How to Choose a Paint Color for your Home

Many people are afraid of using bold or bright colors in their home.  Fear not!  According to the pros at HGTV, there is a formula when formulating the color combinations for any room in your home.

So, when decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages:
60% of a dominant color
30% of a secondary color
10% of an accent color

Translated to a room setting, it typically means:
60% of the room’s color is the walls
30% of the room’s color is the upholstery
10% of the room’s color is, say, an accent piece or a floral arrangement

There are also some great options at your local home improvement stores.  You can buy paint samples in a variety of colors and paint a swatch on the wall.  This can help you decide if this is the right color for your room.  Many things affect how the color will look:  number of windows, location of room in relation to outdoor decor, size of the room and use of the room.

Do you have a favorite throw pillow, blanket or rug?  Pull colors from one of those items to help decorate your room. If you use multiple paint colors in one room, choose colors of the same intensity so that one overpowers the other.

Sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason to the paint color choice other than that’s the color your child REALLY wants to have in their room.  Over the years I have painted my children’s rooms a variety of colors:  Lavender, Purple, Raspberry, Mint Green, Red, Khaki, Lime Green and Teal.  When choosing colors for a kids room try going with 3 neutral walls and an accent wall so as the child grows you can update the accent wall to fit their latest favorite color.  Check out our post on a Superhero room!  2 walls were painted Khaki, 1 wall had a faux brick finish and 1 wall had a city skyline in superhero style.  The wall with the city skyline was recently updated as a chalkboard wall because the superhero theme was no longer wanted.  It was a quick fix for updating the room.

Most of all when painting any room in your house, have fun!

Spring Forward with Spring Cleaning

Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 11, 2012, 2:00am!  To most of us that means we lose an hour of sleep.  It can also be a reminder to get MOVING with your spring cleaning!  To help things along we have mapped out some guidelines on what to remember when cleaning out your home.  Spring is the time for new beginnings:  flowers blooming, birds chirping and getting some chores completed so we can enjoy the sunshine coming our way!

Let’s get MOVING!

1. Clean walls and ceilings for spider webs and dust.
2. Wipe down light fixtures and ceiling fans.
3. Vacuum and shampoo all carpets.  Dry clean or launder area rugs depending on their fabric care instructions.
4. Sweep/Vacuum/Polish all other floor surfaces such as vinyl or wood according to care instructions.
5. Remove all items from shelves and dust thoroughly.
6. Clean/Polish all door and window hardware
7. Furniture:  Wipe down Leather furniture with leather wipes and for upholstered furniture gently beat cushions outside to remove dust.
8. Clean out your medicine cabinet and replenish your First Aid Kit.
9. Change the batteries in smoke detectors and change filters in your heating system.
10. Wash windows inside/outside, including window screens.
11. Clean window treatments according to fabric care instructions.  You can even put them on low heat in the dryer to remove dust.
12. Wipe down blinds with wet cloth.
13. Clean out all indoor trash cans to keep them smelling fresh.
14. Clean out bathroom cabinets, throwing away old cosmetic products and other unwanted items.
15. Reseal grout where needed.
16. Rotate mattresses. Clean blankets, comforters and pillows.
17. Clean out closets getting rid of unwanted items.
18. Home office:  Organize files, cleaning out items that aren’t needed and shredding documents.
19. Outdoor spaces:  Sweep and scrub/power wash decks, patios, driveways and walkways.  Clean outdoor light fixtures.
20. Wash outdoor furniture.

Fall Maintenance for the Home

Fall is in the air here in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s time to start preparing your home for cooler temperatures.  Here are some tips on fall maintenance and money saving upgrades.

Heating Maintenance:

• Change the filter in your furnace
• Get a Check-up for your furnace by a HVAC professional
• Install and Test your carbon monoxide monitors in your home
• Install a programmable thermostat to help reduce your energy costs
• Dust/Clean out your air vents/ducts
• Check your windows and doors for drafts
• Have a professional clean and inspect your chimney and test your flue

Outdoor Maintenance:

• Clean out your gutters to reduce wood rot, pest infestations, wet basements and damage to the foundation
• Rake leaves regularly
• Store or Cover outdoor furniture
• Disconnect garden hoses and protect faucets