Black, White, and Blue

Just like our last house, we have decided to paint the brick exterior of our new house. Last time, we put this project off for many years and then instantly regretted waiting so long once we saw the finished product.

So this time, painting the exterior is one of the first things we'll be doing to update the house. If you remember our last house, we opted for green on green with a bright red door. And we loved it.

This time, I'm craving a classic white house with black windows (actually what I wanted last time but our roof color wasn't going to work). Note I said black windows because that is currently what we have and it was one of the selling points for me. We are going to remove the shutters completely and try that out for a bit.

And although I am Team Red Door at all times...I'm actually leaning toward powder blue this time. This shade of blue is going to have a big moment inside the house and I want to give the exterior a little tease of what awaits.

And I'm really digging the creamy white, punctuating black, and soft blue combo:

We'll be evaluating the gamut of off-white whites shortly...but I'm turning to the Internet because I know this problem has been solved. I've always been a Sherwin-Williams Alabaster lady but am going to compare to Ben Moore's White Dove due to its cult following. I've already nailed the blue which I'll share in a later post.

Paint It All

I am squirreling away ideas for a future project on Pinterest and as I was taking inventory the other day, it became obvious that I'm obsessed with the idea of painting an entire space - wall, cabinetry, moulding - the same color.

It always strikes me a so clever and chic...and easy.

Every space here feels high-end but if you break down the elements, they're all pretty simple. But what puts each space over the edge is the bold use of one color. I've written about this before, but I thought it was time for another reminder - paint it all, friends.

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Getting Straight Paint Lines

A recent Pinterest jaunt led me to a clever DIY done by a mom and her tween daughter:

Essentially, painter's tape was put on the wall at random, varying angles and each geometric shape was painted a snazzy color to create a cool, colorful wall. Easy little project that had a fun impact for a tween bedroom.

But what caught my eye most was the product they were using, as it's new to me but I would have loved something like it when painting my own dining room's stripes - FrogTape now has a sealer that you can use as a second step after applying your tape.

Especially helpful if your walls have some slight texture to them which can cause messy paint lines.

My old technique would be to paint the base color, apply my tape, go over the seams with the base color to "seal" it, and then paint my stripe/line/shape color. That did not work so great, but it did help.

This doesn't cut out any work but if it achieves a sharper result, it's totally worth checking out. And no, the FrogTape people haven't reached out to me. This one just made sense, especially since I can guess that almost all of us will encounter a painting DIY at some point where this might be useful - I don't have anything on my radar but I'll remember this tidbit next time I do.

Have you used it? Good or bad results?

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Mint Walls

Lately, I have seen many a mint wall and I am really, really liking the look.

Jill Sorensen via marmaladeinteriors.com

Who can name this source?

Phillips deVeer Interiors via houseofturquoise.com

I especially like this pastel jade tone with pink and orchid tones. It's so, so lovely, don't you think? Do any of you have this color on the walls of your home? Do tell me the paint name if so - I'd be curious to know.

Paint Colors in My House

I'm having a "pat-myself-on-the-back" moment. I've made some good choices in paint colors for our house. And by "good" I mean "they make my happy."

After about 6-7 tries, I FINALLY settled on a great color for our guest bathroom - SW6288 Rosebud by Sherwin-Williams. It's the perfect light orchid tone I wanted. And once it was up, I noted how well all the colors on our first floor are flowing together. Hence my back-patting.

Let me profess my love for Sherwin Williams' paint chip #60 - the home of SW6413 Restoration Ivory, SW6414 Rice Paddy and SW62415 Hearts of Palm. Hearts of Palm is essentially what my house is painted because it is everywhere on our first floor - you can't escape it. It's a golden green that sometimes leans toward chartreuse or apple green or olive - depending on the light. And I love it more now than the day I put it up on 90% of our walls two years ago. That's devotion.

HofP also plays a duet role with Rice Paddy as a stripe in our dining room. And Restoration Ivory is what I used to paint our dining room chairs. And, as expected coming from the same paint chip, they are all fantastic together. Paint chip #60 hasn't seen the last of me. SW6416 Sassy Green is a beautiful rich golden green, and I just need to figure out where to use it. And the other darker tones on the chip might be used on our home's exterior.

And then there's SW6211 Rainwashed - a crowd favorite. I actually had SW mix it up with a little more white and a little more green to take a tinge of the gray-blue out, and it's PERFECT in our guest bedroom. Truly lovely. And once I noticed how amazing it was next to HofP, it influenced my kitchen subway tile choice whose color mimics Rainwashed's hue.

As you walk down our petite hallway, you catch a glimpse of all of these colors mixed together at once and it's quite pretty.

 

Sheila's Bathroom Question

Sheila:

1. Is it okay to paint a very small bathroom a dark color?  I love a dark sea blue with white trimmings (window sill, shower curtain, vanity), but would that close it all in?

2. Do I need to use a special type of paint for the bathroom?  The one on the wall now appears to be glossier than a normal semi-gloss.

Moi:

1. If painting your small bathroom a dark color will make you happy and excited as you shower every morning, then you should absolutely paint it dark. Immediately.

But beyond just satisfying yourself, I think it is a great idea. Punches of deep color on a bathroom wall, large or small, can be a beautiful effect when contrasted against white. If you have white fixtures, a white floor or if you get a good bit of natural light in the bathroom, painting it in a rich tone can be chic and dramatic. The key is balance to avoid that cavernous feeling you allude to.

Also, if your bathroom is tiny, embrace its tinyness. Painting it a deep color can cozy up the space and make it special and inviting during your daily routines. No need to fight it to make it feel bigger and spacious - make it a small retreat for yourself. If you keep the accents white, it won't feel like a cave.

Some inspiration for you:

image from Pottery Barn

A nice sea blue - this bath even opts for dark furniture, which works as it seems to be spacious. The light flooring, trim and countertops, as well as the towels and decorative accessories, make for a lovely contrast with the blue.

Design by Coburn Architecture & Interiors, image via houzz.com

Here is a sliver of that same deep blue contrasted with lots of white. I'm in love with the floor tiles and how they sing with that color on the wall. Even if you don't have singing floor tiles, still a nice execution of the concept. (I bet that is a great view out of that window - I wouldn't mind soaking in that tub taking in the view)

Image from Southern Living

Glossy chocolate brown contrasted with white. A daring choice, but overall, a tame look.

Design by Jeffrey Bilhuber, photo by Julian Wass, via housebeautiful.com

Oh, this is lovely. Brown and beautiful. Rich and inviting. A cool light fixture always perks up a room - even the bathroom.

 Laura Britt Design, photo by Casey Dunn, via houzz.com

Woah Nelly! This will wake you up in the morning in an awesome way. I am in love with that chair.

2. As far as paint sheen - bathrooms are often painted in a higher sheen like a semi-gloss because glossier paints resist moisture better than flat paints and they are easier to clean. Personally, I would stick with at least an eggshell sheen in the bathroom, but I think painting semi-gloss would be great to give the room some extra sparkle. Or think of painting it in a gloss sheen for a lacquered look. Dark and glossy with white and crisp can look very nice.

If your walls are already glossy, give them a light sanding or apply a coat of primer to make sure that your next layer of paint sticks nicely - painting right over glossy paint can sometimes yield iffy results.

Godspeed Sheila!