Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What is your style?
Chances are you may never have really thought much about your style. You may even be one of those who refer to your style as “early everything”, meaning anything goes. Then there are those who know what they like and nothing else will do. Both are individual preferences. But let’s think about it for a moment and see where your preferences fall. Keep in mind that you can have more than one style and they can be blended, if done so tastefully. The same goes for color choices. Virtually any color combination can be mixed if done so in the right proportions. We can give you ideas to choose from. Fill out our questionnaire.
Questionnaire
In order to give you our best service, it is helpful to know a little about your preferences before our consultation. Jot down your response to these questions; you can copy and paste and forward to me at linann22@hotmail.com
FOR HOMES:
1. What are your present colors for decorating in each room and what do you think you would like to change it to?
a) Living room ____________________ to ______________________
b) Dining room ___________________to ______________________
c) Kitchen________________________to ______________________
d) Main bathroom _________________to______________________
e) Master bedroom ________________to______________________
f) Master bathroom ______________to_______________________
g) 2nd bedroom ___________________to_______________________
h) 3rd bedroom ___________________to_______________________
i) Utility/laundry room __________to ______________________
j) Family room or den_____________to ______________________
k) Other____________________________________________________
2. Do you tend to like things formal or informal? _____________________
Do you like a bare minimum of accessories, a complete look, or a few accents to coordinate it?__________________________________
Which of the following do you tend to prefer?
Elegant _____ Casual _____ Contemporary ______ Traditional ______
Which themes do you prefer?
Floral motifs _____ Stripes or patterns _____ Lodge look ______
Nautical/seaside _____ Scenic _____ Other _________________
FOR OFFICES:
Type of office: _________________________________________________
Number of rooms to do: __________ Current colors _____________________
Which of the following do you tend to prefer?
Elegant _____ Casual _____ Contemporary ______ Traditional ______
Desired colors _________________ Desired style ______________________
Which themes do you prefer?
Floral motifs _____ Stripes or patterns _____ Lodge look ______ Scenic/nature______
Nautical/seaside _____ Childrens themes ______Animal themes___________
Other ________________________________________________________
FOR HOMES:
1. What are your present colors for decorating in each room and what do you think you would like to change it to?
a) Living room ____________________ to ______________________
b) Dining room ___________________to ______________________
c) Kitchen________________________to ______________________
d) Main bathroom _________________to______________________
e) Master bedroom ________________to______________________
f) Master bathroom ______________to_______________________
g) 2nd bedroom ___________________to_______________________
h) 3rd bedroom ___________________to_______________________
i) Utility/laundry room __________to ______________________
j) Family room or den_____________to ______________________
k) Other____________________________________________________
2. Do you tend to like things formal or informal? _____________________
Do you like a bare minimum of accessories, a complete look, or a few accents to coordinate it?__________________________________
Which of the following do you tend to prefer?
Elegant _____ Casual _____ Contemporary ______ Traditional ______
Which themes do you prefer?
Floral motifs _____ Stripes or patterns _____ Lodge look ______
Nautical/seaside _____ Scenic _____ Other _________________
FOR OFFICES:
Type of office: _________________________________________________
Number of rooms to do: __________ Current colors _____________________
Which of the following do you tend to prefer?
Elegant _____ Casual _____ Contemporary ______ Traditional ______
Desired colors _________________ Desired style ______________________
Which themes do you prefer?
Floral motifs _____ Stripes or patterns _____ Lodge look ______ Scenic/nature______
Nautical/seaside _____ Childrens themes ______Animal themes___________
Other ________________________________________________________
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Power of Color
Color is important. Our creator gave us color for a reason. It cheers us, calms us down, stokes our appetite, and plays with all of our emotions whether we realize it or not. All colors have their place and their purpose. Of course, there are all manner of shades and tints of a color to choose from. Color can be classified as warm or cool or just plain neutral. There are monochromatic (shades of one color), analogous (similar or side by side on the color wheel), triadic colors (three color combinations) and complimentary colors (opposite of each other) on what may be referred to as the color wheel.
Color trends come and go. If you are old enough to remember the retro colors of pinks, turquoise, and the blacks and whites of the fifties or the harvest gold, avocado green and coppertone from the sixties/seventies, then you understand what I mean. Each decade had its favorites. Some were long lasting and some were fleeting. But whatever the trend, if there are particular colors you love and enjoy, they or shades of them can be tastefully worked into your plan.
Primary = red, blue, yellow
Secondary = green, purple/violet, orange
Tertiary = mixtures of primary and secondary colors
Neutrals = black, white, brown
Metallics = silver, gold, copper
Tints = a color with white added to it
Shades = a color with black added to it
Intensity = how bright and strong or dull and weak a color is
Value = the degree of lightness or darkness of the color. Adding white to it raises the value because it is the lightest value. Adding black lowers the value because it is the darkest.
Tone = the result of adding and equal amount of white and black to a color to "tone it down".
Ideally, there is no such thing as two colors that "clash". All colors can be blended with each other, if done so tastefully and in the correct proportion. The "clash" occurs when care is not taken to blend them proportionately causing the eye to see only chaos and overkill.
Most successful color schemes use no more than three different colors in a room, and/or a neutral added for unity. A good color scheme in decorating incorporates 60% of the main color, 30% of a second color and 10% accent color. Repetition in color helps to pull it all together. Small rooms are best done in light colors to create a more spacious look. Keep it simple. Dark colors make a large room appear smaller and more intimate.
Neutrals are the “go with everything” color and are good choices for the long term. You can always change accents by adding a splash of any additional color.
Metallics also make wonderful accents to highlight any color. They add emphasis and elegance.
More on the importance of color in our lives later.
Color trends come and go. If you are old enough to remember the retro colors of pinks, turquoise, and the blacks and whites of the fifties or the harvest gold, avocado green and coppertone from the sixties/seventies, then you understand what I mean. Each decade had its favorites. Some were long lasting and some were fleeting. But whatever the trend, if there are particular colors you love and enjoy, they or shades of them can be tastefully worked into your plan.
Primary = red, blue, yellow
Secondary = green, purple/violet, orange
Tertiary = mixtures of primary and secondary colors
Neutrals = black, white, brown
Metallics = silver, gold, copper
Tints = a color with white added to it
Shades = a color with black added to it
Intensity = how bright and strong or dull and weak a color is
Value = the degree of lightness or darkness of the color. Adding white to it raises the value because it is the lightest value. Adding black lowers the value because it is the darkest.
Tone = the result of adding and equal amount of white and black to a color to "tone it down".
Ideally, there is no such thing as two colors that "clash". All colors can be blended with each other, if done so tastefully and in the correct proportion. The "clash" occurs when care is not taken to blend them proportionately causing the eye to see only chaos and overkill.
Most successful color schemes use no more than three different colors in a room, and/or a neutral added for unity. A good color scheme in decorating incorporates 60% of the main color, 30% of a second color and 10% accent color. Repetition in color helps to pull it all together. Small rooms are best done in light colors to create a more spacious look. Keep it simple. Dark colors make a large room appear smaller and more intimate.
Neutrals are the “go with everything” color and are good choices for the long term. You can always change accents by adding a splash of any additional color.
Metallics also make wonderful accents to highlight any color. They add emphasis and elegance.
More on the importance of color in our lives later.
Updating our decor
I am frequently asked “How do I go about updating to the latest trends without having to do major changes?"
A: Much depends on what you consider major changes. “Major changes” can mean the amount of expense involved or the amount of work involved.
For some just changing paint colors is an inexpensive major change if you are doing the work yourself. If you are hiring it done, it will cost, but can also have major impact. It could also mean changing furniture and window treatments, refurbishing them, or just simply rearranging them. If you want to update by simply incorporating trendy accents you can do so effectively with the right choices for your particular décor.
We specialize in helping you determine your style and assist you in creating a "custom" decorating plan that works best for your space while incorporating the most popular decorating trends.
A: Much depends on what you consider major changes. “Major changes” can mean the amount of expense involved or the amount of work involved.
For some just changing paint colors is an inexpensive major change if you are doing the work yourself. If you are hiring it done, it will cost, but can also have major impact. It could also mean changing furniture and window treatments, refurbishing them, or just simply rearranging them. If you want to update by simply incorporating trendy accents you can do so effectively with the right choices for your particular décor.
We specialize in helping you determine your style and assist you in creating a "custom" decorating plan that works best for your space while incorporating the most popular decorating trends.
Our Purpose
With over 30 years of experience in home decorating, I came to realize how many of us do not have a clue as to where and how to start making changes to our surroundings. It can seem like a daunting task. We know we have been stuck in a particular groove for too long, but we just don't know what to do about it.
We are here to help you and we have lots of ideas that range from simply changing or incorporating different color schemes to complete renovation ideas. The choice is always yours.
Consultations are per hour and it is helpful if I know a little about your interests, family, lifestyle, and preferences in advance. If you aren't sure about your preferences, we can help you decide what will work best for you.
We are here to help you and we have lots of ideas that range from simply changing or incorporating different color schemes to complete renovation ideas. The choice is always yours.
Consultations are per hour and it is helpful if I know a little about your interests, family, lifestyle, and preferences in advance. If you aren't sure about your preferences, we can help you decide what will work best for you.
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