A question about decorating a Master Bedroom with a gray

Q. I am decorating my new master bedroom. I want a room that is very sophisticated with clean lines, but still feels warm. I have dark furniture-black/brown wood, and I would love to incorporate a gray in the room either on the walls or accents.  I am looking for ideas on wall color, blankets and sheets, decor, rugs, etc.

A. My suggestion is to work with the gray as the wall color, and then bring in accent colors with the bedding, window treatments, rugs, etc.  Gray is the type of color that needs to work with everything in the space or it can feel a bit industrial.  When I created the grays in my color collection I made sure that they have a browner undertone so that they would work well with accent colors, and not come off looking too pink, blue or green.  For the walls I would recommend the MW-16 Rain Drop, and the trim and ceiling I would recommend MW-41 Glowing White.  For accent colors, I would consider bringing in eggplant purple and a rust tones as one option, or for a more serene type of feel bringing in blues and chocolate browns.  Also work with texture in the space, and consider bringing in vases or artwork that gives you small pops of color.  Sometimes less is more when bringing in accent colors! Good luck and Happy Painting and Decorating!

In these times, support the local paint stores!

Eagle Paint and Wallpaper, Englewood NJ

I am writing this blog because I found myself in awe when I went to a home center "box store" over the weekend and watched people purchasing paint.  I started to listen intently to what type of advice was being given to the "do-it-yourselfers" and I was a bit taken back.
   I will start off by saying that there will probably be some disappointed people that will be coming back complaining after they brought home their paint.  There was one women who caught my attention because it looked as though she was making a substantial investment in these products and she was trying to educate herself on how to apply this paint.  What struck me as odd was that she had sample boards that she was matching that she had painted herself.  (The one thing I can say in this industry that needs to be changed is the notion that you will always get an exact match when color sampling.  It is not always true, and I believe that this is a perfect example as to why it can be a bad idea.  That is for another blog entry...)
   I watched the employee take her painted board to put on the computer to read the color, and he did not even check the formulation.  Then the next question was, "Do you plan on doing one coat or two?" This is not a question that a seasoned professional in this industry should every ask! Her response was "I did not know I could do just one coat, but you would know better than I do".  Then he said "Well, you will use less paint with one coat, and since it is a lighter color, this paint should do the trick". The paint he tinted was a lesser quality gallon of paint-I will not mention brands because I do not want to offend anyone.   This woman probably thought she was getting a deal which is why she went to the box store in the first place, but now she will need more paint because there is no way it will ever cover in one coat, and in a year it will probably need to be repainted because that paint will never hold up on the wall.
    When the man took the gallon out of the shaker he did not even test the color.  He just handed it off and said "next in line...".
    This women spent her valuable time making this sample, and then trusted that it would come out exactly the same when switching brands.  Why would she not trust this? They are the professionals, right?
  Not only did she take the time to make a sample board to approve her color, but she also asked about the procedure as well as took the time to try the paint out before using it on her wall.  Now she does not know what color she got, and the product is not even the same as she tested out.
   I wanted to take her aside and send her to the local "town paint store", but the damage was done.  This is probably something that is happening every minute in this industry, and it is a shame.  People do not know what they are purchasing, and this is not like a shirt that will be worn a few times, and then sit in the closet.  It is a material that will be in their homes for years to come.  It is the overall appearance of the walls when you see your space every day.  I hope for her sake that the color matched, but something tells me that it did not, and she will end up repainting this space, wasting time and money, because of the careless procedure of the box store.  Not to mention that she will be back to purchase more paint for sure and probably end up spending more money.
    The moral of the story is this.  Shop local paint stores, and support small business. The type of service and products you get will be worth every penny, and the advice that you receive should be worth everything when your space looks fantastic in the end. Good luck and Happy painting!

Answers to your paint color questions...

Hello Everyone,
   I am always getting questions about paint and color, so I am starting to answer the questions in my blog for everyone to see.  If you have a question, send me an e-mail at mwcolordesign@gmail.com.  You can view all of the colors in the "Michelle Winick Color Collection" on my website http://www.michellewinickdesign.com/index.php/color-collection/color-collection/
Happy painting everyone!


     Q. I am looking for the perfect living room color that will fit my mood for all seasons. Our sofa is ivory white.  There is lots of light in the room and the trim, built-in bookshelf and the fireplace across from the sofa is white. We will be using a natural colored jute rug on the floor so our options are pretty endless.  Also fyi, the one color I would not like is a green.  Any suggestions for a soothing, livable color would be great! 


       A. You have so many options for this space because of the neutral tones that you have with the furnishings and the rug.  My suggestion is to bring in a paint color that compliments the spaces elements, and makes the neutral pieces stand out against the walls. I would recommend bringing in a blue-gray into the space.  This type of color will work great with the natural color of the jute rug.  It will pop against the white built in, and still work great with ivory sofa.  Since you are incorporating a white and an ivory, you need a color on the walls that will work with both.  Take a look at the MW-14 Ocean Rain for the walls, and the coordinating trim and ceiling color MW-41 Glowing White.  This is a combination that will give you timeless color, and will work on a winter day or a summer evening! Good luck and happy painting!

Paint colors can change your life!

 


A paint color in a room can change the way you feel every time you walk in that space. People are effected by the design all around them, and the color surrounding you will change your mood whether you realize it or not.  The way you feel physically and emotionally has much to do with the color. If you are happy in a room in your home, then it will make you feel better when you are there.  
   When I work with clients, I try to convey the message that your home should be your oasis.  Everyone will have an opinion of how they want your space to look, but YOU are the one that needs to love the space you have.  While we may all have things that we want to change about our home, we all deserve the right to love the space we live in.  We can all use paint in some capacity to change a space, and create a space that we can call "home".
  This is why I love what I do every day.  I get to bring something into peoples lives that can make them happier.  How many people can truly say that about their jobs?  In this economic climate, we are not all privileged enough to make costly improvements in our homes, but most of us can still afford paint.  You may be reading this article right now sitting on a sofa that you wish you could replace, or a kitchen that you want to rip out, and that will cost thousands of dollars.  We all sit and wonder, "What if I had the money to change this room in my house?".  The answer is that you can do that with just a few gallons of paint.
   In traveling throughout the East coast meeting paint dealers that are taking in my color collection, I have been able to get feedback from all different markets.  Some areas are considered to be areas where certain brands of paint dominate the shoppers that walk into a store.   They sell a great illusion with the pictures they put on their displays, or the advertising they do saying they are the best, but did they create something that is meant for a homeowner that is not a designer and does not have all the knowledge that they do about color?  The educated consumer is willing to look beyond brand name labels and see an innovative product that is not only selling a different kind of color appeal, but a brand that stands behind quality above anything else.  At its core, that is what the "Michelle Winick Color Collection" is all about.
  I was inspired to write this particular blog because I got a phone call from a person who listened to me speak passionately about paint and color a few months back.  This was a person who came to my seminar as a way of getting some information, and left with something invaluable.  He left with the opportunity to make his house his "home".  I explained to my crowd of about 25 people that day that I have not only created "paint colors" but something that has the power to change an environment.  I went into my seminar looking to educate the people that came to listen to me speak about color, and left with an experience that has changed the way I look at this palette of colors that I have created.  I have learned that this goes way beyond just a gallon of paint that someone puts on their walls.  It is a lifestyle, a feeling, a mood, an emotion that changes how one looks at their space.  The fact that a paint color can do that is remarkable.
   I urge everyone that is looking to repaint a room or a whole house to "think outside the box" and look at a palette of colors that has been created to make your space "color perfection".  A harmonious palette of luxury has been created for you, and only you.  YOU are the one who determines the feeling you want to come home to every day, and you now have the opportunity to do this will just a few gallons of paint.
   The "Michelle Winick Color Collection" is something that came from the need for usable, livable color in the paint industry. The collection has now developed an amazingly loyal following by the people that have experienced it in their homes.  I never thought when creating this palette that I would be told "if your color collection did not exist, I would be in therapy trying to put this entire house of colors together myself".  While we all know this is an exaggeration, we can all appreciate that our time is valuable, and when your get stuck in details of a project that become too hard to finalize, we could all use a coach in that field as a way to allow us to feel confident that we are not making a mistake.
   I leave this blog with this quote.  "There is no better feeling than loving your home, and paint can help you to achieve this goal.  Let your walls glisten, and your home sparkle."