Choosing House Colors: Turquoise?
January 3, 2012 § 2 Comments
Where on earth can you use turquoise for a house color? Answer: Where you see turquoise from your living room window.
In neighborhoods where rooftops are gray and the days are short, this rich blue-green color on a house sticks out like a bottle of mouthwash. But in the sunny Caribbean environment where the ocean is steps away, there is nothing more beautiful than the hue of the waves washing up on the beach. Splashing that color up on the house makes perfect sense as you want to spread the color around as much as possible. This house in Puerto Rico is a perfect example of how the homeowner chose a paint color from the environment’s luscious palette of blues and greens. Totally refreshing!
Christmas in NYC
December 10, 2011 § Leave a comment
New York takes on a special character during the holidays: strolling down Madison Avenue, walking by Macy’s window, and being part of the busy crowds of shoppers. All of that says Christmas like nothing else. The big, the bright, and the beautiful!
One challenge to decorating NYC for the holidays is how to make what is already glitzy even more noticeable and memorable. The answer? Big oversized displays and lights — lots of them — as we see in these photos.
Another challenge to decorating NYC is the scale. One example of a large venue that usually needs little embellishment is Radio City Music Hall. With its gilded walls, it’s already dressed for the holidays. But designer Thom Filicia and his team found a way to add drama to an already-dramatic lobby. They hung a white crystal Christmas tree from the ceiling — an imposing focal element as you enter the building. He documented the project on Christmas at Radio City Music Hall (an HGTV special: http://www.hgtv.com/radio-city-holiday/show/index.html) and after seeing the program, I checked it out. Even with all the crowds milling around the lobby, the decorations make a huge statement.
The take-away from this study in light and scale is something you can use at home. Go big with your wreath and other Christmas ornamentation or if it’s small (like lights), have a lot of them. If it seems too big from the house, it’s probably perfect from the street. Here’s a tip for decorating deciduous trees: wrap the lights around each of the branches and then the trunk. You will get a much more dramatic effect than simply winding the string of lights around the outside as if it’s a typical Christmas tree.
Enjoy your holidays!
Note to Bloggers
December 10, 2011 § Leave a comment
The worst problem about being hooked up to the world wide web is when you’re NOT.
As of today, December 10th, my web-associated email is down. We are working on the problem.
To contact me: please use
bmeglis@yahoo.com
instead of bmeglis@yourhomeandcolorcoach.com.
I am continuing to answer questions, receive photos, make appointments, and help you with your color concerns. I am very sorry for the inconvenience.
-Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach
Have a Vintage Holiday
November 29, 2011 § Leave a comment
Tradition is a huge part of any holiday — whether it’s Christmas, Hannukah, or any other special time of year. And carrying on the traditions of the holidays can mean digging out old family recipes, recreating family outings, and certainly decorating. These figurines, from my mother’s collection (circa 1950 at the latest) are part of our holiday decorating. Just seeing them brings back all the wonderful childhood memories surrounding Christmas.
I hope you have something old to bring to your holiday decorating this year. Although it’s fine to buy an artificial tree, cover it with twinkly lights, and install a giant blow-up Santa in the front yard (the children love all the over-the-top magic and color — go for it!), it will be nice to reach back into the past for a piece of nostalgia that will make your own holiday a richer experience.
If your family heirlooms are long-since broken or distributed to other family members, check out consignment stores and antique shops. You’ll be amazed at what treasures you can find there, particularly around the holidays. Some of the vintage items may indeed transport you decades back to your youth. Embrace them. Bring them and their character into your home. And enjoy.
Selling Your House? Restore Rooms to their Original Function
November 16, 2011 § Leave a comment
Is your living room a Man Cave? Many of us have reconfigured our rooms at home to reflect our lifestyles: dining rooms may be home offices; family rooms may have movie theater seating and 60″ televisions; and master bedrooms may have more exercise equipment than your local health club. All that is fine and probably a good use of space… until you decide to put your house on the market.
When called upon to stage this home, we couldn’t help notice the elephant in the room. The pool table and its well appointed overhead lighting had to go. We needed to return the living room to its original function with a conversation area that would welcome prospective buyers coming in the front door. (Note: some of you might love a pool table in your living room, but majority rules when it comes to staging!)
With the pool table gone and the rug rolled up to expose the beautiful hardwood floor, we moved the sofa from the other side of the room and brought in two slipper chairs, a cozy rug, and some accessories. The result? A more conventional living room and an easier sale. 
If you plan to put your house on the market, start your prep by returning rooms to their original function. Move excess furniture and equipment to storage. You will get a quicker sale!
Who Says You Can’t Paint Your House Pink?
November 10, 2011 § Leave a comment
Pink can be a tasteful house color for old Victorian homes and even new-construction homes with made-to-look-old character. Ranging from bubblegum to rose to petal pink and even lavendar, you name it — we’ve seen it.
Although some homeowners may go a little over the top with the pink, here’s a house that I find to be really well done. The soft ballet-pink hue is paired with creamy white trim and topped with a medium gray roof. What works so beautifully for this property is that the gray is carried over to the garage outbuilding that stands alone completely in both style and color. By limiting the pink to the house only, the homeowners have balanced what might be considered a soft feminine palette with a dose of solid, neutral dark gray — a touch of masculinity, if you will. The design principle of balance, the yin and yang, is evident here. And it works!
Sporting a Patriotic Color Scheme
November 7, 2011 § Leave a comment
With all due respect to my international bloggers, this house sings America the Beautiful to me every time I drive by. This time, I stopped to capture its beauty and share it with you.
What makes this red, white, and blue color scheme work so perfectly is the balance of color between the candy-apple-red siding and the creamy white trim. Notice on the flag hanging on the door that, for the most part, neither the red nor the white stripes dominate. Both colors balance each other. That same effect is evident on this house — the exceptionally wide trim painted a soft cream keeps the red from overpowering the house. Just like the flag, the house is balanced.
Navy blue accents the doors — just like the small block of navy blue in the upper lefthand corner of the flag provides a contrasting backdrop to the white stars.
If you have an old farmhouse or an outbuilding on your property that you would love to feature, consider painting it red with creamy white trim and navy blue doors. Hang the flag out front. You’ll attract attention but go ahead. Be proud!
Color Your Windows
November 4, 2011 § Leave a comment
Although it’s a commitment, there’s a growing trend in windows to replace white with color — like these beautiful blue mullioned picture windows shown as a backdrop to outdoor furniture from the Ballard Designs catalogue (www.ballarddesigns.com). Red is another great window accent color as is the ever-present forest green.
When choosing a window color, decide whether you want your windows to stand out (white windows already do) or blend into the siding color. Choosing a color that is not in your house palette already except for maybe the front door will pop your windows right off the front of the house. Picking a window color that is already in the palette of your house (taupe, for example, to match stonework) will blend the windows. Particularly nice if you have a lot of little tiny windows and prefer a less busy look for the house.
As with all color selection, contrast or the lack of it will determine the end result. But don’t pick white just to be safe. Think color!
Homes Follow New American Lifestyle
November 2, 2011 § Leave a comment
The path of the new American home is moving away from 50s formality and into a more practical arrangement of space that functions for today’s busy lifestyles. New construction is replacing large two-story foyers with well-appointed “Drop Zones” for stowing gear and plugging in electronics. Formal living and dining room walls are coming down to make way for functional living, studying, and eating areas all in view from the kitchen. The bathroom soaker tub is being replaced by the steam shower. Breakfast nooks by outdoor spaces. And some homes are making way for elder parents by replacing back stairwells with elevators.
Well, it was bound to happen. How often have you used your formal dining room? It’s either too big for your family or too small for your big dinner gatherings. When was the last time you sat in your formal living room? It looks pretty perhaps but nobody sets foot in there, right? And then we have the front door with the grand entry. Perfect for that special occasion when the Queen pops by for a spot of tea…
Houses are becoming right-sized. Who can afford wasted space and even if you can afford it, who needs it! There are exceptions, of course, but builders are finding that most people are too busy to fuss with rooms and spaces that do not function for the family on a regular basis. Finally.
Here’s the link to the Wall Street Journal article for all the details… (photo by AJ Mast of the WSJ)
Choosing Shutters and Trim for Historic Homes
November 1, 2011 § Leave a comment
Historic brick homes like this one, built in 1810, have an exterior look to maintain. Many are under the control of town boards that determine what changes can be made to the house. But even if you own an old home or are considering buying one that is not in an historic district, don’t even think about replacing the wood shutters with easy-maintenance vinyl or the wooden front door with fiberglass.
Exterior “upgrades” that only consider the time management issues of the homeowner are not upgrades at all. Instead, embrace your older home and its history. Preserve the look by choosing a paint trim color that is not too new-looking. A gray, beige, or grayed-white will give an aged look to the trim that is appropriate for the age of the house. Charcoal instead of black will give the shutters and door a faded-black look that freshens up the paint job without destroying the look of the house. Use wrought iron or brass for your metal instead of nickel (too contemporary). And use native plants for your landscaping instead of the current, most trendy flowering shrubs.
Buck the urge to over-improve with new man-made materials. Let’s preserve as much history as we can!
Your Home & Color Coach 