Painting a Room? What Color Primer Did You Select?

In a recent issue of the Sherwin Williams publication, "Stir," there was an interesting article regarding primers. It's a great article for anyone getting ready to paint a room; even if you're hiring a painter, make sure to discuss what color primer they will be using.

Take note of the paint swatch and the end result of each of the samples. You will notice the bottom sample produced the brightest and clearest paint color. The bottom sample used the gray primer that Sherwin Williams recommends and the results were stunning. It matched the paint swatch exactly!

Below is an excerpt from the article:

Conventional wisdom tells you to use a white primer or one tinted with the topcoat color. But sometimes there’s a better choice, and it’s the Sherwin-Williams Color Prime® System of gray-tint shades for primers. We’ve found that many of the bold, deep, vivid, and transparent hues in our palette reach their true color in fewer coats when applied over a gray-tinted base coat.

Here’s how it works – Primer tinted to the right shade of gray creates the ideal balance of light absorption and light reflection to more successfully achieve the correct topcoat color, and achieve it in fewer coats. So with the Color Prime System, you’ll get the color you’re looking for and you’ll save time and money. And that’s not all, tinting a primer to the recommended gray shade ensures better touch-up, superior hide, more uniform color, and less streaking. Which adds up to an easier job for you, and customers pleased with a job well done.

When painting a room yourself always consult with your local paint professional. Give them details on what type and color of paint are currently on the wall. Many paint stores now offer small paint samples; these samples are inexpensive, so be sure that you don't skip the important step of doing a test on your wall. The color test should be at least an 18" square. I suggest doing this test on both sides of a corner, if possible. Live with it a couple of days. Then, if you love it after two days, you are ready to paint.

Once a room is painted, even if they don't love it, most people don't decide to re-paint until years later. Since wall color can make or break a room, take time to get it right the first time.

Don't forget that Sherwin-Williams "Colorsnap" and Benjamin Moore "Ben" offer color matching apps for iPhone users!

Do You Wear Rose Colored Glasses in Your House?

After 8 - 10 years every space needs a bit of a make-over to keep it fresh and update. If you haven't done anything to a room in over 10 years, take a look around the room and you will see what I mean. You will be surprised what you see when you take off your rose colored glasses.

The above photographs are of my living room. I had painted this room Roasted Pepper years ago and decided last year I was tired of this color for this room. I still love this color but decided I wanted to tone the contrast between the draperies and the wall. (The red color looks a little brighter than it really was. Camera flashes seem to play havoc with reds.) I didn't want to replace my Ruche top draperies; I still loved those. I began to look at paint colors and decided on Saddle Soap for the walls and Soft Suede for the trim from Porter Paints. Look at the difference a paint color can make. It makes me feel like I have a totally new room.

You might consider changing paint color in a couple of rooms. You will be amazed what that one thing can do for a room. Wall color invokes emotion in a room; sometimes it is a good feeling and sometimes it is a bad feeling. Many people make the mistake of deciding on a paint color without doing a test sample on the wall. I always insist on my clients purchasing a pint/quart of paint to test out a color before purchasing gallons of paint.

Maybe your floral arrangements are dusty and tired looking, maybe your wall could use a fresh coat of paint and maybe you should consider changing your paint color or maybe your the art on the walls is out of date. If you have some pieces of art that are timeless and very special. You might consider moving them to another room.

New Art Will Liven Up Any Space!

While we were at High Point market we found several pieces of art that we loved here. These tall vertical framed Anemones were a perfect choice to mount over a king bed in a master bedroom. A room with a king size bed needs special attention to keep the bed from over powering the room.

It is hard to tell by looking at the photograph above how the colors pop against the black background. These prints are instantly catch your eye; they are simply stunning. You can check out my previous post on "Wall Sconces" to see them mounted over the king bed.

Paint Those Baseboards Dark ~ See the Difference

When you want an inexpensive way to dramatically change a room; consider changing your paint color. Doing something as simple as changing a paint color not only will freshen up the room, but create a totally new mood in the room. When you decide to paint your walls a different color, you should also consider painting your trim and baseboards. The furniture and the window treatments did not change; only the wall color and the trim color changed. I did add an oversized mirror over the fireplace and a few new prints that I found at High Point Market.

Years ago almost everyone painted their trim a white color. Now trends have changed and trim is being painted much warmer colors. We recommend to clients with hardwood floors that they paint their baseboard a dark color. Most people paint their baseboard the same color as the other trim in the room. I am not talking just two shades darker than the trim, I mean really dark; I decided on "Sarsaparilla" from Porter Paints. When you paint your baseboard a dark color it helps ground the floor. Take a look and see the difference, I think you'll agree.