Your New Best Friend

Hello, I'm the paint color at the bottom of the paint strip.  You've probably never given me much thought but I'm about to become your new best friend!

                   

While working at the Benjamin Moore paint store I picked up this valuable tip for choosing paint colors.  Sometimes paint colors can look very similar at first glance- especially when it's a lighter shade.  

If you look at the paint color at the bottom of the strip you can get a truer look at the tint of the color.  Because the color is the most saturated at the bottom of the strip you will get a truer sense of the tint of the color.  

Ever get what you thought was "beige" home and when you put it on the wall it looks pink?  If you checked out the bottom paint color you might be able to see more easily that it has some red tint in it.  

Living Room Before & After

I'm constantly working on our living room but I wanted to show you guys what it looked like when we first moved in and what it looks like today.  Your home doesn't have to be a final complete product- it can be evolving, changing and developing.

Here is a picture from the online listing of our living room.  The bottom of the chair rail is a rosey-beige and the top is a light green.  Not horrible- but it really wasn't my style. (note-this was the previous owners furniture)

What I really wanted was to do a panel wainscoting below the chair rail but that can be expensive and wasn't in the budget at the time so I faked it!

I painted above the chair rail Benjamin Moore- Chelsea Gray in a flat paint.  I painted below the chair rail Benjamin Moore- Dune White in a Semi-Gloss to give the illusion that there was wainscoting.  It's certainly not the same as paneled wainscoting but it does the trick for now!  

Favorite Neutrals

When I worked at Benjamin Moore one of the top questions I got was "what's a good neutral?"  So here is my top 5 neutrals from Benjamim Moore that are tried and true go-to's for me!  Whether you are looking for light or dark, cool or warm- one of them should do the trick!

1. Manchester Tan HC-81 -  A cool light-medium neutral

via Pinterest

 2. Wheeling Neutral HC-92 -  A medium beige with some grey to it

via Luxury for the Home

 3. Monroe Bisque HC-26 - A warm medium beige

via Designer Shari Misturak for IN Studio & Co. Interiors

4. Powell Buff HC-35 - A warm beige, similar to Monore Bisque but with a hair more gold.

via Houzz

 5. Papaya 957 - A light, warm beige.  Great for hallways.

via Ruth Burts Interiors

Roberts Ave- Master Bedroom

I just started working with a young couple that settled on a gorgeous home in the suburbs of Philadelphia and they contacted me for some help with selecting a few paint colors.  The previous owners were more on the 90's traditional side (think tassels, floral vines and swags) and this young couple was looking for a fresh new look.  I went to their home last week to select colors for their master bedroom, master bath and guest room.

We started with their master bedroom.

Isn't this an amazing master bedroom?  All of the natural light and the wooded view- not to mention a great size room!  She wanted the room to feel "clean and cozy".  They have espresso wood furntiure and a pretty white duvet they wanted to keep.  We decided on one of my favorites, BM Rockport Gray.  

 

Action shot!  I promise to get a finished photo but already I am loving it.  Next up is window coverings and I'm thinking relaxed roman shades- clean, soft, and not fussy!



Grey Perfection

Oh grey, how I love thee!  Dark grey, light grey, warm grey and cool grey- I love them all and no one does grey better than my dear friend Benjamin Moore.  I worked at a local paint store a few years ago as a color consultant and it really helped to train my eye to choose a color from a swatch and know what it would look like painted on four walls.  Along the way I developed a list of "tried and true" colors (most from the Historical Collection) and here are a few of my favorite greys from that list.

Edgecomb Grey HC-173
It's a beautiful, soft light grey with a warm undertone.  I picture this in a dreamy, sun filled bedroom...

via Blossom Interiors

Chelsea Gray HC-168
Cool, deep grey with a tiny bit of blue to it.  I painted my living/dining room with this color and love it.  Here's a quick picture of it!

Rockport Grey HC-105
Another deep, rich grey that pulls a little more to the warmer side.  I just had a client paint their master bedroom so as soon as I have pictures of that I'll post them!