THE MAGIC OF PAINT...

AND A LITTLE BIT OF O' THE GREEN...

Its not completely finished, but I couldn't wait to share

the before and after photos of one of my long-distance decorating clients.

Here's the before... a 'u' shaped kitchen with oak cabinets and white tile countertops

I felt it was important to keep this area light

if we went dark with the cabinets, this could really become a cave..

but with the white counter tops and backsplash, 

I was afraid a totally white kitchen

might look a little sterile

So we opted for White Dove (BM) upper cabinets and dark charcoal lower cabinets

The results are pretty dramatic, right?

Suddenly the room is filled with light, the stainless steel gleams, and the backsplash pops...

That's the magic of paint...

There are more dramatic changes in the living room and bathroom, 

but I will save that for a later post.  

Today, I'm helping a reader from Ireland...

and she's adorable

Hi Claudine, 
A question all the way from Ireland!! But this geographical position might impact if you can help me with this 

question or not as the paint ranges I am able to work with this side of the Atlantic are "Farrow and Ball" or      

"Little Greene" (a company similar to F&B) 

So I have 3 questions- The first, I understand, you may answer for free. The other two, I would appreciate if 

you could quote me a price for your advice. So firstly, what gray/grey colour/color (lol!!) should I paint my 

kitchen cabinets in our kitchen-diner that gets a lot of sun in the morning. I am aiming for an industrial, 

organic, natural look. 

I need something to coordinate with my terra cotta tiles (which really are not as orange as they seem in the 

attached photo) as I really cannot deal with taking them up. I have tried a tester of F&B Dove Tale matt 

emulsion on a primed door and was very happy with it. It came through as grey with subtle putty tones- a 

warm grey. I then tested it on a wall and it was a lot darker and browner than I would like. 

It seemed to be a lot more subtle on the primed press. So I am assuming that if it I order the Dove Tale in 

eggshell it will be similar to the tester on the wall than on the press (I really hope I am making sense!!!) 

Please help..... I have gone through a dozen testers of grey, finding them all a bit too cold, clinical and dull. 

There are some elements of the Dove Tale I love- it has depth and subtlety but its just too.....brown. I went tomy local F&B stockist and she was like 'no way to grey' suggesting a cream, but I can't do cream as every 

kitchen is cream at the moment in Ireland!!!! and it really isn't practical for our family. I have a patio door to 

the left of the picture where the dining part of the room is.

Thank you so much for your help!!!

Hello Ireland!

Since I am familiar with Farrow and Ball's line of paint, I will answer for that palette.  Dove Tale is quite

brown - it has a little grey/gray in it, but its going to read brown no matter where you put it or what time of day it is.    Depending on the light, it can look VERY brown...

Here are a few inspiration photos with gray cabinets, which I think you might like a little better.

Happily, Farrow and Ball has a few hues that are definitely gray and that we can work with.   

Although gray is a cool color, with your terra-cotta floor and some fresh white trim, it shouldn't look cold...

lighter grays will be colder in tone (unless they have a beige undertone)

but a cooler background always shows off the accent colors well.  A monochromatic look (like the one below) will come across as a bit cool - so make sure your accent colors are warm or bright.

The warmth of the terra cotta floor will look best with a cool cabinet color, (see the orange-isn wood tones
with the gray below...)

and those very cool door pulls will stand out more if the gray is not terribly dark.

Here are a few Farrow and Ball colors to consider..

 FB LAMP ROOM GRAY

FB LAMP ROOM GRAY

FB LAMP ROOM GRAY

Hard to believe these are ALL Lamp Room Gray - the first picture is flooded with light - and light affects the intensity of the color.

FB DOWN PIPE

FB MOLES BREATH

Pavilion has a warm undertone.  Looks great with white trim.

FB PAVILION

FB PAVILION

FB PAVILION GRAY

FB MANOR HOUSE GRAY

FB MANOR HOUSE GRAY

FB PLUMMET

FB PLUMMET

FB PURBECK STONE

FB PURBECK STONE

 You can see how the colors varies from photo to photo - the reason is that light affects paint color - and I'm quite sure that Irish light is going to be different than California light... so please try a few samples first.  I hope you find a color here that will work for your kitchen!

CHOOSING COLOR TO GO WITH EXISTING DECOR

When we finally get around to updating our homes, 

we usually start with a fresh coat of paint.  

Normally this requires finding a current paint color that will still go with our existing upholstery or drapes, while still giving us the updated fresh look we want.

DRIFTWOOD

GRAY AND BEIGE ARE FRIENDS

Skagway, Alaska
Driftwood store front

I took this photo while cruising the beautiful waters of Alaska.  I could blog on and on about the colors of the water, the mountains, the glaciers, the sky....and I probably will, one day.  Alaska - incredible scenery and fun little towns like Ketchikan and Skagway, where I couldn't resist this little building completely covered in lovely, soft gray driftwood.... charming, isn't it?

WARM GREY

SO MANY GREYS

I read that this particular hue is spelled G-R-A-Y in America and G-R-E-Y in the UK.    Looking at this manor house, I can see so many shades of gray in the stonework - warm griege, light gray, medium, charcoal and even a little bluish or greenish tint now and then - they all look perfectly beautiful together.

PAINT COLOR

NEW COLOR FOR A FAMILY ROOM

For a while, dark walls were all the rage.  Furniture looked amazing against them, as did artwork.

They were dramatic and fun.  A whole room could be dramatic - or just one wall. 

 I noticed lately, that there are less and less 'accent' walls, 

and that dark walls are giving way to lighter, fresher colors.

Sometimes how we feel is reflected in the smallest of ways.  Like paint color.  

Things have been a little tough - economy has been down - we want change, 

we want something new and fresh and we want our burdens to be lighter

Could that be why things are lightening up around the house?

DECORATING QUESTIONS: FROM READERS

Whew.... It's been a busy couple of weeks - but I wanted to answer these questions from blog readers (and may I say thank you for reading! and for your comments) before I head off on a little vacation.

via

COLOR QUESTION FROM JENNIFER

Hello! My name is Jennifer and I have really enjoyed looking at your blog! It gave me some great decorating ideas. At this time, I am trying to get away from my decorating comfort zone of reds, golds, and greens. I am really getting into browns, blues and greys. I absolutely love all of the kitchen color combinations on your 'asked and answered-color help' page. (http://yournestdesign.blogspot.com/2011/04/asked-and-answered-color-help.html) I think I may have made a mistake in my living room though.

EXPLORING WALL COLOR: THE WARM TONES Yellow and Gold

http://www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com/

Standing in front of the display of hundreds of paint chips at your local paint or hardware store, is NOT the place to start when selecting paint colors for your home.