The warm pink wall paint color ties together the variety of pinks in the marble and metallic cabinet faces. Wall paint color: Benjamin Moore - Lake House 1175. (Note: this color works beautifully in this particular light and architectural setting - please test it carefully before using it in your home). Photo Credit - Paula Watts

Mixing metallics into your home design can give a small space a stylish vibe. Put the metallic accents on existing cabinetry and your small space can remain clear and uncluttered – both practically and visually. And when those metallics come in a coppery pink tone, the result is gorgeous!

Metallic finishes can play up modern architecture like this master bath at the same time they link traditional materials like marble with the contemporary shapes of the home design.

The perfect wall paint color brings together the variety of surfaces with a unified color. With that in mind, choosing the color that works with every color in the bathroom is very important. Helping my clients choose the best color for the room meant first determining a few basic concepts. Here’s a list of things I consider and the thought process I went through to arrive at my choice that may help you:

• Should the color function as a warm color or a cool color?

Pink is usually perceived as a cool color. But in this instance, it was important that the pink be perceived as a warm color. By choosing a very warm pink with yellow and earth undertones the pink copper cabinet facing and the warm pink and brownish tones in the marble were “pushed” to the warm side of perception.

• What is the percentage of warm to cool tones in the space?

The warm white of the marble is “pushed” to function as a cool accent color against the warm tones of earthy pink. The cool tone is about 20% of the total color plan. This is a good balance as one color temperature being dominant strengthens the overall design.

Choosing wall paint colors can be complicated. Remember to consider basic concepts like overall color temperature and you’ll be able to make an informed color choice.  If it’s too much for you, give me a call.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Thank you Paula Watts for your beautiful photo.

The yellow loft roofs the dining area and juts into the space of the living room of this home. The shape as well as the color act as a bridge between the red dining room walls and the green living room walls.

One thing leads to another. That’s as true in life as it is for interior design. It’s especially true if you’ve ever started remodeling or redecorating just one room of a home, then stood back when it was done only to realize that other areas of the house need updating.

And in the same sense, one color leads to another as you walk through any building. Creating a paint color scheme blending good color design with the architecture of your home is like putting together a 3-D puzzle. One part of that puzzle changes and everything changes. And change can be complicated.

It’s easy to think about home color as mostly about the walls, but the reality is that the walls, floors, ceiling, trims and decor are all design elements that combine within the open spaces of the home. Now add to that the thousands of choices you have in most any tile, furniture, lighting and paint store and the puzzle pieces of design that seemed so easy to sort are now in danger of becoming a pile of confusing shapes and colors.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by color, you’re not alone. Putting together entire interior design color schemes can be a lot to think about. But, mixing colors around your home gets a little simpler if you think about those color combinations as a master color plan.

Creating a master color plan is what I do for my clients. They choose the paint colors they like and I help them make those choices (or similar choices) work with the rest of their home decor as well as the architecture of the home.

Here are a few tips I share with color consulting clients to help them organize their interior paint colors:

• Identify the colors in your home that you aren’t going to change, such as the flooring, kitchen cabinetry, window coverings, countertops, etc., and be sure that the paint colors you choose complement the colors of those things.
• Look at the paint colors in natural light and at night under artificial light to be sure the color looks good 24/7.
• Sample your color choices in several places of the room so that you can see the effect of light on the paint color.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Painting the garage door and garage door trim the same color as the body of the home subdues the attention the garage door gets (despite it's size) and encourages the eye to travel to the interesting trim color around the windows and entry door.

Put a red tomato on a white sand beach and your eye will instantly focus on the tomato. The color difference (even if you know nothing about tomatoes) will be enough to capture your attention. Not only does this visual attribute help you find a snack or your socks, it’s an important concept to keep in mind when you’re painting your house.

When color consulting with clients who are choosing  exterior paint colors I often suggest they don’t call attention to their garage. This advice doesn’t work for every house or every client, but it’s worth considering. Here’s why:  Many American homes have garages that visually dominate the entrance side of the home. I presume this architectural phenomenon  reflects the reality of most Americans’ relationship to the car.

If you have a home like this, your garage is near your front entrance and the garage door or doors will (all together) visually dominate your entry way. Not only is this iffy Feng Shui, it puts your front door entry way into second place. True, most people will figure out where your front door is and  won’t be knocking on your garage door to get in your house. Even so, downplaying the garage doors in this situation will amp up your home’s curb appeal.

So, how are you going to magically shift attention away from the garage doors and towards the entry door? The answer is a relatively easy and inexpensive  home redo. Here it is: Paint your garage door trim and/or the garage doors the same color as the body of the house. Before you whip out the brush (or google painting contractors), I do have a few guidelines to help you make an informed design decision.

• Paint the trim around the garage door the same color as the body color (exterior wall color), regardless of the trim color around the windows and other doors.

• If the garage doors are ordinary, paint them the same color as the body color.

• If you have beautiful natural wood garage doors that enhance your home don’t paint them without careful consideration. They may be a valid design element, especially if the natural wood is repeated in other areas of the home such as the soffits, trim, shingle accent areas, etc. If you are in doubt, paint the entire home exterior first, then after looking at the result make your decision to paint the garage door.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Slight variations of warm taupe grays and cool blue grays aren't enough to make this "design" interesting. The monochromatic color use of the color gray along with the subtle differences in size and shape of the stones is so visually "quiet" it's boring.

Good design snakes our attention. Here’s why. Looking at too much of the same thing can turn a good thing into nothing you’d notice or want to look at. Too much of the same thing sends our brain to sleep. Maybe not literally, but our attention drifts and we’re on to the next thing.

Our human brains are on the alert for differences. That alertness informs us when the forest we’re walking through isn’t just grass and trees, but now includes a snake.

Good design of all types, including home interior design is about moving the eye, mind and body throughout the work. Whether that work is architectural, a photograph, painting or product, when the viewer is engaged, the work is a success. That doesn’t mean that good design appeals equally to everyone. That’s not possible. Despite that, there are general concepts or tools that designers and artists of all types use.

One of those tools is the balance of design repetition to variation. A good designer creates work that has enough of the same thing – repetition of design elements, along with enough differences – variation of design elements, to keep the eye and brain engaged in the way they want it engaged.

Too much repetition and something is so visually quiet, the brain can’t find stimulation and looses interest. Too little repetition and the work lacks stability. The brain gets overwhelmed by the lack of visual cohesion and looses interest. Bringing variation into the design mix is a balancing act that the designer or artist works with to create the “right” amount of viewer engagement.

Though the colors of the snake are similar to the gravel, the shape and texture of the snake instantly gets the brain's attention. Then the brain notices the slight variations in color. By then, I've run in the opposite direction. My brain was certainly awake and my attention engaged.

Because these design concepts can seem complex to understand, I’ve illustrated them with some photos I took in a driveway. Walking across a long gray graveled driveway several times, my mind was focused on anything but the steps I was taking. Then I saw the snake. All of the sameness was out of my brain in a nano-second. Even though the “variation” (the shape and slight color change of the snake) was a very small amount of the experience visually, it was more than enough to get my attention.

I like to think about the concept of balancing repetition with variation and how it exists in the world, both in nature and in human design. I first wrote about this in my book, Paint Happy and I’ve continued to be fascinated by how this design concept is so important in every facet of the arts, including music, theater and dance.

So, next time you’re choosing colors, designing, or making art, remember the snake. Your brain will thank you.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

White is not a common color in nature unless you're looking at snow. Nature mostly gives us accents of white as surf, clouds or rock.

Painting your ceiling white is not necessary or even always a good idea. White paint will not always make your room look larger, cleaner and more fashionable. Sometimes white will seem to expand the size of a room, but sometimes it’s a big mistake. Mostly, people paint their ceilings white because they don’t know what else to do.

I’m not exactly sure when white ceilings became fashionable, though I suspect the country’s fascination with white paint began in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair. The famed White City at the World’s Fair included a complex of buildings and streets over an area of hundreds of acres. Buildings were finished with white stucco and brightly lit with the new-fangled street lights. Acres of radiant whiteness must have been an entrancing alternative to the dark countryside and dimly lit city streets filled with dark tenement buildings.

Then, about thirty-five years later, the Great Depression hit the country and nobody was painting. Whitewash, a type of paint coating made with calsomine (from slaked lime) was a very cheap alternative to colored paints. It could take days to dry and usually rubbed off easily before it flaked off after a long winter. Often used as an exterior paint coat, whitewash was a stop-gap paint until a durable (and more expensive) paint could be purchased.

After World War Two and the resulting Baby Boom, suburbs of homes sprung up on the outskirts of cities all over the country, especially in the West. Cheap and fast construction of ranch style homes (often referred to as tract homes) dominated the scene. White paint was an inexpensive choice for the developer or builder, requiring no color mixing or color changing during the assembly-line like painting process necessary to get an entire tract of homes painted inexpensively.

The 1970′s famous white plaster splatter ceiling (sometimes mixed with glitter) was ubiquitous in many Western tract homes of the era. I’m guessing that a significant population of Americans alive today grew up looking up at white ceilings.

Times have changed. Current paint and coatings technology has resulted in paint with amazing qualities our grandparents wouldn’t have dreamed possible. Some paints dry in a hour or so, can be easily scrubbed, are available in different sheens and they have little to no odor. And, there are literally thousands of colors to choose from.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when considering a ceiling paint color:

• Use white or a light color on your ceiling when you have a lot of poisonous insects that you need to see. (No joke — in a tropical environment this could be an issue).
• When the ceiling is a different color than the walls, the area where the  ceiling and walls meet (line of demarcation) becomes a focal point. Unless your ceiling is interesting either architecturally or because it’s accented with beautiful moldings or beams, consider painting it the same color or a different color that is in a similar color value as the wall paint color.
• If the ceiling is low, paint the walls and ceiling the same color (a mid-value or lighter) so that there is no color change line (line of demarcation).
• Use a paint sheen on the ceiling that has some reflective qualities so that it bounces light. An eggshell sheen is a favorite.
• The only reason to use a flat or matte finish on the ceiling is to hide surface imperfections or to reduce reflected light.
• If the ceiling is particularly beautiful or interesting and it works with the design of the room to emphasize the ceiling, vary the colors, color values and sheens on the ceiling to complement the wall colors.
• Your local paint store professional can give you additional guidance after you’ve choosen your initial colors and explain your design ideas.

www.CristinaAcosta.com

Contemporary home with ho-hum exterior colors

Contemporary Architecture New Color Plan with Addition of Gray & Blue over the Yellow

Are you ready for a home makeover but you don’t want to break the bank? Have you ever painted your house and when it was done, wondered why the paint job didn’t look as good as you thought it would? Changing paint colors doesn’t have to be a complete re-do. With a few strategic changes of color you can get the look and pizzaz you want by changing only the colors or areas that make the most difference, rather than repaint the entire exterior of your home.

The clients who built this contemporary residence engaged the architecture firm, Rainbow Valley in Oregon. The house, edged on one side with a grove of Oregon Oaks is a beautiful interplay of warmth and light that rests lightly on this hilltop in a Western Oregon Valley. The homeowners chose colors for the home under the duress of the final push before the home was completed. Though they liked the colors, they felt that something was not quite right. After they’d moved in and had a chance to live with their new home, they hired me to help them create a new color plan.

I asked my clients what they liked and didn’t like about the colors and listened to their answers as I looked at the intersecting shapes of the contemporary architecture.  Together we put together a color palette or plan that accentuated the lyrical aspects of the architecture while bringing more of the landscape colors into the mix.

Walking around the home I noticed how well the house integrated with the lot and the surrounding nature. Despite the often overcast skies in the area, subtle color was present everywhere. The beautiful gray trunks of the grove of Oregon Oaks, the many shades of green ranging from brilliant emerald to gray green changed under the movements of the cloud cover. Occasionally the clouds parted to reveal small patches of blue sky.

Keeping the existing green body color and the taupe trim color, we added a gray and a light blue to the exterior color story. Those two colors eliminated the existing yellow paint. With the yellow gone, the green appeared more vibrant. Adding the light blue color to the small front structure was the final touch that gave the front of the home a light-hearted lift.

Choosing colors for a home or business is more than just a few samples of  colors that “look good.” The best color plan is one that enhances the building, the surroundings and the lives of the people that live and work there.

___________________________________

www.CristinaAcosta.com

For color consulting, contact me for both remote and in-person consults.

Dear Cristina, (via my website

I am having a difficult time finding the right color for our great room. It is fairly large, 20′ x 30′, with a cathedral ceiling 22′ high. On one wall there is a floor to ceiling stone fireplace, taking up the entire wall. The ceiling is a honey tongue and groove wood and the floor is a natural oak hardwood. The furniture is a southwest design. Is it okay to paint just one wall a dark color and the rest a lighter shade? Is a brown too much with all the wood?

Thanks,
Marti
_______________________________________________
Dear Marti,
Sounds like you have a beautiful room. I can’t tell you which color to paint, but I can give you a few ideas to think about that may help you with your decision.

• Painting one wall a strongly different color than the others creates an accent wall. Only do this if there is something on that wall or the architecture in that part of the room that you wish to emphasize. Click here to read more about accent walls.

• How much brown is too much? When you have a lot of brown wood and still want more brown, I suggest that you choose an accent color that has brown (or a warm base color) in it, but is different from the wood. Examples are: Deep eggplant, Terracotta Reds, Deep brownish Greens, or even a Deep teal or Navy that is brownish in tone. (The paint store professionals can help you identify these colors.)

• If you insist on a brown accent wall, then choose something strikingly different in value from your existing woods, such as a deep chocolate brown wall.

Send a before and after when you get the room painted. I’d love to post the results.
www.CristinaAcosta.com
If you’d like to read about my color consulting services, contact me and put the words, Color consulting, in the text box. I’ll send you a link to my FREE E-booklet explaining my service.

www.CristinaAcosta.com Call me to schedule a color consulting appointment in Bend, Oregon or a phone appointment if you don’t live in Oregon.

PHOTO: Subtle golds, browns and brownish gray complemented the natural stone materials in the master bath suite area for this client in the “Johns” photo. ©2006-2009 Cristina Acosta

I was wondering, how do you know which wall to use as an accent wall? I have an oblong living room and I am having it professionally painted soon. I am trying to decide which wall would be best for an accent wall. I was told to use the first wall you see when you come in the room is the accent wall. I was also told that I should not make the wall behind my TV the accent wall. (This is the first wall you see). I am so confused now. Please help. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Much thanks!!
Michele M.

Dear Michele,

Accent walls are especially popular because it’s a way to add a colored wall to a room without having the color define the entire room. Painting an accent wall also save spending time and money repainting the room to update it with color. The best accent wall is one that reinforces a focal point in the room.

A focal (or focus) point is an area of a room that catches your eye. A focal point area could be a wall, window, item of furniture (like a piano or TV), an architectural accent (such as — ornate trims, a niche, fireplace, a unique ceiling) or fixture (such as lighting or appliances). A room will have a primary focal point, secondary focal point, etc.

How those focal points come to be is a combination of architecture and interior design. And, it sounds as though in your home the architecture makes the TV wall the focal point of the living room.

A painted accent wall can enhance or create a focal point. Because your living room is also your entertainment area I recommend you work with the TV. Put in cabinets and shelving that are attractive and cover or minimize the appearance of the TV. The cabinetry should include shelves to display art, memorabilia and decor items that enrich the focal area so that the TV is not visually dominant – an important factor when the TV is not on. The idea is to reinforce the natural visual dominance of the TV wall but at the same time, subordinate the visual importance of the TV.

With the above concepts in mind here’s what to consider when you choose which wall to paint as your accent wall:

* A colored accent wall would look great behind built-in shelves. The accent wall color would reinforce the focal point created by the cabinetry.
* OR, if the TV wall is also the longest wall in the room, AND after you have the cabinetry designed, IF that wall is too dominant you’ll want to consider emphasizing a secondary focal point to create a little asymmetrical balance.**
* You could choose to accent a secondary focal point, consider a wall behind the seating area or a wall that frames a visually significant window.

Read more about accent walls on my website, www.CristinaAcosta.com.
When you’re done with your room, I’d love to see photos.

Warm Regards,
Cristina

**Yes, this is a conditional answer, but it’s the best I can do with the information I have. You’ll need to consider these concepts when you make your decision.
See examples of my color consulting portfolioAA and articles on my website.