gray & Blue:

west elm

apartment therapy

Farrow & Ball parma gray and mahogany HB

edgecomb gray hc-168 hemlock 719

Gray and White:

small bath Better Homes & Gardens

hearthstone 1601 swiss coffee oc-45

Gray and Beige:

Bathroom with paisley wallpaper Better Homes & Gardens

stonington gray hc-170 raccoon hollow 978

Dark Gray and Rust/Orange:

gray loft living room with exposed duct work and orange accents

butternut squash 1090

Revere Pewter and Brown:

brown and tan living room Bettter Homes and Gardens

One of my favorites! – Gray & Navy Blue:

Hooked on Houses.

gray owl 2137-60 hale navy hc-154

And last but not least, Gray and Green combination:

Better Homes and Gardens

houzz

balboa mist 1549 grasslands 502

These are just a few ideas and pictures to show you how great a gray neutral can be for your room. There are many more color combinations that can work with gray, including purples and reds. Which is your favorite color combination with gray? Comments?

If you need help selecting the perfect colors for your home, contact me today!

Are Greige & Taupe the Same Color?

Finding the Undertones in Gray Stone

Benjamin Moore’s Top Selling Neutrals

Choosing The Right White

Perfect, Neutral Gray

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Posted in Bedrooms, ben moore, color, Decorating Hints & Tips, Interior Decorating, Living Rooms, Paint Color Selection Help | 4 Responses »
Tags: ashley gray, ben moore, chelsea gray, Da Vinci's Canvas, edgecomb gray, gray and beige, gray and green color combinations, gray and navy, gray and rust, gray and white, gray color combinations, gray owl, hale navy, revvere pewter, yellow and gray

West Elm And Ben

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Marine Blue 2059-10

marine blue 2059-10

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Mt St. Anne 1565

mt. st. anne 1565

I know how much you all love looking at the Pottery Barn rooms painted with Ben Moore, so I wanted to share these painted rooms found in West Elm:

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Great Barrington Green HC-122

great barrington green hc- 122

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Java 2106-10

java 2106-10

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Nightfall 1596

nightfall 1596

The colors from West Elm are not as “everyday popular” as the colors used at Pottery Barn. Both companies believe in the clean and simple look, but I think West Elm has an edgier, tougher look. These colors work well with their darker woods and other styles found in their designs. No pastels at West Elm! There is a total of 47 paint colors in the collection. West Elm also does not have their colors broken down into seasons as Pottery Barn does.

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Newburg Green HC-158

newburg green hc-158

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Chelsea Gray HC-168

chelsea gray hc-168

There were only a couple colors they both share: Decorator White, Whitall Brown, Simply White and Chalkboard.

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Davenport Tan HC-76

davenport tan hc-76

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Brick Red 2084-10

brick red 2084-10

The West Elm colors are definitely stronger and more intense than the Pottery Barn colors.

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Cork 2153-40

cork 2153-40

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Black 2132-10

black 2132-10

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, White Dove OC-17

white dove oc-17

If you wanted to purchase the Ben paint colors sold through West Elm’s website, they are $35.95 a gallon. At Pottery Barn, Aura paint gallons are sold for $63.99 online. They both are great paints with low odor and low VOC. The difference is that the Aura paint is the best of the best. If you would like to read more about the paint differences, read here.

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Horizon Gray 2141-50

horizon gray 2141-50

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Galveston Gray AC-27

galveston gray ac-27

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Shadow Gray 2125-40

shadow gray 2125-40

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Decorator White I-04

decorator white I-04

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Owl Gray 2137-60

owl gray 2137-60 (a beautiful gray)

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Wales Gray 1585

wales gray 1585

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Simply White OC-117

simply white oc-117

Benjamin Moore® Ben® Paint, Baby Fern 2029-20

baby fern 2029-20 (teen room!)

So how do you like these colors? It is nice to see different painted rooms to give us other ideas and suggestions. Comments?

If you need help selecting the best paint colors for your home, contact me today!

Win $15,000 in prizes from West Elm and Benjamin Moore!

Enter for a chance to win your dream home makeover. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 in west elm products and $5,000 for a color consultation, paint contractor and Ben® paint and supplies from Benjamin Moore!

Click here to enter today!

More Pottery Barn’s Spring 2011 Colors

Inspiring Benjamin Moore Rooms

Rooms Painted in Ben Moore Paint Colors

Pottery Barn’s Spring 2011 Colors

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Posted in Bedrooms, ben moore, color, Interior Decorating, Living Rooms, Paint Color Selection Help | 6 Responses »
Tags: baby fern, bedroom, ben moore, blue, BM marine blue, BM mt. st. anne, brick red, chelsea gray, color, contemporary, cork, davenport tan, decorating, Decorator White, great barrington green, greens, horizon gray, java, living room, neutrals, newburg green, nightfall, owl gray, paint selection, painting, Pottery Barn, Simply White, Simply White and Chalkboard, update, West Elm, Whitall Brown, white dove

It’s All in the Details Baby!

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Jonathan Adler

What makes a home happy? I think it is the little details you add (or take away) from the room to make it special and yours.

Paying attention to the little things, such as switch plates:

Look at that! Please learn from me. Paint those switch plates the same color as wall or they will stick out like a sore thumb.

Lampshades: Time to update them? Just carry them to the store with you to be sure you get the right fit. Take a look at yours- are they straight with the seam in the back? Little details.

Steven Gambrel

Is your art work hung correctly? For height, I usually bring in down three inches from where I think it would be right. Works every time. What is wrong with these pictures?

If you have a pair or set of prints, bring them together with only 2” apart to make them more of a statement.

Did you know you are supposed to have a black object in every room? By adding a black element such as a black box, a black picture frame or other black accent, you clarify and enhance all the other colors in the room.

Another detail we should all be aware of is having a place to rest your eyes in the room. You should leave some empty wall space so your eyes are not overloaded! I also follow the design rule that states that any wall less than 36” wide should be left empty to avoid looking cluttered. That especially goes for between the windows!

Flowers! I know, I know but they make such a big impact on detail!

And my favorite ‘detail’ that I always am sure to include? At least one item per room that you love, vintage or new, quirky or silly, that makes you smile when you look at it. That is what makes a home happy!

lorraine-15d

It’s all in the details my friends! ( see in the picture above how I forgot another detail? Can you guess what it is?) Comments?

If you need help making your home happy, contact me today!

A Few Simple, Inexpensive Design Tips To Update Your Kitchen Now!

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

Nancy Boszhardt

Looking to update your kitchen quickly and inexpensively? Here are a few quick design ideas that you can do now without draining your bank account!

1. Inspired lighting. Hang a chandelier or funky lighting fixture you love over your kitchen table.

2. Paint. Paint is your best friend when you want to update your kitchen inexpensively. Painting over your old, worn cabinets gives the whole kitchen an instant facelift.

When selecting a kitchen wall color, take all artwork off of the walls and accessories off the counters. Focus first on choosing the best color that works with your countertops, cabinets and flooring.

Lynn Mizono

3. Crown Molding. Use crown molding at the top of cabinets. It will give your kitchen the look of having custom made cabinets.

4. Accesorize! Pretty new personality hardware jewelry to dress up the cabinets (think earrings):

adorable owl cabinet hardware. where/when will i use these?

anthropologie pininterest

5. Use pretty, colorful fabric wherever you can. Target, Wal-Mart, Pier 1, Christmas Tree Store, Crate & Barrel, Home Goods, etc. all have beautiful selections of table linens. Tablecloths, placemats, napkins, chair pads and runners. Bring in a new colorful rug! Even a couple new kitchen towels will perk up the room.

6. Fresh Flowers! A beautiful vase of flowers will take away all the bad vibes in the room.

7. Add more personality. To add personality to an empty corner, start with a wooden chair. Make it interesting with art arranged above as part of a grouping. Use an accent pillow on the seat that coordinates with your table linens. Better yet, hang a few of your favorite aprons on.