Sonu Blog

Color IQ: A New Palette for A New Home

I get some great design and color questions and from time to time, I think it's something many of us are thinking about.  I call it Color IQ (Interesting Questions).  Take a look at Lauren's color dillemma.  What do you think she should do?

COLOR IQ:

Lauren and her husband are moving into their first home with a baby on the way and their dog by their side.  Here's a little of what she wrote:

"My husband and I just bought a house and are planning on having several of the rooms painted before we moved in. Our painter only uses Benjamin Moore paint, so we are excited but also overwhelmed at the number of choices available!

The two hardest rooms are the kitchen and family.  We have to match the walls to the existing cherry cabinets in the kitchen and granite countertops (not our favorite colors, but we can't change them out just yet).

We are thinking of going more modern/contemporary, but with a traditional feel.  I think we would love to create a bright, cheery space for both the kitchen and family rooms since they will be the rooms we spend the most time in.  I've never owned a house before, so I haven't had the chance to explore with colors, and like the idea of lots of colors as well, but maybe with a neutral background.  We were thinking of going with a yellow color, but are open to professional tips!"

MY IDEAS FOR LAUREN:

 A first baby and a first home can become a lot to juggle (I've been exactly at that intersection of life, actually).  Lauren's color dillema is one many of us face.  Where do you begin to choose color when there are so many options? 

The first thing to identify is the style you're after.  In Lauren's case, she said "modern with a traditional feel".  After a little back and forth, I figured out that she's looking for what I call Warm Modern.  Something contemporary but not cold is what many of us are after.  Color and texture are the right tools to achieve that look. 

From a design standpoint, the best test is at your fingertips.  Literally.  Incorporate liveable, touchable, and usable finishes with soft textures like felt, leather, and microfiber.  These can be durable, affordable, and easy to maintain and can be found on a variety of modern furniture styles.  Another great rule of thumbis to keep furniture and accessories to a minimum.  A cluttered look is not a clean look.  And contemporary is about keeping things simple and clean.  Lauren is stuck with a kitchen filled with cabinets and counters she thinks are less than ideal.  Two relatively simple options for giving the space an inexpensive overhaul are to either paint the existing kitchen cabinet doors and add contemporary hardware or reface the cabinets with new doors that reflect your style.  Both are great ways to give a facelift to an older look without breaking the bank. 

Kitchen before- what's up with the tapestries on the counter?

Kitchen after- Clean, contemporary and inviting Photo Resource

Colors:

Lauren started with the idea of using a "Yellow".  I've had several clients start by saying yellow and many times, I discover that they're really saying they want to visually warm up the space.  Naturally, yellow can be a great color for many spaces, especially in low light situations, but remember that the full spectrum of colors can offer the feeling of warmth in a space.  You can actually have a space that's inviting, intimate, comfortable, and stylish whether the walls are yellow, blue, or even gray!

A few tips on making color choices:

More than likely, a color on a small chip will look very different once you've painted the wall.  Generally, any color in a fan deck will look deeper and more intense on an interior wall.  Consider that when making your final choice.  Also sometimes when painting with a bright color or bold color, the wet paint in the can look extremely bold and bright, but it will dry to match the chip you started with.  I can tell you from personal experience--I opened a can of a paint that looked like it would practically glow in the dark, but it dried to be the beautiful deep autumnal color I was after.

No matter the color you choose, I strongly suggest that you buy a 2 oz sample or quart and paint it onto a piece of posterboard or foam core first.  Let it dry and move the board around in your room so you can see how it looks in context w/your furniture, lighting, etc. in the room itself.  Make sure you look at the color at the time of day you actually spend most of your time in the space.  Don't stare at the color all Sat morning if you're usually only at home at night, for example.  Color changes with time of day and your color will probably morph along with it.  It's most important that you love the color when you're home to see it. 

If you're starting from scratch, start pulling images of what you'd like to put in the room (sofa style, fabric swatches, tiles, etc) and add your painted samples to the mix so you can start to envision your end result.

Here are the colors I recommend for Lauren:

Vellum 207 is a great modern yellow with a hint of green.  You must see the actual color chip/sample rather than this on screen representation!  It works nicely with dark woods and crisp whites.

   

If you want something a bit more transitional, Home Sweet Home 1088 is a warm neutral that has more of a reddish tone to it.  This color will compliment medium tone woods and upholstery that include reds, yellows, and greens.

For Lauren's color conundrum, I have a totally different option to offer, too. Green.  Green is a new neutral and that means it will work with many accessories you'll find as you're decorating your space.  Green is the color to focus on for 2010 and because of it's association to very important ideas like the environment, renewal, and growth, it's a color that will stay with us for quite sometime.  It's also a color associated with balance and rest-- ideas I find important when you're moving to a new home, having a baby, and essentially learning to juggle.  My last two bedrooms have been green & I've loved it!  Here are a few of my favorite greens for an open and contemporary space.

 

Keep in mind that the color makes the biggest impression, but it's not the only important thing.  Make sure you use either Aura paint or Natura paint (both from Benjamin Moore).  They're both great performing paints (will protect your walls well, won't take more than 2 coats, color won't rub off when you clean the walls, etc.).  Aura is low odor or VOC and Natura is zero VOC.  This is important when you're concerned about air quality in your home as well as durability of the paint and color.  Go to www.benjaminmoore.com/natura or www.benjaminmoore.com/aura for more info. 

I hope this is a good start for Lauren and all of you who may be in a similar situation.  Lauren, I hope you'll write in and let us know how it turned out and what you plan to do for the nursery!

Toy Mompreneur Has it All in the Bag

What is a mompreneur?  By definition it's a woman who uses her super powers to create a business while raising children, addressing her need to fulfill others lives as well as her own.  Tina Hill, inventor of Kidzsack is a true momprenuer.  Her background in fashion design lead Tina to create this clever idea that's got it all in the bag and helps keep her four kids busy and creative at the same time.  The concept is simple & simple is key when you're on the go with kids.  Tina puts it perfectly.  "Kids color, mom/dad washes, and kids recolor." 

 

Tina has the right idea.  She uses 100% recycled fabric for Kidzsack (it's made from recycled cotton and soda bottles), the screen print designs are Tina's original artwork, and the back sack comes with 8 washable markers so kids can add the color!  I'm not the only one who loves this idea.  This year, Kidzsack won Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Product Award and the Creative Child Magazine Best Product Award in the Arts/Crafts/Travel category. 

I just heard today that Kidzsack is also a part of a fantastic project for the upcoming holidays.  3000 underprivileged kids in Arizona are about to discover the joy of color through Kidzsack.  The Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona's annual "A Visit from St. Nicholas" will bring St. Nicholas to 14 public schools on December 4 this year.  Tina's Kidzsack was selected to be the gift bag that will hold all their holiday treasures and will live on as a reusable coloring book and back sack. 

Tina's thrilled that "Kidzsack is a part of this great tradition of philanthropy.  For many children, this may be their only gift this holiday season."  What a great way for Mompreneur Tina Hill to inject color, design, and lesson on being green to philanthropy!

Check out your local community and it's volunteer opportunities to spread some holiday cheer and style in your neighborhood, too!  If you're interested in donating for this project, contact the Volunteer center of Southern Arizona at 520-881-3300 or visit them at www.volunteersoaz.org. 

Do Blue or Think Pink?

 

Ever wonder about the whole pink is for girls, blue is for boys thing?  Here's an insightful article (and a fun read) on the topic written by Lauren Sandler at www.motherjones.com.  Her article talks about he ITP (infant, toddler, pre-school) clothing market and it's worth about $14 million!  And it's expanding to reach more pre-school princess girls and truck-toting toddler boys.

Did you know that back around the 1920s, blue was touted as the color for girls and pink for boys?  Ladies Home Journal reportedly wrote the following in June of 1918:

"There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl.  The reason is that pink being a more decided and stronger color is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl."

This may make us question some traditions.  Should it be blue for boys and pink for girls?  From the photo above (that my son may never forgive me for sharing), you can tell I have my opinion, but what's yours?

Introducing Color Palettes to Baby's Palate

I'm so excited because my son's exploring food right now and that means I get to introduce a new palette to his palate.  I just read a great article in Parent's Magazine about how to get your kids to eat well and make good choices.  It's full of great information for any parent on everything from trying new foods to portion control. 

Photo of multicolored bell peppers by Nick Harris.

One memorable statement they made takes learnings from a research with candy that shows offering multiple colors of M&Ms led children to eating more of the confection than if they were offered just one color.  Apply that to healthy eating and offer your munchkin a full spectrum of food to keep their palette jumping!

I also think that overall presentation is key when it comes to food for any age group.  I try to create visual interest with his food and think about fun and play so he'll hopefully enjoy the art of food as much as his mom & dad!  I love this Skip Hop Palette Plate and am planning to start him on this soon.  It's literally shaped like a painter's palette and has individual spots of color for side.  You can pop out the smaller dishes and store them with the included lids.

If you're planning to make your own baby food (God bless you) from the start, try storing it in these clear freezer packs called  Baby Cubes.  I like that each one is individual (great for on-the-go) and that you can see the color of your pureed perfection.

Mealtime has to be colorful in my house.  I use the smallest Calibowl for his oatmeal in the morning everyday.  He's used to the lime green bowl now and squeals when he sees it!  For tinier portions, I sometimes use these cool egg cups I picked up on a trip to Amsterdam.  The set included these fantastic colors and came with matching spoons.  I mix and match them according to the food we're having to create a palette that keeps him interested in the color combination as much as the food itself.

 

Personally, I can't wait until the days when I can "plant" broccoli trees in his mountains of mashed potatoes or create "gumballs" by taking a melon baller to a variety of fruits.  THAT's when Color,Food and Creativity will really come together!

What are some other ideas on how to get your kids interested in the Art of Eating? 

Living and Giving in Color- O Magazine, Benjamin Moore Team Up For Change

What happens when you take O Magazine's mission of "Live Your Best Life", Benjamin Moore's commitment to sharing color with the world and toss in President Obama's call to all of us to contribute a day of service to their communities?  Great things begin to happen. 

In the June Issue of O Magazine, readers were introduced to a concept called "The Color Of Inspiration".  Readers were asked to submit a deserving non-profit to be gifted a colorful makeover.  The results came in the form of over 1400 submissions from a very passionate audience.  The chosen shelter, known as Hope's Door in Westchester County, supports women and children effected by domestic violence.

THE COLORS: I was deeply moved to be a part of the project through creating the color palette for the home.  For me, it's a way to share the power of color.  The pallette of colors came together as a story in tone, saturation, and vibrance.  I looked for colors that had confidence at their core and stories in their steps.  Though it's a temporary home, the messages they may gain in the environment can be permanent.  My hope is that the women and children of Hope's Door are energized, encouraged, and comforted by the color scheme.  I created three color schemes and the shelter's staff chose what they felt reflected the home best.  Here's what I proposed.

Option B, Calming and Soothing:  Rich, cool colors would have created an overall sense of calm elegance

 

Option C, Optimistic and Lively:  I created this more with the kids in mind.  It's fun and positive, filled with colors that will stay in your memory and keep you moving in the space.

 

Option A, The Balancing Act:  We happily agreed that this option was best for the shelter.

This combination offers variety of colors that are vibrant and sophisticated.  It's a balance between deep and energizing colors (Freedom Trail 277), rich midtones (Homestead Green AC-19), warm neutrals (Sanctuary AF-620) and pops of unexpected color (Robin's Nest 618) that makes it come together.

The Paint: Benjamin Moore wanted to ensure the best possible environment would be created so we specified that all the paint would be our "greenest"--Zero VOC Natura.  We arranged for a fantastic paint contractor, Pratt & D'Angelo, of Harrison, NY to get it all ready.  They completed minor repairs, primed and prepped the walls for volunteers who would paint, and painted out all the hard to reach spots (like ceilings!).  In addition to the paint, Benjamin Moore's alliance partner, Pottery Barn, was inspired to donate, too.  They gifted all new bedding, including quilts, for the seven bedrooms that provide a sense of home for the women and children of Hope's Door.

The Day(s) of Service:  Over the weekend, volunteers from the local community, O Magazine, and Benjamin Moore teamed up with the mission of beautifying Hope's Door.  What better way to spend a weekend than being an advocate for service and healthy environments through color?  According to one source, the project resulted in a "phenomenal outcome- with the residens overjoyed in their transformed environment."  Now, that's the Power of Color. 

Here's the video with my dear friend Carl Minchew that sums it all up:

What do you do or will you do to get involved in your own community?  If you're looking for some inspiring ideas, try this site for find opportunities close to home.