interior design – Page 4 – America's Color Consultants

September 24, 2018

Brass – Did It Ever Really Go Away?

You may have noticed that there is a lot more brass showing up in home goods stores and design magazines. For many, many years, stainless steel and brushed nickel were the metals of choice for home rehabbers and builders. Sleek, cool and modern, silver was everywhere – appliances HAD to be stainless and faucets and fixtures and hardware went along for the ride.

Brass has had its hey-day several times over the decades and it’s once again being highlighted in a big way by interior designers and home décor magazines that both set and follow trends. The addition of brass is being cited as a “trend” for 2018 by House Beautiful, Home & Garden, Elle Décor, Pinterest, Mansion Global and USA Today, to name a few. This time around it’s not brightbrass, but brushed, satin tones, unlacquered brass that you’re seeing.

Why brass now? There are several reasons: (1) brass is timeless; (2) a little goes a long way; (3) the different tones of brass complement all colors beautifully, from the deepest indigoes in favor at present, to the lightest blushes and grays; and (4) brass works well with other metals. Don’t hesitate to use it along with your stainless appliances and brushed nickel or chrome faucets.

You don’t have to swap out everything to enjoy this trend: brass can be the jewel that brightens and refreshes an entire space. A brass lantern or cabinet pulls or mirror may be all you need. Brass remains popular (go ahead, admit you like it!) because brass is golden and gold represents a certain level of luxe. The value of a richly patina’d, real brass fixture endures. With its rich history, brass is the comfort food of home décor.

www.AmericasColorConsultants.com

April 18, 2018April 18, 2018

Product Review

Why is this ceiling paint pink?

This is a great product! How many times have you painted a ceiling just to forget where you have already painted? Painting white on top of white can be a challenge, however this paint eliminates that challenge. It is not as brilliant a white as other ceiling paint, but who will notice.

When the paint is wet, it is pink. The color helps you know where you have already painted.

When the ceiling paint dries it is white.

January 5, 2018

2018 Paint Color Forecast

Benjamin Moore 2018 Color of the Year – Caliente AF-290, is strong, radiant and full of energy.

“Caliente is the signature color of a modern architectural masterpiece; a lush carpet rolled out for a grand arrival; the assured backdrop for a book-lined library; a powerful first impression on a glossy front door. The eye can’t help but follow its bold strokes. Harness the vitality.”

-Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore & Co.

Pittsburg Paints 2018 Color of the Year – Black Flame (PPG1043-7) acts like a black curtain, allowing your other décor elements to take center stage. It’s a fantastic blend of black and indigo, two classic hues. Black creates the silence we crave in an information-heavy world, while the indigo offers possibility and a deep hopefulness. The blend of two colors makes it incredibly versatile – use it on a statement wall, with a matte finish on a ceiling, with high gloss on a naturally-lit staircase, on cabinets, interior and exterior doors and in many more places.The versatile hue can also provide strength and a modern luxe vibe to spaces with a lot of whites, blush pinks and soft pastels.

Sherwin Williams A collision of rich blue with jewel-toned green, a color that is both accessible and elusive, Oceanside SW 6496, is our 2018 Color of the Year. A complex, deep color that offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, Oceanside, bridges together a harmonious balance of blues and greens that can be found in what’s old and new.

The color blue evokes a multitude of moods and associations depending on hue, shade and application. Despite this variety, blues are universally perceived as intelligent, honest and interesting-making blue the most beloved color worldwide.

Oceanside’s multi-dimensional, marine-inspired look can create a welcoming statement as a lively color for a front door. Its green-meets-blue tone can also boost creative thinking and clarity of thought in a home office, or invite meditation and introspection into a bedroom or reading nook.

Oceanside is universal when it comes to design style from mid-century modern to Mediterranean-inspired, traditional to contemporary.

Behr is pleased to announce our 2018 Color of the Year, In The Moment. This cool, tranquil, spruce blue is inspired by nature and is a soothing, restorative coalescence of blue, gray and green. This comfortable color evokes a sense of sanctuary and relaxation amid our busy, always-on lives. In name and color, this hue speaks to our desire to take a break, be present and recharge. In The Moment is versatile and perfect to use for both interior and exterior projects. It also crosses multiple design styles, ideal for working with traditional, modern, coastal and global décor.

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017

Why An App Will Never Replace a Color Consultant!

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.

http://www.americascolorconsultants.com/consultations.html

July 12, 2017

Becoming A Color Consultant

I was recently asked by a high school student –

“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

May 22, 2017

Your Top 3 Color Consultant Franchise Questions Answered

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.”

Have more questions? We have more answers! Click here to get started or stop by our booth at the Women Empower Expo on May 27th, 2017 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

April 27, 2017

Product Review

Ceiling Paint by Glidden

Ceiling paint is designed for your ceilings – Why? It is made as a bright white designed for maximum light reflection. When the light bounces off the ceiling, the brightness of the ceiling white brings more light into your living space. It is also not has high a quailty paint because it does not get exposed to were and tear resulting in a lower cost per gallon.

The challenge with painting your ceiling is being able to see where you have already painted. Glidden solves this challenge. When the paint is wet it is pink, when it dries it is white. How simple.

www.americascolorconsultants.com

March 29, 2017

Stencil Instead of Wallpaper

If you have been a subscriber to our newsletter for along time you might remember my product review on this wallpaper.

I tested it for it’s easy application and hopeful removal. This is an update to that review. Yes, the wallpaper went up very easily, however it was just as hard to remove as old fashion wallpapers. Over the years (about 8 years) my wallpaper became stained and worn. I loved the black on white pattern but it needed to be updated.

Removing the new and improved wallpaper took hours of spraying with vinegar and scraping. Perhaps a more toxic remover would have worked faster, but after all, the claim is that it was easily removable. My guess on why it was so difficult to remove, is when products are created and test in the moment they do not take into consideration what happens to the product over time. In the case of the wallpaper the adhesive bonded with the surface of the wall. The different seasons (heat & cold) most likely enhanced the bond to the wall. When a product is created and tested such as this wallpaper it is applied to the wall then removed a short while later to demonstrate the ease of removal. The shorten time frame does not give the adhesive time to fully bond. The result of the demonstration is a product that is easily removed.

After removing the paper, instead of wallpapering again, I have decided to stencil, then topcoat with a glaze for extra durability. This stenciled design and topcoat should last 20+ years and with the top coat glaze be totaly washable. From my experience you really need to love a wallpaper to commit to using it. When the time comes for a change there will always be the added expense of the removal. Stenciling just requires a coat of paint to cover and change. This stenciling project took about three days despite being a small bathroom. The complexity of the stencil made it difficult to stencil the edges and corners, requiring me to hand paint those areas. If you choose to stencil, a tone on tone design is the least expensive route. The more colors and complexity the more expensive. The cost of stenciling might be more on the front end, but you will not have to pay for the removal.

Interested in having something stencil, contact us at www.americascolorconsultants.com

March 1, 2017

5 Tips For Homeowners Who Hate To Pick Out Paint Colors

Let me know if this sounds like your last paint project. You started with a rough idea and a handful of paint swatches from your home improvement store. You narrowed them down to five colors (three of which your spouse said looked exactly the same). After a couple of days of stewing and asking anyone who entered your home for an opinion, you end up picking the color based on the fact that “Imperial Realm” sounded much more stately than “Original Gray.” And then you slapped a sample up on the wall, only to decide it was much too dark.

And repeat.

As someone who makes her living helping homeowners choose color palettes for their homes, I promise there is a better way. Here are five tips I use in my color consultant practice to help remove the stress in finding the perfect paint color for your home.

#1. There is more than one perfect paint color for your home. Best get this one out of the way quickly. Your color decision is a lot easier to make when you realize there are many perfect choices. Question – which color works with your furniture, your personality, and the light within your home? There will be several shades or hues that will work beautifully, so when you find yourself stewing over two samples, cut yourself a little slack and remind yourself that both will probably look great in different ways.

#2. Look at what you have. I always ask my clients to show me some of their favorite pieces. It gives me a clue about their style, their intrinsic color leanings, and thought process. Before you head out to pick up samples, study the pieces that will share the space. Are there colors you’d like to pick up? Is there a contrasting hue worth exploring?

#3. Toss the paper and grab a brush. Paint swatches are a great way to explore color, but once you have your choices narrowed down to one or two, it’s time to order a sample jar and add a few broad strokes (roughly a 2-foot square should do it) directly to the walls that are going to be painted. For a handful of dollars, you’ll be able to tell whether or not a color works in the space. If you hate it, you’re not out several gallons of paint.

#4. Take your time. Once your samples are up, live with them a few days, especially if you are painting the exterior of your house. Lighting is a huge factor in determining ideal colors, and the best ones will look great at different times of day, both in natural and artificial light. You’ll begin to find that one color will start to look better than the others.

#5. Have fun with it. I always say, if you aren’t having fun with paint samples, you’re doing it wrong (but, then, I love my job). It’s often why my clients hire me in the first place; I can take the intimidating color wheel and break down the process into a beautifully simple solution. In the span of an afternoon, they’ll receive a color palette that was made just for them, and they didn’t have to waste paint or make countless trips to the paint store to get it.

Picking the right paint colors for your home can be a source of stress, procrastination, or anxiety. The above tips should get you started, but if you need help finishing the process, it’s okay to ask for help. Your new favorite wall color is just a phone call and a paint sample away.

Help me pick my paint.

February 21, 2017

Color Trends

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2017 As winter ends and spring approaches, the urge to freshen up our home begins – consider purple.

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2017 is BM 2117-30 Shadow. I like purple for walls, this purple is very dark, neutral and cozy. Because it is richer purple you would definitely need to be a purple lover to use this color. In this picture purple is used as an accent wall creating a high contrast between the deep purple, the weathered textured wood wall, the white floor and white ceiling.

Need help choosing the perfect purple, contact Americas Color Consultants