THE POWER OF PAINT

The power of paint – or color on walls – is underestimated. Not only is paint a cost effective way of making a change to your room or house, but it also plays a huge part in setting the mood in your space.

How you use paint can create a light and bright image – making a room look bigger and a dark room lighter – or just the opposite – making a big room look smaller, cozier and warmer.  With faux painting, different textures and effects can be created that can only add to the atmosphere, mood or theme of your décor.

As walls make up the biggest area you need to cover (or consider) in decorating your room, it is very important that you give it considerable thought. Things to take into consideration:

1.      The function and mood of the room:

·         Yellow: Is a warm color mentally stimulating and will enliven a dark, south facing room,

·         Orange: A vibrant secondary color that works well in a room that receives little natural light. Peach and orange stimulate the appetite and digestion as well as stimulate creativity, and therefore makes a good color for kitchens, studios and sociable environments,

·         Blue:  Is a natural companion for white and evokes a sense of coolness and spaciousness in a room and therefore best used if you want to create a peaceful atmosphere in a room.  These colors work well in bedrooms, bathrooms and places like waiting rooms, Be careful how much blue you use though as too much can have a depressing effect. To balance blue, use orange or yellow , which is complimentary colors to blue (see the color wheel),

·         Red: Is a stimulating color, but too much can have a very aggressive effect. It can lift the mood in a dull room, but can totally overpower a room if used too much,

·         Pink:  Is a nurturing and pacifying color and therefore works well in bedrooms and bathrooms,

·         Green:  Is a magical color of nature that, in its different shades, can bring both calmness and live to a room. I t is a balancing color that sooths the heart and gives an impression of space,

·         Purple: Is a strong color that is associated with royalty and elegance. It is best used sparingly, as it can easily overpower a room,

·         Brown: Is a mixture of fall/autumn colors and can – when combined with the correct colors - create a warm and friendly atmosphere in a room. Too much brown can have the opposite effect ,

·         Black and White: White is the color of cleanliness, but can also be cold and isolating. In combination with black it is dramatic and sophisticated. Using white to set of other colors is the most effective way of using white.

 2.      The effect of light on color:

·         Natural light entering your room through windows and other light sources within the room can have different effects on color. This happens because color pigments have the ability to absorb and project different rays from light.

·         Paint on a small sample in the paint shop under bright neon light might look very different on a large wall in your room with little light – or yellow light from a lamp. In order to help you with your decision, buy a small amount of paint, apply to your wall in a sizable square and live with it for a few days. This way, you can see what the color looks like in the day light, at night time with the artificial lighting going and can find out what effect the color have on you. Someone that loves red and want to make a dramatic statement in a room might find that having red on their walls is making them restless and aggressive.  In this case, they can still use red but experiment with different shades or tones of red – maybe a darker burgundy or a dark pink and use the ruby red as accent colors.  The same goes for any other colors.

 3.      Colors have an effect on each other:

·         This is where the color wheel is very important.

·         Take the whole of the room’s color scheme into consideration when you decide on your wall color.  Take a special good look at your window coverings and furniture.  Texture also comes into play in this equation.

·          As example: A color scheme of soft greens in furniture upholstery and drapes will look very dull against a paint of light caramel, but will look bright and crisp against a wall painted a bright white or soft yellow. 

·         When you place a dark color next to a light color, the darker color looks more intense. Placing that same dark color next to a lighter shade of itself, and the effect is not so dramatic and intense. This is a way for you to still use that dark purple in your small room without it dominating you room. Use the dark purple as an accent color on your couch that is covered in grayish-purple upholstery set against a wall painted an even lighter shade of the grayish –purple.

 4.      Your personal style and taste:

·         Maybe this is the most important consideration of all. What looks stunning in someone else’s home may not look that good in yours. Look at your furniture and accessories to get inspiration for color choice.  If you want to make a total change look at pictures in magazines to help you decide on what you like and take your queue/inspiration from that.

This is just a few pointers. Playing with paint color is so much fun. Enjoy yourself and the process. The end result is so satisfying. Nothing beats the feeling of walking into a room that vibrate with your favorite colors and reflects your personality. Remember this is your space where you need to be comfortable.

For more advice on color and choosing a color scheme, please contact mari@bokmakiri.com

Everybody I know wants a beautiful home, and almost all these people have their own ideas of what a beautiful home should look like. Some see this picture of an old Victorian house decorated with fitting pieces of furniture and fabric, others see this very modern, all glass building furnished with chrome and vibrant color. Some even see an all green home - built entirely from organic or recycled products.

The problem usually lies with making that picture a reality. Most people have a clear vision of what they want, their likes and dislikes, what the picture must look like, but putting all the pieces of the puzzle together in such a way as to fulfill that vision, is not always that easy. Add the cost of redecorating or remodeling your home and that is enough to turn that clear, bright vision into a faded, smeared and badly developed picture.

One way of making your vision a reality is hiring a professional interior decorator or interior designer. These are people trained to help you make your vision a reality. They have the knowledge, skills and resources that can transform your home into your vision.

These skills ultimately come at a cost that can take a considerable amount of money out of your decorating budget.

Which brings me to the second option. This is the option where you can still receive expert advice from and interior decorator, even gain advantage from their resources, but do so at your own pace and as your budget allows. There will be a specified fee charged for the service, but it is considerably less that the rates charged in option one. This is how it works:

You tell your interior decorator about yourself and your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes, you describe your vision to him/her. This way, the decorator can get to know you better in order to interpret your needs and vision. This can even be achieved via the Internet. On the Internet, this "conversation" will be in the form of a question and answer checklist. You also give/send the decorator the dimensions of the room you want to re-decorate along with pictures of the room. With this, you include measurements of permanent fixtures, fireplaces etc. You also tell him if there are certain pieces of furniture in the room you would like to keep, and include pictures and dimensions of those pieces. You also set your budget at this stage.

Armed with all this information, the decorator can now start working on a tailor made design plan for you - your needs and vision. This design plan can include:

1. A master plan of the room, drawn to scale,
2. The furniture lay-out and traffic pattern in the room - the furniture (drawn to scale) as it should be arranged in the completed room,
3. A sample board, showing samples of the suggested fabric, fittings etc to be used in the room,
4. Elevations - Colored renderings of the interior walls as seen from the center of the room (furniture, paintings, bookcases etc), showing what the decorator envisions the room to look like.
5. A three-dimensional tour through the decorated room - this may be optional.

On completion of the design plan, the designer returns it to you. You now know what you need to transform your room, where everything needs to be placed, what the dimensions of furniture should be, what colors to use etc. Now you can work at your own pace and as your budget allows you to buy the items you need or re-upholster that sofa that you wanted to keep etc.

A third option to use is buying collections already put together by a decorator. A basic decorator's collection for a bedroom will include all the bedding, pillows and curtains (drapes), with something special (like matching candles and candle holders).

Sometimes, you are happy with your wall color and furniture, but need a change. This is where option three comes in handy - and saves you a lot of money and time. You will either be able to go to the decorator's store or website and look at the already put together collections, make your choice from there, buy, and off you go, or you can combine this option with option two - at an extra cost. Either way, you will still have the professional look you wanted, combined with the satisfaction of putting everything together yourself.

At www.bokmakiri.com, we offer you the option of expert advice and a design plan (as explained in option two). Please feel free to contact me mari@bokmakiri.com for more information.

We plan to offer the added option of a ready to buy decorator's collection.

Friendly bokmakiri greetings,

Mari