We are so pleased to have Christopher Lowell on the Fresh Nest today. {Don't you just love him!} His "You Can Do it" mantra fits right in with our motto here at Fresh Nest. Here's a little more information on him... He is an Emmy Award-winning host and best selling author. He is dubbed the Doctor of Design by U.S News & World Report, and well known for his 7 Layer system . Christopher believes that decorating is a form of empowerment therapy and that his mantra, “You Can Do It” is a way of life. And here's a wonderful quote by Christopher that we had to share, “Remember that fear is the number one reason why things remain the same in the home. Where there is fear, there is no creativity. By dispelling fear, you unleash your creativity. Your environment should be a reflection of who you are. This has less to do with money and more to do with your spiritual well being. We are how we live. Who knew?”
It’s often not the color itself, but how we pick it--that goes wrong
By Christopher Lowell
Choosing color for the home is actually the first layer of my Seven Layers of Design for the simple reason that it comes first. Yet, because of not wanting to make the choice, many overcompensate by spending thousands of dollars on everything else in the room. They then complain that the space is uninviting and has no warmth.
Paint is the cheapest and easiest way to transform any environment. Usually it’s never about the actual color anyway, it’s about the way in which most people go about choosing it. You get to the paint store, an already high testosterone environment that can be intimating. When you finally navigate back to the paint department, already distracted. Then you reach the “great wall.” The one laden with twenty-five thousand paint swatches that do nothing more then to re-enforce that you have no idea what you’re looking for? And yet you tell yourself, “I’m not coming back again. I’m going to walk out of here with a gallon of paint if it kills me.”
First mistake! Choosing paint color is a two-trip process, like it or not. You can’t choose color outside of the room you’re considering painting anymore then you can determine how a dress will fit you by looking at it on a hanger. The reason there are so many paint strips, is that they expect you to take a lot of them home. On your first visit, grab lots. Once home, place them on a surface in the room your considering painting. The next morning you’ll pass by and eliminate half the colors wondering what you were thinking in the first place. That’s because we’re all schizophrenics. What looked great in a busy store, under pressure, will look completely different in the stress free environment of your home. After one week, by the sheer process of elimination, you’ll narrow it down to the three colors you can live with—one for the walls, one for the trim and yes, one for the ceiling.
Here’s why. What every designer knows is that once you’ve introduced rich color to your walls, leaving the ceiling stark white will look very unfinished—like you spread a bed sheet over it. Painting your ceiling will not make it feel lower. In fact, leaving it white could. From your wall color strip, pick the color that’s three shades lighter if your ceilings are average height. If they’re very high, go only one shade lighter then the walls. This will assure that light will fall evenly through out the entire space giving it a warm, inviting, designer look. And if you’re stuck for color combos, go to your wardrobe. Chances are if a color looks good on you, it might look great around you.
On your second visit to the store, stick to your guns knowing that you’ve given proper time to make a good decision. When they pop off the lid to confirm your paint mix, don’t panic. The color will look darker then you expected. But once it’s up on the walls, it will appear at least two shades lighter—trust me! Once home, don’t judge the color choice until all references of white are out of the room. Then go to bed. The next morning, with fresh eyes, you’ll love it!
For more inspiration and ideas, log on to christopherlowell.com or follow Christopher on Twitter.
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4 comments:
You are so right!!! It's impossible to choose a color right off the bat and in the atmosphere of the paint store (unless of course, your home is as big as a parking lot and filled with florescent lighting). It's a choice you'll be living with for a while so definitely spend the extra time and trips to get to the color you love.
I love the tip about, "Paint is the cheapest and easiest way to transform any environment." Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest.
My partner and I have been debating what to do with our bedroom for months. We both agreed that the color of blue in my friend's office was beautiful, and we wanted something similar.
A couple of weeks ago, we went to Lowe's and found a swatch with similar colors, with one of them being our favorite (Spa Pool by Valspar). Determined that this was our color, we walked into Lowe's three days ago and bought a gallon of it.
We haven't painted yet, but we are hoping for the best. Should we have tried a bit of it out on the wall first before committing to an entire gallon? Also, we're planning on making this an accent wall (where the bed and night stands sit). The rest of the room is a light cream color. Should we just go for broke and paint the whole room?
Mike-
This is a great question. It is completely fine to do an accent wall. However, without seeing pictures of the space it's hard to say how it would look. Just send your pictures along and we will give you our opinion.
You can try painting a swatch to see if it will help you decide whether you like the color. {Since you have a neutral cream color on the walls, this should work fine}. If you have more vibrant colors, or less neutrals in a room, painting a swatch may not help... the current color of your walls may give you a false sense of what the room will look like.
When I paint a room, I forgo the swatch. I figure if I decide I don't like the color, it's easy to fix (and not too expensive either). As Christopher Lowell talked about, take a couple days to pick out the color. I also use the accents that I want to tie into the room and see how it all ties together before I paint- like our mood boards in our redesigns . I hope this help and good luck with your painting!
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