Diary of a Renovation » Paint Informational Articles on Archtectural Interior Design in Southern California

How To Choose A Color Scheme That Speaks To Your Buyer?

Lori Gilder — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:58:04 +0000

EXTERIOR
This speaks to knowing your neighborhood, the style of your home and its architecture and what colors will enhance your piece of property.

Take a look around your neighborhood and see which color palettes appeal to you and what the trends are. Are the exterior colors gravitating to more neutral colors?

Don’t scrimp on the quality of paint or the job itself! (Interior or Exterior)
A professional quality paint job will instantly boost the resale value of a home.
You want your house to be similar but NOT identical to others around you.
Choose a color scheme that enhances your curb appeal and accentuates your homes character and charm!
For a Spanish Style Home: You’ll want to introduce a palette of more neutral desert inspired colors such as tans/sandy whites/clay/browns.
On a Victorian Home: Use rich subtle shades of historic colors, with 4 –5 different coordinating colors.
Variations of greens/golds, blues/grays, or greens/tans/peach.
Full of handsome color combinations.

Every paint company will have sample palettes that are interchangeable for your exterior and interior, which works for walls, trims, doors etc.

INTERIOR
When it’s time to re-paint your interior for re-sale it’s probably best to use softer, less stressful colors. Introduce a neutral palette for the interior – keep it on the safe side leaning to the lighter tones.

Prospective buyers have an easier time envisioning their furniture, accessories and personality in a more neutral color palette.
Don’t be afraid to use a few different calm and soothing colors that coordinate and compliment each other from room to room, for an easy transition.
Offset those soft neutral wall colors with painting out all the trims, baseboards and moldings in a nice crisp white semi-gloss. It will make those mellow colors pop and create some elegance and sophistication throughout the entire home.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Calculating How Much Paint to Buy

Lori Gilder — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:43:55 +0000

Whether you’re painting the interior of your home yourself or hiring a professional to help, estimating how much paint to buy in advance will save you valuable time and money. It’s an easy process involving 3^rd grade math skills – which I’m sure many of you have brushed up on over the years while helping your kids with their homework.

To find out how much paint you’ll need for your specific room, you first need to determine the overall square footage of the area you intend to paint – which can include everything from walls – ceilings – windows – doors and trims.

Paint Tips To Consider

Typically a gallon of paint will cover a surface area of 350 – 400 square feet. (Check the manufacturer’s recommendation on the label)
A standard size door occupies 20 square feet of space.
A single average sized window typically occupies approx.15 square feet and an average of 7.5 square feet of paint to cover the trims and sashes.
New drywall and unfinished materials will require a primer and at least one finished coat– as un-prepared surfaces are porous and will absorb most of the first coat.
To ensure a quality job always specify a primer plus two coats.
When painting over a dark color factor in two coats of paint.
Buy more paint than you think you’ll need. It will help with dye lot consistency and leave you with extra material for those invariable touch ups.

How To Measure

Measure the length of all walls you intend to paint (from end to end) and multiply them by their overall height (from floor to ceiling) to determine the wall’s square footage.
Subtract the square footage of any doors and windows in the space from the room total.
Now that you’ve determined the paint-able wall surfaces, divide that wall area by 400 (the square foot coverage from each gallon) to determine the number of gallons you’ll need to paint your walls.
Remember to double the amount for two coats.
Do the same exercise for the ceiling (tip: your floor area is the same measurement as your ceiling area).
Measure the length of all trims, baseboards, coves and moldings in linear feet – and multiply it by .5 for a safe (6”) measurement of coverage. (Paint goes a long way here).

Now you just need to decide what finish, brand and color to buy.

Paint Finishes

Flat Finish.

Absorbs light and is very forgiving in hiding small wall imperfections.
Suitable for low traffic interior spaces.
Poor choice in kitchens, baths playrooms and children’s bedrooms as it doesn’t wipe down well.

Eggshell Finish.

Similar to matt with a slight sheen as it dries.
Great choice for interiors and washes down much better than flat.
Can show slight imperfections in the walls.
A better option for kids rooms.

Satin Finish.

Has a smooth shine and is very bright and reflective.
Wonderful in contemporary homes with perfect wall construction.
Shows every imperfection.
Works well for trims, baseboards and moldings.

Semi-Gloss Finish.

Quite glossy and are used mostly in kitchens, baths since they cleans very easily.
The higher the sheen the more wipe-able and durable the material.
Typically used on all trims, doors, baseboards and moldings.

Glossy Finish.

Used in high contemporary interiors and on modern cabinetry and furniture.

What is Your Color Instinct

Lori Gilder — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:40:20 +0000

It’s spring – and what better time to bring a new dimension and experience to your life than by transforming your home with new colors.

Invigorate your outdated family room and energize your dreary bedroom with one of the new color trends of the season. A fresh coat or two of paint can instantly change the mood and energy of a room.

For the past few weeks we’ve been doing some remodeling around our house and have finally completed my tween daughter’s new bedroom. In her mind, selecting the right paint color was the most important design element of her new space. Color speaks to all of us differently and instinctively evokes the many moods within us. For my daughter – green “shades of spring” is the color that resonates with her and creates a sense of harmony and balance in her life.

When selecting paint colors for your home its imperative to know what mood you are trying to achieve, how you intend to use the space and more importantly what colors you really love.

For thousands of years China, India and Egypt have studied the philosophies and relationships between color and energy – in order to strike a spiritual balance in their lives.

So before you head down to the paint store, here is some insight into the mood provoking colors of the rainbow and the energies they emit.

Red

Has a stimulating and exciting effect.
Is a warm and seductive color that exudes power and confidence.
Wonderful in elegant dining rooms and as bedroom accent colors.

Orange

Is an energizing and an invigorating warm color.
Evokes enthusiasm, self-confidence and creativity.
Use as accents pillows and accessories in living areas.

Yellow

Rejuvenates and stimulates your mind, body and soul.
Sparks imagination and innovation.
Epitomizes warmth and a sunny outlook to the future and is a perfect kitchen color.

Green

Creates a sense of balance and harmony.
A cool nurturing color that promotes healing and re-growth.
Beautiful for bedrooms and baths, which blends into the natural elements.

Blue

Represents communication, reliability, peace, tranquility and truth.
Is an expansive color and tends to visually enlarge a space.
Is a wonderful bedroom accent color – due to its calming effect.

Indigo/Violet

Color of spirituality and intuition.
Defines elegance and refined luxury.
Represents a sense of power and royalty.
Perfect color for studies, libraries and bedrooms.
Works beautifully with rich woods and metallics.

Naturals

Brown, gold and grey are easy on the mind’s eye and sooth the spirit.
Brown used in moderation inspires elegance and richness.

White and Black

White represents simplicity, cleanliness and vibrancy when in perfect balance.
Black is an absorbing color and is best used as a stabilizer and anchor.

Consider the mood and energy you want to create in your space when selecting your colors!