Tag Archive 'Color'

Feb 15 2010

Learn How to Add Color to Your Kitchen

If you’re like most families, you probably spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen. So why not make it more interesting by adding some color to the room? Maybe you don’t want a drab and dreary kitchen, but you don’t know quite how to add the right touch. Try some of these simple ways to add color to your kitchen, and make your look go from boring to beautiful.

Add Color by Dressing Up Your Table
If you’re looking for an easy way to add color to your kitchen, try dressing up your kitchen table. You might add a colorful tablecloth or placemats, as well as some colorful dishware. Add flowers in a vase or basket to the center of your wood dining table to add some instant color to the room. You want to try to find colors that complement your kitchen décor but add interest at the same time.

Add Color with a Backsplash
You don’t have to have a boring kitchen backsplash. Although you can always keep it simple with a neutral-colored tile or laminate, why not choose a colorful backsplash instead? You should be able to find tile and laminates for your backsplash in a variety of different colors. If you want a totally unique look, try arranging colored glass that’s been broken up in a random pattern on the wall. In this way, you can work some color into the décor and end up with a personalized, one-of-a-kind backsplash.

Paint an Accent Wall a Different Color
If your kitchen is painted a neutral color, then paint an accent wall to incorporate some color into the décor. You’ll want to choose a wall that’s not completely covered with cabinets or appliances. You’ll want the accent color to work well with the décor of your kitchen. For a more subtle look, go with a matching color. But if you want the wall to really stand out, pick a color that’s complementary.

Take the Doors Off the Cabinets
When you take the doors off your kitchen cabinets, you can display all your colorful dishes and other tableware. If you have neutral dishes, add some pop by painting the insides of the cabinets a contrasting color. This doesn’t mean you need to take every cabinet door off. But choose a couple of prominent cabinets about the countertops to be your “color cabinets.”

Use Window Treatments to Add Interest
Another great option is to utilize the window area in your kitchen to add color. For your valance or drapes, choose a color that will really stand out in the décor. A black-and-white kitchen, for instance, would benefit greatly from some red or purple window treatments.

You don’t need to redecorate the entire room in order to add color to your kitchen. Use what you already have and build some color into it, adding your own touches here and there around the room.

About the Author…
Leon Tuberman has been part of the furniture and interior decorating  business for 40 years. He owns and operates his family owned furniture store. They carry a large selection of American made solid oak furniture for your living room, bedroom and dining furniture. Whether you’re looking for a dining table for your dining room or a love seat for your family room  then they have everything you need.

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Aug 13 2009

Color Can Affect Your Mood

Orange RoomWhen making decisions about your home decor you should be aware of the affects that colors can have on your mood when they are used on your furniture, floors, and walls.

Yellow-Red-Orange
Yellow seems to capture the joy of the sun and can communicate happiness. Yellow is a perfect color to use in dining rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. Yellow is a happy color and is uplifting and energizing. Using yell in small spaces like halls and entries can make the space fell welcoming and expansive.

Red has been known to speed respiration and heart rate and to raise blood pressure. It is normally not used in bedrooms because it is too stimulating, but if you will only see the room after dark when it lit by lamplight, the color will be muted. This can make the room look rich and elegant. Crimson can cause some people to feel very irritable. If you really like red, but it bothers your mate, try using it with small touches in upholstery fabrics and accessories.

Orange is much like red and is very stimulating. Orange used in its pure form may be rather difficult to live with. Using variations of orange like shrimp, coral, peach, salmon, and terra cotta are often more pleasing variations. Peach will give a nurturing and restful feeling in a bedroom and will flatter skin tones when used in a bathroom. Using shades of orange in a family room or a living room will bring energy and warmth to the space. Using orange in a kitchen that faces west however, can make the room feel unpleasantly hot.

Blue-Purple-Green
Blue is known to lower the blood pressure and will slow the heart rate and respiration. Since the color blue is considered to be relaxing, serene, and calming it is often used in bathrooms and bedrooms. Be careful when choosing your color though. A soft pastel blue may look lovely on a paint chip but when it’s used on the walls and furnishings it can look unpleasantly chilly, particularly if the room gets natural light.

If you choose to use light blue as the main color in a room, be sure to use warm hues in fabrics and furnishings to balance the room. Using warmer blues such as periwinkle or bright blues like turquoise or cerulean are perfect for use in rooms where people gather because they are very relaxing.

Purple used in its darkest shade, like eggplant, offer a rich, sophisticated and dramatic look to a room. It is often associated with creativity and luxury. When used as an accent or secondary color it gives a room wonderful depth. The lighter shades of purple, like lilac and lavender, will give a bedroom the same soothing quality that blue offers without the risk of creating a chilly feeling.

Green RoomGreen is considered to be the most restful color to the eye. When the refreshing quality of blue is combined with the yellow, green is appropriate for any room in a home. Using sage green or a medium green in a kitchen will cool the room and when used in a living room or family room will encourage relaxation. It is great for a bedroom because it promotes togetherness and comfort while being relaxing and pleasant.

Neutrals
The neutrals, black, white, gray, and brown, are basics in any decorators tool kit. While all neutral schemes will fall in and out of fashion, their true virtue lies in their flexibility. You can add color to liven a room up and take it away to calm it down again. Black is best to use as an accent in very small doses. Many experts agree that every room should include a touch of black to ground the scheme and provides depth.

Leon Tuberman has almost 20 years working in the interior decorating and home furnishings business. he owns and operates a popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They carry a huge selection of Mission, Traditional and Amish living room,  dining room and oak bedroom furniture for your home. His store offers a line of furniture that not only looks great, but is built using Old World craftsmanship. Whether your trying to find solid wood bookcases or American made solid oak dinging tables, they carry the largest selection at prices that won’t break the bank.

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Jun 29 2009

Choosing an Exterior Color For Your Home

Published by Medesto Remodeler under Painting

We have all seen them at one time or another. We have all driven or walked by a house that has been victim to a horrible painting scheme. Whether the owner had the actual result in mind or not, we can all probably agree that the house needs to be repainted. This is where your neighborhood home owner association comes in handy. The HOA can prevent catastrophes like a bad house color from bringing down your property values. So if you are planning to repaint your single level ranch house plan with front porch, you should plan to give the colors some serious thought.

One way to get a great idea for what color you want to paint your own home is to drive around and look at other homes. Not only will you find colors that you do like, you will also find out what colors you don’t like. For instance, if you drive through a neighborhood and find a house that is painted blue with turquoise trim, you might find that those colors are unattractive for a house. You can also check out the houses in your own neighborhood. If you happen to live next to someone who painted their house a baby blue, you might be puzzled as to their choice in color. While some might not like the baby blue color for a house, some might actually like it! I guess it just depends on each person’s personal taste.

Another great way to choose the color for your home is to choose based on the style of your home. If your home is made from spanish house plans, you might want to consider painting your house with some sort of deep red tones. You could choose a rust color for the main house and then paint the trim a shade or two even darker. If you have a more colonial style home with shutters on all the windows, a crisp white would look stunning. To add a little flair, you could also paint your shutters a dark blue or red.

If you have a home built from luxury architecture home plans, you might not even need paint, depending on the particular style of your home. Your home won’t need paint if it is made of bricks. If your luxury home does need a coat of paint, you might consider painting your home with a more mild color. Something that won’t stick out in it’s surroundings. If your home is in a wooded region, you could paint your home a lovely shade of sage green. If you live by the water you could paint your home a refreshing shade of blue.

Whatever color you do decide to paint your single level ranch house plan with front porch, make sure you visit House Plans and More for more information. House Plans and More is a great resource when it comes to spanish house plans. If your house that’s built from luxury architecture home plans is solely brick, House Plans and More can still provide you will anything else you might need.

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Jun 22 2009

What Color Should I Paint My Room?

Published by Medesto Remodeler under Painting

Years of color response research have shown that human behavior is affected by color and that we do respond psychologically to color. You probably already know that from your own experience. You’ve probably had strong responses to certain colors in the past and know that surrounding yourself with the right colors is a good thing to do.

Let’s say that you wanted to design a great color scheme for the walls of your home, colors that would project the proper mood for each room. What colors would you choose?

Let’s start in the living room. Light green would be a good choice here. As the dominant color in nature we feel at home in a green room. It has a calming effect and is generally very relaxing. A good accent color in the living room might be a shade of yellow since green and yellow are next to each other on the color wheel. Another good choice in the living room would be light blue. And for an accent, pick a darker blue. The blues can reduce stress and relieve tension and are a good choice in other rooms as well. Is it any wonder that light greens and light blues are popular colors in hospitals, spas, schools, and workplaces?

In the dining room you would do well with red or orange colors. Both colors have a tendency to stimulate the appetite and to promote feelings of excitement. The colors are known to create moods that enhance social interaction, and that’s certainly a good thing in a dining room. However, stay away from blue here as blue tends to suppress appetites.

If you have a sun room, consider using the green colors. The cool and fresh mood of green would be a natural selection for the sun room.

In foyers and hallways yellow is a good choice because it helps show the way. Yellow can grab your attention better than any other color. Yellow is definitely an eye catcher.

The kitchen is another good place for a yellow color. Yellow in the kitchen can create a cheerful, friendly mood. In many homes numerous lively, friendly conversations take place in the kitchen or adjacent breakfast/dinette area, so you might as well enhance that mood with yellow. Another good color choice in the kitchen is orange. As in the dining room the vibrant, exciting mood of orange works well in the kitchen.

The natural and calming effect of green makes it a good choice for a bathroom. The peaceful, tranquil, relaxing mood of the proper shade of green would be just right in the room where you envision a nice warm bath. The clean, restful colors of white and gray are also appropriate here.

There are numerous choices of color for a bedroom. The soothing mood of blue is an excellent choice for adults and children. Relax and fall asleep. On the other hand seniors report that a light yellow color in the bedroom can lift their mood, which also has a relaxing effect. It’s an especially good color to wake up to. Now, if you wish to enhance the romantic mood in the bedroom consider the colors mauve and pink. These colors, along with red tones, help to produce feelings of intimacy and passion. However, to make the bedroom feel restful choose blues, greens, pinks, or peaches. You can see that there are lots of color choices for this room.

For a children’s bedroom or playroom, contrasting colors are likely to create a stimulating and lively mood. Choose, for example, purple with yellow or orange with blue. Look for colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel. Children are going to play and have fun in this room. If the room is used primarily for sleep, though, stick with the tried and true blue colors.

Hopefully, these suggestions stimulate your imagination and give you some good ideas. Choose the colors that inspire you and make you feel welcome each time you come home.

For more information about the topic of mood and color listen to the podcast entitled “Fashion Bytes: Your Personal Palette” at http://WomensStyleNetwork.com/?p=69/.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition. He is a founding member of the internet marketing network Yaktivate.com.

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