One of the most popular current home decor trends is removable peel ‘n stick wallpapers and murals. They are being featured on all the home decorating shows and are available everywhere – in stores, online, specialty stores, even Target! And they’ve come a long way from the days of contact paper: there is a wide variety of styles, patterns and colors available. They are perfect for mercurial personalities who don’t/can’t commit to a permanent wallpaper design, those who like to change up a space on a regular basis, and also for renters who have to change their space back to “blah” at the end of a lease. As with every product there is a wide range of quality, with complaints that range from toosticky and not repositionable to a lack of stick-ness. It is best to read product reviews before committing to a specific product.
Alexandria artist Ashley Spencer has been at the forefront of the removable wallpaper trend, designing and creating custom and semi-custom wallpapers and murals since 2009. The company creates unique, gorgeous repositionable, removable and reusable wallpapers and wall murals. Ms. Spencer has noticed that since the pandemic people are anxious to bring elements of nature indoors. Her clients like the instant gratification that comes with peel ‘n stick products, but are taking the time to research and purchase quality products like hers. Casart wallcoverings are print-to-order, which adds a sustainable practicality to her high-grade designer wall coverings.
Check out Casart’s website casartcoverings.com and for help with color and pattern selections, you can always turn to your friendly neighborhood America’s Color Consultant!
Birds & Birch, Cloud Murals and Shell Fish Tropical.
From Left to right: Bohemian Lace (HGSW-4052); White Diamond (BM-OC-61); Pure White (SW-7005); Alabaster (SW 7008).From Left to right: Mindful Gray (SW-7016); Revere Pewter (BM-HC-172); Classic Gray (BM-OC-23); Collingwood (BM-OC-28).From Left to right: Antique Glass (BM-CSP-695); Sea Salt (SW 6204); Borrowed Light (Farrow & Ball); Aleutian (SW 624l).From Left to right: Full Moon (SW 6679); Napery (SW 6388); Behr P270-2 September Morning; Kilim Beige (SW 6106).From Left to right: Urbane Bronze (SW 7048); Grizzle Gray (SW-7068); Stargazer (SW-9635); Lichen (Farrow & Ball). From Left to right: First Light (BM 2102-70); In Bloom (Magnolia), Dune Grass (BM 492); Behr RD-W14 Aria Ivory.
Sherwin-William paints are indicated as SW, and Benjamin-Moore as BM.
Happy New Year! It’s that time when all the new paint “colors of the year” have been revealed. And there is a hue for everyone! There are soft, muted colors, colors born in nature, bold colors, and dark, moody colors. You can easily Google “Paint Colors of the Year 2021” and find links (and lengthy tomes) from all the popular paint manufacturers. Some of these colors will prove to be trendy – lasting 4-8 years in popularity, and several will prove to be a fad – out of favor in just a year or two.
Many of the shades you see among the major players were developed in coordination with the home decor and furnishings industry several years ago. That’s why you find lots of items that “match” among those manufacturers in any given year. The past several years have seen the continuation of the neutrals trend with the current favorite, gray, now moving from the cooler shades toward the warmer ones being referred to as “greiges”.
America’s Color Consultants often work with people who have had their current furnishings from “a few” to “many” years and more often than not, want a refresh as opposed to a total home redo. Consequently, we are working with fabrics and colors that are not currently “on trend.”
When a client wants a more “modern” color (currently meaning gray) we see which of the beautiful neutrals on the market will work best with their rugs, drapes, furniture, light sources, etc. Because grays are actually black and white paints tinted with color, there is a gray shade of every color.
Over the past 15 years ACC has consulted hundreds of times with homeowners and small businesses and enjoyed the insights of national paint manufacturers and local paint stores, realtors and home owners. We have put together our first ACC Collection of Real Life Favorite Paint Colors (ours and our clients!). A few are personal favorites and colors we would love to spec for someone with bold ambitions; others have proven to be very popular for those planning to sell their properties in a few years; changing from a bright to a neutral; and several are those colors that have proven time again to be both popular and tried and true for clients on the east and west coasts.
Color is SO subjective and there are many factors that are considered when searching for a new paint color. We never push our own personal preferences, but when asked we certainly offer them! Our job, of course, is to educate our clients, guide the process, and assist in identifying the color that makes them say “YES – that’s it!” Experience, product knowledge and industry familiarity make us a valuable tool in your home improvement arsenal!
America’s Color Consultants Real Life Color of 2021 is Agreeable Gray (SW 7029).
While the name of this shade may elicit a yawn, and suggests it is neutral to the point of non-existence, nothing could be further from the truth, in our opinion.
This versatile shade of greige is happy to play with everyone. A medium light shade, it has an Light Reflective Value of 60, so it reflects a fair amount of light, but won’t wash out, and looks great with white or natural wood trim. It works well in any room with any furniture style and loves complementary earth tones. It can stand up to bold accent colors, too. It can comfortably be used in one room or the entire house. It has been a popular choice for all these reasons for the past 10 years with our clients and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
A few years ago, I received a call from a desperate homeowner. She told me she had hired an interior designer, and she just hated her new living room. She told me that the room was beautiful, but she just felt something was wrong.
When I arrived for the consultation, I looked at the room: it was beautiful. She had paid about $14,000 for the new furnishings and paint job. So why did she feel it was not right?
It was because she hated blue, and the entire room was decorated in shades of blue.
Behr Peek-A-Blue T17-04
What is the difference between a paint color consultant and an interior designer?
Not all interior designers are experts in color or paint. They are experts on styles and products. Color is often just a single class in an interior designer’s degree program. Interior designers make their money on upselling products – buying at a significant professional discount and reselling to the client. The paint color of the room is often dictated by the available products for that year.
The Color Marketing Group works on forecasting future color trends which then defines product development and the colors that will be used that season. Interior designers often follow trends and buy those products for their clients.
Paint color consultants are experts on color. Their training is all about how paint is made, used, applied and perceived. Paint color consultants can improve the look of a room with color, at the same time using either existing furnishings or new. Understanding a client’s color perception and mutual communication is key. A good consultant will listen closely to the likes and dislikes of their clients, and will consider lighting, use and mood when helping select the perfect color for a specific space. Not everyone wants to change everything: nor can they afford to. A carefully selected paint color can go a long way to refresh any space.
So what did we do for the desperate homeowner? We could not do anything about the blue patterned rug and blue sofa and blue chairs. We DID change the color of the walls to a soft shade of white, removed some blue pillows, changed out the blue chairs with others we shopped from another room, and recommended the use of an analogous color (that we selected together) for accents to distract from the blue overuse.
Now she loves her new living room.
(BTW: We would never recommend blue if blue was strongly disliked.)
Hint: It’s not cheap! As members of the home improvement industry, we at America’s Color Consultants (ACC) are very lucky to meet and exchange ideas/information with people across the region, country, and even other parts of the world!
Below you will find a link to an extensive overview/analysis of the steps and costs of redoing plaster walls provided by a new colleague, Jen Miller of Jen Reviews. While dry wall is now the most common type of wall surface found in ACC’s work areas, those with older homes (and/or high budgets) should find this well-researched piece of interest. We would venture to say that lath and plaster work (found in most 40’s/50’s built North Arlington homes) is now considered a specialty field and prices for these vanishing plasterers’ expertise will reflect that.
Thank you, Jen! Jen Reviews are packed with lots of good information and excellent research on a wide variety of food, fitness and home products. Jen’s team of reviewers are all experts in their sometimes-niche fields. Check it out. The referenced article was originally published by their sister site, Happy DIY Home.
Going into a new decade, I am observing a strong movement towards “creativity”.
We are living in the Modern Era, which has included the Space Age and the Dot Com era, both based on science and technology. During the last 20 years I feel the Arts have been disregarded. Five years ago a guidance counselor at my son’s high school told him there was no point in taking an art class, because there are no jobs in art. I was horrified! Everything around us is, was or will be created by an artist: the computer you use, the car you drive, and even the label on the can of tomatoes you buy, all were designed by an artist.
Lately we are beginning to recognize this creativity. You can see it all around you. Paint colors for homes are no longer just shades of white or beige. Paint manufacturers are putting more time and money into promoting paint colors: everyone has a “Color of the Year.” We are seeking out more creative and unique products for our homes. Food products are more creative in stores, and presentation, in addition to taste, is an important element at restaurants.
In our era of shrinking job stability and stagnant wages, people are finding ways to generate additional income through their creativity. A “side hustle” is a common second or even third job. Creative sites such Etsy.com offer unique creations such as this Starry Night Birdhouse or Fantasy Hoof Boots . Visit your local farmers market and you will see that we are even becoming more creative in our local food products such as Immortal Mountain Chocolates.
If you have a creative urge, but don’t know where to start, a subscription to a site like mybluprint.com might be the answer. With on-line tutorials in everything from quilting and photography, to jewelry making and cake decorating, it is a fun way to exercise your creative muscles. Perhaps you caught the competition “Making It” hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. The goal of the show was simple: to encourage everyone to “Make It”! It was a “Project Runway”-styled show for crafts people with different skills and backgrounds in which the makers were given projects to create each week. The variety of creative skills and imagination on display was staggering: both impressive and inspiring.
Why all this creativity? Perhaps it is the resurgence of concepts such as Ikigai that are driving this new age of creativity. This Japanese concept means “a reason for being.” The word “ikigai” is usually used to indicate the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life worthwhile, the word translated to English roughly means “thing that you live for” or “the reason for which you wake up in the morning.” Read more at en.wikipedia.org.
America’s Color Consultants franchise model fits perfectly into this new trend. We offer a home-based business which you can pursue part time as your “side hustle” by adding creativity back into your life. A great way to start the next decade.
While franchises create the basic framework for a business, that doesn’t mean they would micromanage all decisions that the franchisee makes. In fact, most of the day to day dealings are up to the franchise owner, including who they hire/fire, where they advertise, what events they host, or any other similar details. The guidelines put in place by the franchise aren’t there just to tell people what to do – they’re tried and proven methods for success. Many of the guidelines are put in place to maintain the franchise brand.
Misconceptions 2- Franchises are too expensive
While the startup costs for certain franchises can be expensive – even exorbitant – that doesn’t mean all of them are: the price is much less if you’re operating a home- or service-based franchise rather than opening a chain restaurant, for example. Besides, the most common occurrence in franchising is a one-time franchise fee which is used to set-up and train the new franchisee. An additional royalty paid to the franchisor is also required. Royalties support the cost of additional back office services provided for the franchisee.
Misconceptions 3- Franchises are not small businesses
Most people want to support small businesses over big ones, and that’s great! Support the local businesses run by people in the community. However, that often does include franchises- just because there’s a bigger corporation involved farther back in the start of the company, doesn’t mean the local chapter of it isn’t owned by a mom and pop couple who wanted some support starting out.
Misconceptions 4- Franchising only applies to fast food
This is patently untrue. While the most visible franchises out there are fast food restaurants like McDonalds and Dairy Queen, that doesn’t mean every franchise is built from milkshakes and French fries. There are pest control, house cleaning and even doggie day care franchises. If the business in question is a chain, then the chances are that it may also be a franchise.
Misconceptions 5- Having a franchise will instantly make you rich
In many ways, being a part of a franchise is a lot like taking a short cut in building your business. A lot of the trickier parts are already set up from you, and there is built in support and ways to make it work, but it doesn’t mean every franchise location is successful. It takes hard work and determination to make a business successful, even if you have a franchise backing you up. Are you ready to put in the work?
PPG Paints – The Power of Nature “The restorative power of nature is important in society now more than ever,” explains Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager. “Night Watch” (PPG1145-7) is about bringing the healing power from the outdoors into your home through color. The dark green hue pulls our memories of natural environments to the surface to recreate the calming, invigorating euphoria we feel when in nature.”
Behr – EMBRACING REIMAGINATION – The 2019 Behr Color of the Year, Blueprint S470-5, is an honest, approachable color that conjures up the blueprints that builders rely on to bring architectural designs to life. Blueprint creates a space where you can build your own reimagined life–where awareness of what we want to build for ourselves can transform into action.
Benjamin Moore – Calm, composed and effortlessly sophisticated, Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2019, Metropolitan AF-690, exudes glamour, beauty and balance. Metropolitan AF-690 is supported by Color Trends 2019, a coordinating palette of 15 harmonious hues.
Sherwin Williams – A warm terracotta color with ancient, elemental roots. SW 7701 Cavern Clay is a nod to midcentury modern style, but with the soul of the American Southwest, which together creates a desert modern aesthetic.
Dunn-Edwards – has announced its 2019 Color of the Year – Spice of Life – a dark, browned, fire brick red with orange undertones. “Spice of Life is an outgoing, confident hue that adds drama and stimulates the senses,” explained Sara McLean, color expert and stylist for Dunn-Edwards. “It’s a celebration of what makes life interesting and exciting. Spice of Life makes a bold statement with a melding of diverse and global cultural influences.”
Pantone – Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.
Will These Paint Colors Work For You in Your Home?
Maybe, Maybe Not.
A few weeks ago I received a frantic phone call – “I need help fast! Can you come now?!” It was a Friday evening and it had been a long day: however, I detected desperation in the man’s voice. When I arrived later that evening, the man explained to me he was trying to paint the interior of the house before his wife returned from traveling. The painters were coming in the morning and he needed to buy the paint before they arrived. He had samples painted all over his dining room wall: “I cannot figure out which one to choose.” After a few minutes of discussion, we narrowed down his choices to two color families. From that point, it was just personal preference. He was so relieved that the decision had been made in less than an hour, he still had time to go to the paint store, and the house would be painted before his wife returned. Whew!
While I collected my belongings he asked me if I could help him with one more thing. He had already painted the basement family room, but it looked horrible. His question – “What did I do wrong? I used the paint store’s APP and followed their suggestions.”
Well, from a color theory point of view, the colors were fine if you looked at them on a piece of printed white paper: or on a computer screen they might look appealing in that setting. The problem with the paint manufacturer’s APP is that it is not human – it does not take into consideration your furnishings, the lighting in your home, the light blubs, your age, or your brain and the way you personally perceive color. A computer will never be a human (at least not in my lifetime!).
The colors the APP put together were not paint colors that the average homeowner would or ever should choose to paint on their walls.
At this point the homeowner had already paid the painter, and the work had been completed. My job at this point was how to salvage the project and make it look better. The mistake cost him more money to fix.
Paint store APPs can be fun for ideas: a place to start. The average homeowner paints every 10 years: you want to make the correct decision the first time.
When it comes down to making the final decisions, the $200 – $300 you pay for an expert paint color consultant’s help can ultimately save you thousands.
“How did you know you wanted to be a color consultant?”
I was just a little embarrassed to answer, “I didn’t!”
Life takes you down many roads and I was always one to “go with the flow.” One job lead me to another to another… .
I have always been artsy-fartsy. But a horrible art teacher in high school convinced me my talent was subpar and – at the time – I believed him, I guess. I did nothing in the field for 40 years! Of course I tastefully decorated my and my friends’ apartments, and also became a prolific DIYer, but never again played with a color wheel.
Until 10 years ago.
A neighbor with whom I shared a passion for home improvement projects suggested we turn our interest and expertise in that booming industry into a consulting business of sorts. We both had the backgrounds – she was a graphic designer and DIYer and I, a self-taught renovation product specialist. Over several months, we narrowed our focus to paint color selection. In our neighborhood, it was a perfect fit. People were redoing/adding on to their homes and needed help with color selections that would tie the whole house together.
I had recognized that I had a natural talent for color/lighting and mood – the psychology of color – and my years as a public relations specialist made me confident that I could express to my clients “why” a specific color worked for them.
Fast forward 10 years and I now enjoy using my creativity and artistic talents every day. We even refined our business model into a franchise opportunity for others with a similar desire to utilize their artistic skills. Sometimes I think “what if” I had been encouraged by that teacher long ago, and also – why the heck did I even listen to him?! But it’s never too late to recognize your talent – and combine it with your own life experiences – and make a go of it as a business!
If this story resonates with you and you too have an eye for color, maybe paint color consulting is for you. Join us! Check out americascolorconsultants.com/franchise for more information, or call me personally to compare notes (703-362-3131).
Susan Mintz, Co-Founder, America’s Color Consultants
We get a lot of emails and phone calls about what it means to own an America’s Color Consultants franchise and how to get started. Here are the top three questions we get from those of you looking to supplement your household income with a part-time job, change your full-time career, or give your design degree a competitive (and potentially lucrative) edge.
What does an America’s Color Consultant do?
Think of an America’s Color Consultant as the America’s approachable interior designer; all the color theory, lighting, and home decor experience coupled with the ability to help homeowners get the most out of what they currently have. Our consultants use their experience and expertise to identify what colors their clients are attracted to, what colors would make the best use of the available space and light, and what colors would bring out the best of their home’s features and furnishings.
Why would someone hire a paint color consultant?
Anyone who has ever attempted to pick out the perfect paint sample knows how much time, money, and energy goes into finding the right color, especially if the color isn’t right after it goes on. America’s Color Consultants remove the stress and mess of paint samples and help mediate color disagreements when couples don’t see eye to eye.
“The home is a crucial part of a person’s identity,” said Florence Jones, co-founder of America’s Color Consultants. “Once you find a color that resonates in a space, it can go a long way to making everyone feel like they belong there.”
What does it take to be a franchise owner?
While there are franchise costs associated with the established branding, marketing, and training, the most important part of being an America’s Color Consultant franchise owner is the passion for home decor, color, customer service, and personal success. Like any entrepreneurial endeavor, you’ll get out of it what you put into it in terms of marketing, customer service, word-of-mouth referrals, passion, and elbow grease.
Our franchise owners enjoy our owner-operated, home-based business model that has the freedom and flexibility without being a traditional brick-and-mortar storefront. “One of the best parts of being part of this brand is that all of us are self-employed, but we don’t work alone,” adds Jones. “We see each other as partners who promote each other, help each other and the industry.”
