Unbeige yourself!

Do your painting projects look like this?....


It's time to unbeige yourself people. Stray from the monochromatic palette and introduce some color. I know that not two people are the same, and everyone has an individuality that can't be compared. So why then does everyone's home look the identical?
My first tip is to pick the paint color last. I usually start from the ground up, which means flooring, built-ins, furniture, lighting, and accessories. Each of these elements should contrast in some way, whether it be texture or tone(unless you want a monochromatic scheme). Think about the paint colors and accessories at the same time. Do you want your accessories to pop? or the paint?


This image shows a good example of contrast in a residential setting. The wood flooring contrasts the wood furniture, and the color on the wall makes the accessories (especially the blue ones!) really pop.

Second word of advice: it's your home, your own space, your creative expression. It makes sense to go neutral for everything because "I don't want to get sick of it in a year." But won't you get sick of having everything neutral too? Don't have creative expression? Well, there are plenty of people out there, myself including, that would love to offer his or her guidance.

Next tip: keep your eyes open. Look through furniture catalogs and take note of the interesting palettes. If you see something you like, rip it out. Also, take a closer look at your closet. If you see one color majortively throughout your wardrobe, the chances are that you'd be comfortable with that color elsewhere in your home.

Why not white?

I've had customers tell me that they have white walls followed by a "blah" comment. I can agree that white can look very "blah" and "cold or sterile," but it can also work. So don't completely throw it out of the ranking. Sometimes it can work better than beige, depending on your furniture, space, etc. You can have warm whites and cool whites. It's likely that the white you have could be more cool and that's why you don't like it. I'm not saying that you should keep it white, or change it to a different white, but just to keep an open mind that white isn't such a bad thing. White can also make other elements "pop" like wood tones, color or furniture. Just look at some examples....


I love fabric - colors and patterns. So the above image shows how I showcased them along with my white walls.



I also paint because I love color so much and I love the different combinations you can create. This shows how much the colors "pop" on a white wall.



I believe this picture was featured in Domino. It's the Edge House by Mobius Architects. Notice how the color and textures of the furniture stand out....Gorgeous!



Interior designer Phoebe Howard's apartment is a traditional approach. Very elegant!

Happy Painting!