Whether you’re building, remodeling, or simply giving your home a few needed updates, painting acts as the icing on the cake. It ties colors together, sets the mood of the space, and can be used strategically to create a variety of powerful and stylish effects.
Sometimes, however, homeowners experience a little bit of sticker shock at their paint supply store. Quality paint can be pricey! This is followed by a very natural question: is it really worth the extra money?
Choosing interior paint colors should be a fun, invigorating process. We purposefully used the word “should” because, as unfortunate as it is, a lot of times homeowners become a bit stressed by the idea of selecting a new palette for their home. This might be due to the fact that interior paint feels permanent; after all, it can’t be simply returned to the store if it doesn’t fit well.
This is all especially true when it comes to painting your kitchen. There is huge stylistic opportunity in this central room, but at the same time there are a lot of elements to consider. If you are planning a kitchen painting project, our suggestion is first to take a deep breath, relax, and try to enjoy the process. And, as you relax, consider these few tips that we have compiled below.
Some of the oldest architecture in the world remains some of the most beautiful. The meticulous care and restoration processes that we use to restor historic homes helps preserve that heritage and workmanship. Europe is full of historic homes, monasteries, and castles that have been well preserved throughout the ages. Some of the preservation work is absolutely overwhelming. We can reproduce some of the paint and stone finishes to nearly flawless replicas using today’s technology.
Faux Leather Wallpaper
Leather wallpaper became popular in the 1700s in Europe. The hand-made leathers were intricately designed and represented a workmanship and skill that very few people possess today. The cost to reproduce leather wallpaper would be extremely high, and out of the range of the average homeowner. Fortunately, we have the ability to reproduce the look without the cost.
Intricate Woodwork
Historic homes are usually full of intricate woodwork like crown molding, window sills, furnishings, and staircase banisters. Our expert woodworkers and carpenters work diligently and patiently to restore or replicate the original woodwork in the historic homes we restore. We always strive to restore the original woodwork in historic homes.
Painted Ceilings
Some of the most impressive paintings ever painted have been on the ceiling. Consider the paintings on the ceilings of Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Sistine Chapel for example. We don’t claim to have the talent to reproduce something so incredible, but faux finishes and paintings on the ceiling are absolutely within our scope of expertise. Check out our faux painting work.
Historic Restoration in Westchester County, NY and Fairfield County, CT
Our area is full of historic homes which have been restored and renovated. We’re proud to say that we’ve helped restore and renovate hundreds of historic homes with great success. Our carpenters and contractors have the experience necessary to create the perfect restoration, including faux paint finishes as needed. The carpenters here at Gerety Building and Restoration utilize some of the same techniques that woodworkers used in the original building of these homes.
We specialize in restoring historic homes using the best cleaners and restoration techniques. Many people dive head first into historic renovation with the idea that today’s modern cleaners are okay for antique finishes. They quickly learn that most of today’s cleaners are too harsh, and create more problems than they solve.
Don’t go blindly into restoring or renovating a historic home. Take the time to research the era in which your historic home was built. This will go a long way in helping you choose how to restore, and whether you want to renovate it to be more modern.
If you live in the Westchester, NY or Fairfield, CT area and own a historic home that you’re considering restoring to its original beauty, give us a call to discuss your project at (914) 248-1300.
Regardless of what the groundhog said, Spring is just around the corner, and everyone is considering their options for new paint colors and preparing for spring cleaning. We understand that you probably don’t paint for every season, but with spring so close, we decided to focus on lovely pastels and stormy contrasting colors. Let’s get started, shall we?
When choosing the perfect interior paint for your home, your personality and personal tastes should be the primary factors. The color of a room accounts for roughly 60% of our comfort level in that room. Study your personal color psychology to fully understand how colors affect you and why.
People who enjoy a spring color pallet usually look forward to the vibrant colors of nature in the springtime because those colors bring them a sense of happiness and hope. Here are a few great ideas for going from drab to fab using a gorgeous spring color pallet:
Use Unlikely Colors as Contrast
Think for a moment about that lovely blue springtime sky. Drastic and dramatic colors often complement it, such as white clouds on a pretty day or dark gray clouds on a potentially stormy day. Consider where you could use those beautifully contrasting colors in your home. Here are a few ideas:
Contrast doesn’t have to be dark trim against light walls; the opposite is equally as beautiful and delivers a much different feeling from a room.
Use Bright Colors to Contrast Pastels
Take some inspiration from the colors of Easter. Pastel colored walls with brightly colored trim really bring out the beauty of a room. For example, consider pastel yellow walls with bright orange trim in your child’s play room. Think of it as a marigold garden room. The contrasting colors invite the eye to explore different areas of the room. Decorate with items that create the overall feel needed for the room.
Use “You” Colors The last think you should think when you enter a room is, “this just isn’t me.” Choose colors that fit your
personality and personal sense of style. Don’t try to mimic a picture from a magazine that isn’t you. Tips to Help You on Your Way
Take it Slowly: Work on one room or one area at a time until it feels perfect. Choose a small area of your home to start with so you can see the results more quickly.Take Risks: Don’t worry if you mess up or choose colors poorly at first. All it takes is a quick repaint to cover the color you’re unhappy with, and you’re done.
Ask a Professional: If you aren’t comfortable choosing colors and doing the painting yourself, or you simply don’t have the time, ask a professional painting contractor for help. Our contractors will work with you to create the perfect space throughout your home. Give us a call any time for a free consultation.
There is no absolute rule for the proper trim and molding color selection for your room, but there are key elements to consider. When you get a trim and molding installed with the same colors as the ceiling, each room of your home creates a unified theme throughout your house. In addition, you can change your walls to any color that you like and use of one color on the trim and ceilings, which provides a smooth transition between each room as you travel throughout your home.
White trim and some off white colors complement any wall color, which is why is why they are so popular. White is going to lighten a strong color and help to relieve the eye visually. This works for darker hues and colors. If you are using lighter colors, the white trim is going to provide a clearer look while a bit of contrast to help create a visual effect for the room. A classic shade of white trim gives you more flexibility in wall color selection, room design & color accents for each area of your home. However you may want to bring attention to particular area of the room, which can be done by with the trim color. By altering the trim color in an area within the room, you add focus to that area or element. For example when the paint color around the fireplace or a built in bookshelves is not the same as the trim color, you provide a focus to these architectural details.
Keep this in mind next time you are looking to do some interior painting.
