Posted
November 4, 2009 by
erin under
Design Basics Last night I had the opportunity to hear Mary Hoffman, a Color and Design Specialist for Benjamin Moore! I heard a little bit about Benjamin Moore and their process for choosing their color palettes for the year.
This is one of their color palettes for next year. I love the European feel to it! Very clean, chic, and contemporary!
I absolutely love color theory and anything having to do with color. I find it fascinating that they forecast the colors about 2-3 years out. So yep, back in 2007 they forecasted that purple would be big this year…and sure enough, we’re seeing purple everywhere now!
To choose the color palettes they come up with a theme (or a few themes). The particular color palette above was based on Ingenuity. They saw that designers would be using color in unconventional palettes. Their other palettes were based off of New Luxury and Genesis. The New Luxury color palette featured rich purples, yellows, oranges, and darker bronze neutrals. Almost Eastern inspired. Their Genesis palette featured a much more monochromatic palette which focused on colors found in nature. Texture was a big factor in this particular color palette to provide some relief from the monochromatic colors.
She talked some about their paint (which I’ll share later) but she hid paint chips throughout the store (Pottery Barn) and made it a game of finding them. She was showing some colors that coordinated, and some new color palettes we would start to see next year. Mary mentioned that along with more purple next year we’d start to see navy pop up again. (You heard it here first folks!) Here are some of the paint chips I found in the store:
We’ve seen a lot of yellow, grey, white color combinations, but pinks will be added to the palette next year too.
Love how this gorgeous green provides a soft feeling to all the dark wood tones.
Here’s some more purple! Love it with the neutrals and metallics!
Be sure to check out their site! They’ve got lots of great resources and inspiration photos too!
Tags: color, paint, trends
Posted
June 30, 2009 by
erin under
Pretty Stuff I think that many times staircases get overlooked in a homes’ design. Here are some that make a statement all their own!
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I love this one because of the dual purpose it serves. Not only is it stairs, but it provides tons of storage space and makes for an interesting design element. (Yes, there are no handrails so based on where it is and whose living in the home it might be against code to build with no handrails.)
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This one’s beautiful natural materials speak for themselves!
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This stair design, at first glance is just a standard wooden staircase. But all the risers are actually drawers! Ingenious! This is in my file for ideas for my own dream home!
Shawna’s Stair Redesign via Homebug. Another awesome idea! These stairs were carpeted. She removed the carpet, painted the treads and wallpapered the risers. Absolutely gorgeous and such clean design!
Apartment Therapy Boston
I love painted runners on staircases. It’s a quick way to add a color accent. Imagine how boring this home would be without that simple painted blue runner!
Ok, I have so many more awesome stairs bookmarked so I think I’ll save some more for later!
**Don’t forget to enter our current design challenge! See here for details and the submission form! There’s an awesome headboard up for grabs to the winner thanks to BedroomFurniture.com!
Tags: paint, stairs, storage, wallpaper, wooden
Posted
June 9, 2009 by
deb under
How to 
We are so pleased to have Christopher Lowell on the Fresh Nest today. {Don’t you just love him!} His “You Can Do it” mantra fits right in with our motto here at Fresh Nest. Here’s a little more information on him… He is an Emmy Award-winning host and best selling author. He is dubbed the Doctor of Design by U.S News & World Report, and well known for his 7 Layer system . Christopher believes that decorating is a form of empowerment therapy and that his mantra, “You Can Do It” is a way of life. And here’s a wonderful quote by Christopher that we had to share, “Remember that fear is the number one reason why things remain the same in the home. Where there is fear, there is no creativity. By dispelling fear, you unleash your creativity. Your environment should be a reflection of who you are. This has less to do with money and more to do with your spiritual well being. We are how we live. Who knew?”
It’s often not the color itself, but how we pick it–that goes wrong
By Christopher Lowell
Choosing color for the home is actually the first layer of my Seven Layers of Design for the simple reason that it comes first. Yet, because of not wanting to make the choice, many overcompensate by spending thousands of dollars on everything else in the room. They then complain that the space is uninviting and has no warmth.
Paint is the cheapest and easiest way to transform any environment. Usually it’s never about the actual color anyway, it’s about the way in which most people go about choosing it. You get to the paint store, an already high testosterone environment that can be intimating. When you finally navigate back to the paint department, already distracted. Then you reach the “great wall.” The one laden with twenty-five thousand paint swatches that do nothing more then to re-enforce that you have no idea what you’re looking for? And yet you tell yourself, “I’m not coming back again. I’m going to walk out of here with a gallon of paint if it kills me.”
First mistake! Choosing paint color is a two-trip process, like it or not. You can’t choose color outside of the room you’re considering painting anymore then you can determine how a dress will fit you by looking at it on a hanger. The reason there are so many paint strips, is that they expect you to take a lot of them home. On your first visit, grab lots. Once home, place them on a surface in the room your considering painting. The next morning you’ll pass by and eliminate half the colors wondering what you were thinking in the first place. That’s because we’re all schizophrenics. What looked great in a busy store, under pressure, will look completely different in the stress free environment of your home. After one week, by the sheer process of elimination, you’ll narrow it down to the three colors you can live with—one for the walls, one for the trim and yes, one for the ceiling.
Here’s why. What every designer knows is that once you’ve introduced rich color to your walls, leaving the ceiling stark white will look very unfinished—like you spread a bed sheet over it. Painting your ceiling will not make it feel lower. In fact, leaving it white could. From your wall color strip, pick the color that’s three shades lighter if your ceilings are average height. If they’re very high, go only one shade lighter then the walls. This will assure that light will fall evenly through out the entire space giving it a warm, inviting, designer look. And if you’re stuck for color combos, go to your wardrobe. Chances are if a color looks good on you, it might look great around you.
On your second visit to the store, stick to your guns knowing that you’ve given proper time to make a good decision. When they pop off the lid to confirm your paint mix, don’t panic. The color will look darker then you expected. But once it’s up on the walls, it will appear at least two shades lighter—trust me! Once home, don’t judge the color choice until all references of white are out of the room. Then go to bed. The next morning, with fresh eyes, you’ll love it!
For more inspiration and ideas, log on to christopherlowell.com or follow Christopher on Twitter.
Tags: choosing color, Christopher Lowell, layers, paint, swatches
Posted
May 28, 2009 by
erin under
DIY This is a project that I’ve had on my to-do list for a while! Try making your own canvas rug! I think my next place with all hardwood floors will be the perfect place to try it out.
See the full set of supplies and instructions from Martha Stewart.
Tags: DIY, DIY design, How to, paint, Painted, painting, rug, Tutorial
Posted
May 19, 2009 by
deb under
DIY 
Look at these beautiful table and chairs that Emily sent in to show us! She purchased the drop-leaf table and four chairs on Craigslist for $100. She stripped, sanded, painted and reupholstered the chairs. It brings a whole new look into her apartment and looks incredible. For more pictures of the process, click here.
It just goes to show that good design and beautiful things can be done under just about any budget. Do you have a project that you’d like to share with us? Send it to contactus AT freshnestdesign DOT com or click here.
Tags: chair, chairs, dining room, paint, reupolster, sand, strip, wooden
