Interior Painting

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    Easy Tips for Selecting Interior Colors for Your Home

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    Interior Painting
    Interior Panting

    Selecting interior colors for your home can be intimidating? I’ve noticed something again and again over the years during color consultations with Clients. People are much better at choosing wonderful colors than they give themselves credit for. The main reason people lack confidence and have trouble selecting colors for their interior residence is not lack of color sense but finding the time to make interior color selections a thoughtful and rewarding endeavor.

    Reviewing colors shouldn’t be thought of as a chore with a deadline. Selecting colors should be fun and rewarding. Here’s a few guidelines to make this selection process more an adventure than a duty. If you can put in a little time, you’ve got this.

    What Do I Want for My Interior Colors?

    Maybe with a Mocha or your favorite adult-beverage, get comfortable and have a conversation with yourself. Look around the interior of your house and ask yourself this: “What do I like about my house and what makes it special to me?” Check off those things you see that you like and take note of what those things are.

    Now, notice how everything in your house is a function of the architecture. The placement of the windows, the height of the ceilings, the contours of open space. Then you notice lesser architectural features such as doors, baseboards, a fireplace, cabinets. But what frames the rooms and the furnishings within those rooms? That’s right, the walls. Now it’s time to consider how color can be selected and utilized to define, accentuate, and personalize the interior of your home.

    The Three F’s to Consider When Selecting Interior Colors

    Now that you’ve considered the architecture of your interior residence let’s look at the Three F’s. Flooring, fabrics, and furnishings are the central architectural accessories in your home. Dramatic walnut flooring, a hand-knotted Persian rug, or Berber/Loop carpet all create visual focal points. Pleated drapes, leather sofa, woven wall tapestry all produce sensual impressions. Heirloom China cabinet, paintings, large tropical plants all create personal statements.

    How should flooring, fabrics, and furnishings be presented within the frame of the room? This is where color really comes into play. Thoughtful color selections can bring the flooring, fabrics, and furnishings into foreground focus, the middle-ground focus, or the background focus. It’s your choice and color is here to help.

    Foreground, Middle-Ground, Background

    Where colors appear on your walls makes a big difference in the aesthetics of the room. Careful consideration of the foreground, middle-ground and background colors can make all the difference when bringing a dull room to life.

    Background Interior Colors

    Let’s begin by considering background colors. A good background color has a passive presence thereby putting the active visual focus on the flooring, fabrics, and furnishings. An additional benefit of a background color is that color’s ability to impart clean lines and a well-tailored look to the interior’s architectural shape. Interior wall and ceiling lines will appear clean and light, shadows in corner and lower areas will appear softer, and the interior will feel airy and open. The perfect milieu for your flooring, fabrics, and furnishings to take center stage.

    Two colors from Sherwin Williams that Clients have had great success with as background colors are Shoji White SW 7042 and White Heron SW 7627. Sherwin Williams White Colors

    Middle Ground Interior Colors

    Middle-ground colors accessorize seamlessly with the flooring, fabrics, and furnishings. It is no different than accessorizing an outfit. I was working with a Client and a Designer, and everyone was stumped about a color for the Great Room: this was an expansive room with dark wood flooring, patterned drapes, and furniture all with the same dark blue fabric.

    The colors under consideration just didn’t suit the room because the colors were either too strong and forward or too pale and recessed. I suggested to the Designer that Benjamin Moore’s color Sail Cloth OC-142 might be worth considering. Sail Cloth was unanimously applauded as the pitch perfect color and the Designer remarked to me that it was exactly the middle tone color that was needed.

    Middle tone color was the Designer’s phrase for middle-ground color. Sail Cloth beautifully balanced the flooring, fabrics, and furnishings, created a beautiful complementary canvas of the walls, and the room had a very elegant but hospitable vibe.

    Foreground Interior Colors

    I’ll be honest and say this right now: foreground colors are often seen in commercial spaces. With that said, I have seen Clients’ use foreground colors to dramatic effect. In one specific case, the Clients had blonde wood flooring, two couches with off white linen fabric, stereo speakers in the corners, and a floor-to-ceiling vinyl record shelf. The walls were painted in SW 9149 Inky Blue. The Inky Blue acted as a foreground color giving bold energy to the architecture and the vinyl record shelf seemed to be an interactive part of the architecture. Very cool. Foreground colors have proven that they go very well with the Minimalist aesthetic.

    LET THER BE LIGHT

    One thing to consider during your color type and color selection is lighting. Lighting will have dramatic effect on the colors in your interior home. The most common source of interior light is sunlight, and sunlight shows off all color types and sheens in a very favorable light. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist). There are many types of interior lighting all with varying illuminative capacity.

    Interior lighting has three broad categories: Overhead Lighting, General Lighting, and Task Lighting. These three categories of interior lighting are achieved by specific lighting sources. Overhead lighting can be ceiling-affixed fixtures, recessed fixtures, track lighting, pendant lighting/chandelier lighting. General lighting can be wall sconces, floor lamps, and table lamps. Task lighting can be reading lamps, floor lamps, or wall socket lights.

    No matter what type of light fixture you have and no matter where that light fixture is located the most important thing is what type of light bulb is in those light fixtures. The most common types of light bulbs are LED (Light Emitting Diode), CFL (compact fluorescent lamp), fluorescent, candescent, and halogen. Each type of light bulb produces a different type of light that will affect the appearance of the paint colors on your walls.

    INTERIOR COLOR SAMPLES AND COLOR SWATCHES

    When you have narrowed the colors down and have your paint color sample boards or color swatches, hold them up to the walls and woodwork at various times of the day both when you have lights on and when you do not. You’ll begin to see right then how background colors, middle-ground colors, and foreground colors will truly look in different light at different times of the day. This little trick of matching up colors to lighting type and lighting source will greatly help you get a true read on your potential color selections.

    Feel free to call TSP with any questions regarding color selections and particularly anything you have read here. We’d love to hear from you, and we enjoy assisting our Colorado neighbors in the color selection process. You can reach out via our contact form.

  • Interior Painting

    How to Easily Store Interior House Paint

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    It’s funny, but when people ask the question, “How do I store interior house paint?” they aren’t really asking the right question and that question is: How should I store interior house paint information? Maintaining paint information is the important consideration when storing any latex or water-based interior paint for future use. Here are some quick and simple tips that the pros use to help you get started.

    You’ll Find Your Interior House Paint Information on The Can and On the Receipt

    The paint information will include the following: the paint manufacturer’s name, the paint grade by product name, the paint color, and the paint sheen.

    The Manufacturer’s name is easy: Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, or several other nationally produced and recognized paint brands that you will see featured with the company logo on the front face of the paint can. The paint grade by product name is very important because all paints are not created equal, and it is therefore never recommended to try and substitute one paint grade for another.

    For example, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have several grades of paint that vary in quality and performance. The paint grade by product name will be spelled out in large letters on the front face of the paint can. On a Sherwin Williams can, you may see Pro Mar 200, Duration, Super Paint, or Emerald in large letters on the paint can. On the front label of the paint can, you will see spelled out the type of paint sheen such as flat, satin, semi-gloss.

    Look at the Sticker

    The paint color will be found on a printed sticker affixed to the silver paint can lid and this is a treasure trove of information because it will contain everything, not only the manufacturer’s name, paint type (latex, interior), paint grade (interior Super Paint), color name, but the color formula and the tint base as well, which in many instances is vital information to have at hand.

    Any paint manufacturer will keep store records of your own purchases and the store records for any painting contractor you may hire. If you need to, you can have the store retrieve those records for up to several years after purchase date. But trust me, having the original can with the original formula can’t be beat for the purpose of buying new paint for touching-up or repainting. MAKE SURE that each paint can is labelled as to where it goes within the interior such as Main Floor Bedroom or Family Room or baseboards and doors. Develop your own labelling system to ensure there is no confusion.

    Keep the Paint Cans Clean

    To preserve the information stored on the cans as explained above, it is very important to keep the cans clean during the painting process so that any printed information on the can face or can lid is not covered with slopped over paint. Additionally, clean the cans during and after the painting process plays a significant part in successfully storing the paint for future use. A very smart practice, whether a DIY project or if you’ve hired a painting contractor, is to take photos of the front paint can and the paint can lid then create a file.

    Store Interior House Paint

    Interior paints should be kept in an environment that remains between 60 and 80 degrees, Fahrenheit. Naturally, this would suggest an inside area like a storage closet, utility room closet, or shelf. Also, make sure the paint can lid is evenly and tightly secured to the paint can. If the paint can is clean, the paint can lid should tightly affix itself to the paint can with no gaps or fissures present.

    A good way to affix the paint can lid is to align the paint can lid with the paint can until snugly fit, place a rag over the paint can lid and gently tap the edges of the paint can lid with a light hammer or rubber mallet. Repeat the process a couple of times and remove the rag and inspect the lid. The lid should be tightly adhered to the can creating a flush surface and now the paint can is ready to be stored for future use.

    How Long Does Interior House Paint Last?

    There’s no clear and absolute rule for this but to help answer that question let’s first ask this question: How long after the original paint job can the paint be touched up? That’s the real question, isn’t it. Answers will vary anywhere from six months to two years. Why such disparity? Let’s take a quick look at what factors can make interior paint touch-ups problematic.  

    1) Application Method. If the paint was applied with a roller, brush, or a paint sprayer, the original application method will affect future touch-up.

    2) Temperature. Walls have various temperature differences throughout the year, and this can affect the appearance of the touch-up paint.   

    3) Environmental Factors. These are huge. The following factors are just some that can play a problematic role when applying touch-up paint to previously painted interior surfaces. Sunlight/UV rays, cooking oils, pet dander, humid or dry atmosphere, carpet fibers, marijuana smoke, human skin (yes, I know, but it’s true; you can look it up), heating vent discharges, and just general airborne impurities will all cause problems with touch-up paint matching the existing paint.

    4) The original paint that has been sitting in storage is composed of water, pigments, binders, and extenders. These constituent elements will separate over time causing the stored paint to alter from its original state.

    Shake-Shake-Shake!

    Here’s one of the best things that anyone can do to enhance the longevity and promote the touch up capacity of any stored paint: Shake it up! Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore have mechanical paint shakers and they will shake any of their brand of paints for free. If you have a one-gallon can or a five-gallon bucket, have them shaken about every six months. It’s fast and easy because you can have multiple cans or buckets shaken each time you visit your local Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore store. Just add it to your errand list. Done. And while you’re there, check out new colors for any future projects.

    Time for Touch-Ups

    O.k., even if your paint was shaken say, three months ago, before attempting any touch-ups have the paint shaken, again. Apply a small amount of touch-up paint to a small area in a wall corner or on the wall down near the baseboards. Or, if you are touching-up baseboards or doors, same thing; find a remote area to apply the touch-up sample. In this event, if the touch-up paint (and/or paint sheen) does not match up, it won’t be readily visible as if you tried this in the middle of the Living Room wall. Now you decide: does the color and sheen of the touch-up paint match up with the existing paint?

    Keep in mind, as discussed previously, the method of application of the original paint will affect the appearance of the touch-up paint. If this was a DIY project, then you will know the method(s) of application. If you hired a Painting Contractor, method of application should be disclosed in the contract, or the Painting Contractor can e-mail you the method of application information such as the following. METHOD OF APPLICATION: roller using lamb’s wool ¾’ inch roller skin; two (2) full and separate coats of paint applied. You will now know, that to stand a better chance of successful touch-up painting you will need to apply the touch-up paint using a roller.

    Free Advice

    We at TSP love to share our knowledge and expertise with our Colorado neighbors, so give us a call and we will gladly do our best to walk you through the touch-up process, answer questions, and offer suggestions. Also, feel free to use our Web Inquiry form with questions you may have.

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    Interior House Painting Planning and Preparing for Success

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    Interior house painting fantasy: There are numerous commercials on TV that show people cheerfully rolling a beautiful paint color on the walls of their home as if that is all there is to it…open a can of paint, insert brush or roller and voila! your home looks like a Victorian mansion. Perfect straight lines, invisible paint strokes and no paint splatter anywhere…and they did it all in one day, while children play happily at their feet. If only that were the way house painting really worked!

    Interior house painting reality: There is a lot that goes into painting a house, so before you dive right in, you should do a bit of planning and preparation.

    Talk to a Reliable Paint Representative

    If you want to take on painting your house yourself then you should really talk to a paint representative at your local paint store. Most are happy to help you choose your supplies like caulk, sandpaper, tarps, buckets, tape, brushes, rollers, and plastic.

    They are also helpful at guiding you to the correct paint to use. There are different sheens and finishes that need to be considered. If you want a matte finish, you shouldn’t use a super high gloss paint on your interior walls. There are certain paints that work better for different areas of your home, and the paint rep should be able to help you choose the correct one.

    Interior Painting Quick Tip: You should never use oil-based paints on any surface that has been previously painted with latex paint, kitchen cabinets might be one example where this could happen. Keep this in mind when purchasing your paint, if you don’t, your paint will probably fail, and you will have wasted a ton of money.

    Choose the Right Paint for the Job

    As with most things, there are cheap paints and there are high-end paints, with regular somewhere in between. It’s not always necessary to use high-end paint with interior house painting, but cheap paint may not give you the lasting results that you hoped for.

    Exterior house painting choices are different. Because of the abuse the exterior of any house is subjected to season after season, a higher-end paint might be more expensive, but the paint job might last longer. It’s something to think about.

    Exterior House Painting Quick Tip: Most professional exterior house painting companies won’t give you a warranty unless you use a higher grade of paint. Plain and simple; cheap paints won’t last no matter if it’s interior painting or exterior painting. So, choose your paint wisely.

    Any paint store worth their salt will also be able to help you choose the right colors of paint. You may see this beautiful dining room on Pinterest that is painted a deep crimson and it is to die for. Don’t run out and pay big bucks for that particular color of paint until you have tested it out on YOUR walls. The types of walls and lighting can make paint look different. Your paint store should be able to make you up a sample to try out. This way you will know without a doubt if that particular color is what you were hoping for.

    Quick House Painting Tip: Remember, your paint store and its employees should be knowledgeable, so use them. If they can’t help, go somewhere else.

    Interior House Painting Roundup

    1. The paint you use and how well you apply it can determine the durability and look of your house.

    2. You should know that not all paints are the same. Some will peel in a few years, others in just a few months. The best paint for your house will depend on the conditions where you live and what you intend to do with it in the future. Talk to your paint store and get help.

    3. Be organized. Purchase everything that you will need right from the start as it will make your interior painting project easier.

    We hope this article helped you understand the importance of planning ahead and getting the right advice before starting a major interior house painting project. We have given you a few pointers on how to paint your house yourself; however, if the information we shared makes you feel overwhelmed, you may want to have a professional do your interior house painting for you. We are always happy to help. Contact us today!

  • Interior Painting

    Is The Gray Color Trend Fading For Home Interiors?

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    Since 2010, we have painted so many interior spaces in gray hues that I’ve lost count. Gray is still by far the go-to color for designers, realtors, businesses, property managers, and people who just want their interior or exterior residence fashionably updated. I don’t feel, based on experience and talking to industry professionals, that gray is going to go away anytime soon. Let me share with you some reasons why gray is a safe bet and a fashionable one to remain the top color choice of 2020.

    Gary Colors Accessorize Very Well

    Fabric, floorings, and furnishings can all be easily coordinated with a gray visual foundation such as walls. Let’s say your interior features walnut stained floors, brilliant white trim, and curtains and furniture fabrics that feature a gray/black character. The gray visual foundation color will effortlessly create a sleek and well-tailored look to the interior as a whole. Gray will further coordinate these competing features for pleasing visual balance. Gray can also tie together disparate colors such as beige, brown, yellow, gold taupe, and blue into harmonious balance of space, color, and arrangement. This is the main reason gray has been and continues to be such a well-favored color on the color palette. It works and plays well with almost any other color and flatters just about any architectural space.

    Gray Can Be A Background Color Or A Forefront Color

    The virtues of the right gray as a background color are enormous. As a background color, gray can accent flooring such as tile, wood, or carpet. Background gray can readily highlight particular custom features such as fireplaces, draperies, counter tops, and cabinets. And best yet, the right background gray can even present an interior’s architectural features to real advantages such as high walls, woodwork, and even open architecture plans where rooms flow one into the other. But choosing gray as a forefront color can present some fantastic visual pop and energize an interior’s architectural style.

    Recently, we painted a mid-century Ranch-style home that was looking dated and tired. The popcorn ceiling was a real eyesore to the Client, but removal of the popcorn and ceiling re-texturing just couldn’t fit into the budget. So, the Client and I painted the interior walls in a lighter mid-tone gray with darker complementary gray accent wall colors here and there throughout the interior.

    The gray colors selected for the walls gave this vintage interior a contemporary and well-tailored look and also imparted a very dignified feel though the interior. The fetching gray forefront colors also worked wonders by diverting visual attention away from the popcorn ceiling and onto the wall color and accent color. Some simple decorating flourishes completed the picture! This is another significant reason gray is such a popular and user-friendly choice of color: it allows you to customize your interior spaces to accentuate either a forefront or a background presentation of colors.

    Everybody’s Jumping On The Gray Color Bandwagon

    Our last three interiors where pretty good sized and all three of those interiors selected what color? Wait for it… gray!

    Interior #1 was a residence being listed for sale and all the walls were painted in Sherwin Williams Athena Benjamin Moore 858. The updated appointments such as wood floorings, new countertops, tile backsplash, bathroom tile, and bathroom pedestal sink were all selected as forefront features and the Agreeable Gray worked very well as a background color. The accent highlights were painted in Benjamin Moore Graystone 1475.

    Interior #2 was color selected by a designer who used one gray for the general wall color and a darker, complementary gray accent color. The general color was Sherwin Williams Modern Gray SW 7632 and the accent color was Sherwin Williams’ Perfect Greige SW 6073. The accent color contrasted beautifully with the general color and allowed highlight features such as arches, fireplace stone, and arching windows to visually pop.

    Interior #3 also featured Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW 7029 and applied Sherwin Williams’ Mediterranean SW7617 as an accent color. This color combination was chosen to act as foreground colors creating a very striking color combination that neatly blended and complimented all the stained woodwork within the interior.

    The Color Gray Is Here to Stay If You Believe the Numbers

    I mentioned that our last three interior paint color schemes all featured gray. We are scheduled to start three more interior paint jobs in the coming days and each one is going to feature a gray color scheme. The largest project has also chosen complementary gray colors for accent walls and the bricks surrounding the fireplace.

    And here’s the statistic that I think really drives home the point: when I looked back over our many interior and exterior paint jobs completed in 2019, 70% were painted in a gray color scheme.

    I think the big takeaway from the numbers and the very strong preference among, designers, realtors, business, property managers, and people just like you, is that gray isn’t just here to stay, but gray is here to be the big time dominant color choice for many years to come.

    Check out Sherwin Williams’ 2020 Color Forecast for the hottest trends in paint color and you will see featured an array of gray colors, gray infused colors, and gray complementary colors.