Paralyzed by Palettes?

A new home is much like the proverbial “Blank Slate”. Walls are plain, floors are bare, but with some planning, the blank slate can soon transform to reflect the charisma and personalities of the home’s inhabitants.

Here’s a couple of never-fail tips you’ll want to remember.

1)  Use Benjamin Moore Historic colors.  The color value is never shocking. The Chroma, Value and Hue are balanced.

Chroma  is the perceived strength of a surface color, the degree of visual difference from a neutral grey of the same lightness. Chroma is the “colorfulness” of an object relative to the brightness of a white object similarly illuminated.

2) Buy a pint of paint and use it to paint a poster board. Don’t forget to label it with the exact paint number as listed on the can.  Pin the board on the wall you’re expecting to paint to look at it at night and then again in the morning.  Move the painted poster board to adjacent walls.

Depending on the light, surroundings, furnishings in the room, etc, the value changes. Better to decide with the investment of a pint of paint and a poster board than to come home once the paint is up to discover you don’t like it!

The kitchen you see here is a project I completed for a NYC apartment. The vibrant colors found in peacock feathers is an example of inspiration for the colors you can use for your project.

The blues in a rug that the homeowners used in an adjacent room, plus the magnificent view of the Hudson right outside their window, boasted the lovely warm teals and blues that I used in the kitchen.

Just about anything that “speaks to you” can be an inspiration for color. A dress that makes you feel special, a favorite piece of art, anything that elicits an emotion when you gaze at it, can be your next color choice for a home decor project.

Taking an element of the interior and using it as a spring board for ideas is a trick of the trade! Together, we will find inspiration from the stunning view outside your window, the design in a printed fabric you’re already using, or a peek of color represented in the artwork that will adorn the walls once all is said and done.

Balance is key! Good design is all about the

balance of scale, color, and texture.

Let’s get started! Loree Designs can help alleviate the stress of remodeling!

Elizabeth Loree, President of Loree Designs Inc. of Mendham