America's Color Consultants

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

December 7, 2016

Support the Arts

Artists contribute beauty to our world – despite their beautiful contributions, most artist still struggle to survive. Support your local art programs. If you have an ugly wall, become a patron of the arts, employ your local artists to paint it.

A typical concrete and stucco facade.

Then the wall starts to take on a three-dimensional appearance

This is Eric, in his element, 30 feet off the ground. He does most of the artwork by himself and researches, paints and designs each project from scratch. His wife Kathy, also an artist, serves as project manager.

After

November 14, 2016

Why would you not want to save time & money?

Save time and money with a paint color consultant – Scenario – You have made a decision to repaint your house, when you bought your home 5 years ago it was freshly painted an off white. The years have gone by and you have become tired of the off-white. You watch a few DIY home shows and decide, no problem I can do this myself. You head off to your local paint store and find the perfect paint chips take them home and “what were you thinking”? So you head back to the store to try again, and again, and again. Finally you make a decision and you buy a sample pot. You paint a nice neat square on your wall and OMG “it is nothing like the paint chip” so back to the store for another sample pot, and another, and another.

The question is what is your time worth? Not to mention the sample pots? DIY home shows tell you, you can do it, but really do not tell you how to do it. Paint color consultants however, are educated on color and have years of experience. The hours, days and weeks it takes you, it takes a trained paint color consultant just a few hours.

The testimonial America’s Color Consultants gets the most is “The best $250 I ever spent”

November 7, 2016

Color Trends

Noir – Last week I attended the Sherwin Williams ColorMix presentation. The palette of colors which made the biggest impression for me, was the “Noir” collection. It is inspired by night. The darker colors in this collection are not for the meek, however if you have a small space (a powder room or den) and you would like to be daring these colors are rich and bold. They remind me of rooms I have visited in Europe.

November 2, 2016

Quote of the Week

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. ” – Oscar Wilde

September 20, 2016September 20, 2016

Why Hire a Paint Color Consultant

Mistakes Could Be Costly. I get asked all the time, why would I hire a paint color consultant? Cost! Paying for a professional paint color consultant is often a good investment. If you’re not quite sure what you’re doing – you risk having to repaint your mistakes. Instead of saving money by doing it yourself, you could end up paying twice for the same job. Sample pots cost money as well. We are often called to help make a decision, our clients have spend hundreds of dollars on sample pots and just can not decide.

America’s Color Consultants come to you with all the paint color options – We make choosing the perfect paint color easy! www.americascolorconsultants.com

September 14, 2016

Did You Know

Feng Shui – Red is best!

If your front door faces south according to Feng Shui you should paint it RED. Red is considered one of the luckiest colors and is associated with good fortune, prosperity and strength. The front door is the mouth of chi, the entry point for all positive energy to flow into your home.

August 19, 2016

Why Become an America’s Color Consultant

Transition Time

Summer is ending but fall is coming. Along with the cooler weather fall brings, it’s also a transition time. Summer vacations and summer camps end, and kids go back to school. It doesn’t just have to be a transition for them, it can also be one for the stay at home parent. With the kids back in school, having a job with flexible hours is a great benefit. America’s Color Consultants (ACC) offers just that with our home based business model. Florence and Susan understand the importance of having quality time with your family, but also still wanting to work. Although that may seem impossible, it’s not. With an America’s Color Consulting franchise you can work while the kids are in school and still be on time to pick them up from the bus stop. If you are a mom or dad looking for a flexible work schedule, and have an eye for color ACC may be for you. To learn more about how ACC got started please go to our website http://www.americascolorconsultants.com/story