Paint is Magical

No, really. Paint can transform a room--both good and bad. Last week I received a call from a local realtor whose clients were eager to list their home, but before that could take place, a serious paint overhaul/makeover needed to happen.

See for yourself.

Let's start with the Red Room.

The Red Room had two red feature walls (along with a door frame) painted in a very deep, yet bright shade of red. However, when applied, the color was not distributed evenly. I selected Sherwin Wiliiams's Agreeable Gray (using Valspar Reserve paint with primer) to cover up the red and accompanying grey walls. AFC painted over the closet doors, the back of the main door, all that trim, walls, and finished with touch-ups to the ceiling in a bright white. 

Boom. No more red and instead, this room now boasts a nice, clean, refreshing look. Don't those pretzels look good too?

Ahhhh. So. Much. Better! That red felt like it was shouting at me the entire time I was painting and was anything but calming--whereas this grey is soothing, cool, and relaxing.

Next up? The Purple Room.

As I began painting Agreeable Grey (hey, it's a great color) yet again, I noticed that this room had previously been painted royal blue and yes, red before it's current lavender hue. This room was very dark and did not compliment the antique furniture it contained. 

See what I mean?

Such a deep, dark color that was actually closing this space in. There's a misconception that dark paint will in fact make a room appear smaller, however, dark colors can make the right space look bigger--unfortunately that wasn't the case here.

After painting all of the walls, trim, closet doors, main door, and tending to the ceiling for some clean-up work, this room is transformed!

Better, right?! The neutral color not only compliments the furniture but buyers won't be distracted by that deep, dark color on the walls. Win-win!

Okay, here's the last room we took care of. Ready?

This yellow was extremely bright. In fact, you couldn't see past the color in this bathroom. The yellow just consumed you.  The beautiful espresso cabinets and vanities were non-existent up against all that saffron. Agreeable Grey (yet again) to the rescue.

Paint definitely made all the difference when it came to this home--in the colors that were originally selected as well as the color used to cover them up. Now buyers will be able to look past the paint on the walls and take in the true size of each of these spacious and beautiful rooms. The high ceilings and skip trowel wall finishes (they may have otherwise missed) will now stand out.  

The investment will be well worth it.

Love, J

Radical Refresh

I love paint.

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record here but seriously, paint makes ALL the difference. Time and time again, a simple paint refresh can totally transform one's home. Such is the case with my recent job. My clients, the "R" family, wanted a complete home makeover, a total change. They wanted lighter and brighter, open and airy, rustic and warm. 

Here is where we began: 

Each room (with the exception of one), every door, the ceilings (all the way up the skylights, too), as well as the trim and baseboards of this home had been painted a deep terra cotta color. A beautiful color on its own, this shade was making their space much too dark and closed in. Also? That bank of upper cabinetry and soffit--which created division between the kitchen and main living area--was blocking natural light from coming in, and made the overall space feel cramped and confined. Together, these two issues made the main living area of this home appear smaller. The beautiful leather couches and gorgeous wood tile floor appeared lost up against these dark walls and trim.

The solution? Remove the cabinetry, paint the ceilings and trim bright white, and update the wall color throughout to a beautiful greige (SW 7030-Anew Gray). In doing so, the furniture and floors would pop, and this home would look much more spacious. The "R" family was also looking to decorate their place with a hacienda/Spanish motif; metals, warm textiles, and rustic furniture to make the greige wall color appear even warmer.

After almost four weeks of work and TWENTY gallons of paint later, check out this transformation!

Look how those floors and furniture come to life. Everything is more vibrant and open. A totally new place!

Crazy, right?! That wasn't all though. The other rooms that needed tending to included the master bedroom and bathroom, a music room, guest bathroom, the girls room, the kitchen, hallway, and laundry.

MASTER BEDROOM

GIRLS ROOM

MUSIC ROOM

THE DETAILS:

Paint: Completed by AFC using Valspar's Dark Kettle Black, SW Anew Gray, and SW Fundamental White

Wall work: Soffit and cabintery removal provided by Shawn Coe (Yuma)

Decor: All decor provided by owner