Pops of Color

Winter is lingering forever here in Michigan and it will be nice when the first colors of spring start poking their way through the ice and snow.  One way we can get a head start on spring and bring some great color and design into our homes is by adding pops of color with paint. The number one easiest and cheapest way to transform your home is with paint. With good colors and interesting placement it can transform something ordinary into a unique design feature in your home.

I once painted my daughter‘s room a neon green color (this is the color she chose) that was so bright sunglasses were needed. She loved it but I’m not sure how she got any sleep in that room. In the Detroit News Lifestyle section, Mary Carol Garrity writes about some interesting ways to use paint to transform a room that are a little more subtle.  

Her first suggestion is to paint your ceiling. It’s an oftenoverlooked feature of a room. If you love the paint color but can’t commit to painting the whole room with it, try the ceiling. Make sure you put lots of drop cloths down, cover the furniture and watch out for that crick in your neck!

If you are more of a neutral color person and you’re hesitant about using bold colors on your walls (or ceilings), she suggests transforming an old piece of furniture with a great shade or simply buying a piece of pretty painted furniture. This will add a splash of color and a focal point to build the design of the room around. I always wanted to find a great dresser or table at a garage sale and turn trash into treasure. I know it’s not as easy as the people on TV make it look, but it would be a fairly cheap project to try.

She also suggests painting your doors. She was inspired by the lacquer black doors of the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago and she painted all the doors in her home black. Obviously you don’t have to use as bold a color as black. Just choose a shade that fits into the design and decoration of your room. The contrasting and/or complimentary color of your doors will be a cool focal point and add another layer of design to your home.

Kyle Schuneman of the Chicago Tribune has another interesting way to add interest to an otherwise ordinary and forgotten space. He painted the inside of his kitchen cupboards a very bright orange color to contrast and compliment the shades of greys and neutrals that were in his apartment. It transformed a space that one doesn’t normally decorate into a great design feature in his kitchen. I think this idea would be a good  for closets as well.

Since we are all cooped up this winter we may as well make some improvements to our houses. Paint is an easy way to do that. Just be careful though, paint should complement the design of a room not detract or distract. You don’t want to have to provide sunglasses to your visitors!

(Sources:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/home/la-hm-kitchen-cabinets-20140215,0,2045418.story, http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140221/LIFESTYLE01/302210020/The-power-paint-can-transform-space-instantly)