I love helping my clients select colors for a remodeled room. Colors often reflect the latest home design trends but can also be a personal statement. To me the latter is more important because it is the way homeowners define their space. There are many ways to add color to a home but people most often ask me about paint colors.
How to Select Interior Room Colors
One of the keys to using color in a home setting is to coordinate the hues of various rooms. Think of your home as a color palette when making color choices. I find that people are often afraid of experimenting with color and are unsure of what tones will be pleasing in their homes. Here are a few tips to help you select interior colors:
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Consider colors that appeal to you. What colors are most frequently in your wardrobe? If you’ve visited homes or cut out photos of rooms that serve as an inspiration for your project, what colors caught your eye?
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Look at your furnishings for keys to wall color. If you have upholstered pieces, what are the dominate colors? Would you use a similar or complimentary color on the walls?
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Use the “Color Wheel”. Remember your art classes in elementary school when the art teacher pulled out a color wheel? Those principles are helpful in selecting wall colors, trims and accents for a room in your home.
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Do’s and Don’ts. Check out HGTV’s list of do’s and don’ts for selecting interior colors.
Online Paint Selection Tools
Paint manufacturers try to do some of the work for you. Several have put together palettes that simplify the process of selecting colors for your home and actually make it fun. Some of our favorite palettes are Benjamin Moore’s “Historic Colors”, 174 colors found in homes of the 18th and 19th century that have stood the test of time, and “Pottery Barn” colors, which are ever changing with today’s furnishing and fabric trends.
Sherwin Williams has a great website that allows you to experiment with color before you invest in paint. You can upload a photo of your room to the site or select photos of rooms that represent your space. You can play with color to help choose shades that are ideal for your home.
Pittsburg Paint also has an interactive palette to help you with color selections.
Our Picks for the Hottest Interior Room Colors in 2012
If you still are having trouble deciding, here are our picks of great neutrals and hot, bold colors that we’re seeing in Central New York homes for 2012:
Neutral Colors
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Off Whites: “Mayonnaise” by Benjamin Moore. Interior designers in popular magazines note that this color is one of their favorites.
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Great Beiges: “Navajo White” by Benjamin Moore is a classic color that can be used for walls and trims. This color has appeared on the Pottery Barn color chart and is popular with decorators.
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Greens: Martha Stewart loves sage greens. HGTV also has been showing this color in its kitchen renovations on many shows. If you’re looking for a rich sage green, try Benjamin Moore’s “Sherwood Green”. Other popular greens are Moore’s “Jalapeno Pepper”, a past Pottery Barn color that has more yellow or classic “Georgian Green” which complements natural wood cabinetry and flooring.
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Blues: Benjamin Moore’s “Palladian Blue” is a teal blue neutral perfect for kitchens, baths and bedrooms. We love it in combination with tans and browns, grays and purples.
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Yellows: Yellow is a tough color to pick but can be an outstanding neutral. It can be paired with red, blue, green, coral, peach and black accents. Our choice is Benjamin Moore’s “Montgomery White” which looks terrific in any room or hallway.
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Grays: Gray is really a “hot” neutral color this year because it grounds most any room, accents dark wood furniture and makes red, purple, yellow, black and blue accent colors ‘pop’. Check out Moore’s silvery “Coventry Gray”.
Bold Colors
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Gold: Benjamin Moore “Dorset Gold” is a rich yellow-orange color that works well with dark woods, blacks, dark reds and browns.
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Deep, dark blues: Moore’s “New York State of Mind” is a fantastic blue with just a touch of green. It works well with yellows, blacks, reds and stands out against white. Great for a bathroom or bedroom.
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Orange: Peruvian Chili is a new hot color by Benjamin Moore for 2013. We’d like to see this used with blacks, brown, natural woods and with cream accents. Perfect in kitchens with black granite counters and medium to dark woods.
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Reds: The new colors from Benjamin Moore include a bright rich red, Cherry Burst, that will make blacks, grays, blues and whites sparkle.
What other hot colors do you see for 2012?
Our customers often ask for our thoughts about design trends when they plan a project. We remodel a lot of bathrooms each year and are happy to share ideas about trends and products to help homeowners in the planning process. Based on bathroom remodeling projects we’re doing here in Central New York, and what we’re observing nationally, here are our picks for best bathroom design trends that we believe will add comfort, function and value to your home:
1. Walk-in showers for today’s busy lifestyle.
Walk-in showers were on our list of bathroom design trends for 2011 and are at the top of our list for 2012 because they are easy to maintain, attractive and accessible. More homeowners are choosing walk-in showers for their master bathroom.
2. Add style with tile.
Tile design is an essential element in any bathroom remodeling project. Tile provides a water barrier in the shower, tub and sink areas and on the floor. Bathroom tile has changed significantly over the years. The options include porcelain, glazed, natural stone, glass and tiles made from other materials. The shapes, textures and colors have also changed. Standard square ceramic and vinyl tile are out; two of the hottest new trends are glass tile and natural stone pebble mosaic tile.
3. New designs of quartz surfaces are gaining popularity in bathrooms.
Quartz is both beautiful and functional in a bathroom. It is easy to clean, and comes in designs that look like marble and granite. Cambria and now Zodiaq quartz have created veined designs. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) says that more designers are using quartz with clients in their latest list of kitchen and bathroom trends.
4. Brushed nickel and brushed satin nickel fixtures and hardware accent a variety of design styles.
NKBA is also seeing an increase in the number of homeowners installing brushed satin nickel fixtures and hardware in their bathroom remodeling projects. We also like brushed nickel. Both are easy to maintain and complement most designs from modern to classic.
5. Heated floors add comfort to Central New York bathrooms.
We compile this list in January when temperatures are dropping. It may take time to heat your home in the morning and bathroom floors tend to be cold. Heated floors add a touch of comfort when you get up on a winter morning to start your day.
6. Brighten up a bathroom with bold colors.
Bathrooms are often small spaces and the perfect place to add a bright color to the palette of your home. You can add color by selecting accent tile, wallpaper or paint. Today’s “hot” colors for bathrooms include apple greens, burgundy, gold, turquoise or the combination of “jet black and bright white”.
7. Consider “adaptability” when planning your bathroom project.
Having a bathroom that is “accessible” is important at all stages of life. The “Baby Boom Generation” is a key consumer group and as this cohort updates their living spaces, they desire changes that add comfort, are aesthetically pleasing and don’t scream “old age”. Even young active families may encounter times when using a bathroom may be a challenge, like when a child breaks an arm or sprains an ankle. Here is a list products that add function to any bathroom space:
- Handheld shower
- Shower and bath tub seats
- Wall mounted sink
- Vessel sink
- In-tile grab bars or grab bars integrated into the design of the tub and shower areas
- Comfort height toilet
- Gooseneck spouts and lever handled fixtures
- Non-slip surfaces in floor, shower and tub areas
Also, check out Kohler’s video on “universal design”.
A ceiling is often overlooked in a home remodeling project but it is the area that can add architectural interest to almost any room. Here are four ways to update a room by changing the look of the ceiling without changing the structure.
Coffered Ceilings
A coffered ceiling is a specialty ceiling treatment with recessed panels framed by beams. Most of us are familiar with this type of ceiling in Craftsman style homes or formal, ornate homes. The ceiling is a series of square or rectangular panels accented by beams. Coffered ceilings are a good way to hide support beams and provide a uniform look to a room. These ceilings can be constructed from a variety of different wood species or composite materials.
Exposed Trusses or Beam Ceilings
Exposed trusses or beam ceilings can add rustic charm to a home, make a high ceiling seem lower or help mask transitions when a new room is added to a home. To install either beams or trusses, a ceiling should be at least 8 feet from the floor. Depending on their function these ceiling features can be made of wood, high density polyurethane foam, metal, fiberboard or a variety of other composite materials.
Tongue and Groove or Beadboard Ceilings
Tongue and groove panels and beadboard can be used to add some character to an indoor or outdoor ceiling. They are a great way to mask minor flaws in ceilings in outdoor areas such as porches and entries or indoors. If you have a home with dormered rooms, you may notice that the ceiling is vulnerable to cracking. Tongue and groove and beadboard can be a good solution to cover cracks caused by seasonal movement.
Crown Molding
Another way to transform a ceiling in a room is to add crown molding. Crown molding can be a simple piece of decorative trim or it can be a combination of many differed moldings that are installed where the wall meets the ceiling in a room.
Crown moldings are made in a variety of architectural and decorating styles to work with your tastes and furnishings. It may be plain or intricate. Standard crown molding profiles include cove (a curved shape); ogee (an s-shape) and dentil molding (carved squares of rectangles). Many other styles are available including rope and leaf relief.
Crown molding can be made from materials such as various wood species, medium density fiber board (MDF) and high density polyurethane foam as well as other composite materials
Crown molding is not only decorative but it can hide flaws in ceilings and is often used in combination with many of the other ceiling details discussed here. It can also be used to create an illusion of space and height in a room.
This is the third consecutive year we’ve talked about some of the most popular design ideas for Central New York kitchens. If you’re thinking about remodeling this year, here are our top five kitchen design trends that will add both function and value to your home.
1. Join the countertop revolution.
Manufacturers of quartz countertops have significantly changed the look of their products over the past year. One of the most stunning products on the market is the new look of Cambria quartz. If you attended the Central New York Parade of Homes in September, you had the opportunity to see Cambria on display in the entry tent and installed in many of the homes on the tour.
Cambria is manufactured in the United States. The new patterns look like granite or marble and come in a range of colors. Quartz is one of the most durable counter surfaces available. It is harder than granite, non-porous, which helps to reduce bacteria growth on food prep surfaces, is easy to care for and affordable.
Another countertop product that has changed dramatically over the past year is laminate. This is not your mother’s laminate countertop surfacing. Formica is producing laminate in patterns that resemble granite, marble and wood. Not only are the colors accurate, but some patterns have raised surfaces that mimic the texture of stone. Formica’s newest line, 180fx, captures the scale and veining of granite and marble. The new designs look great with modern cabinetry. Laminate is sustainable, easy to care for and most importantly affordable.
2. Rethink the sink.
Granite composite sinks are made of 80 percent granite mixed with acrylic resin and are produced in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. They are attractive, durable and come in both drop-in and under-mount styles. One of the primary advantages of a granite sink, compared to others, is that it is scratch resistant.
3. Dark stained wood cabinets are today’s look.
Last year, the National Kitchen and Bath Association published its Top 10 trends for 2011 and noted that expresso and chocolate toned cabinets were “hot”. We see this trend continuing through 2012. Medium to dark brown cabinet tones complement the new countertop colors and patterns available, especially marble and granite. Dark wood provides a warm contrast to stainless steel appliances and glass tile backsplashes provide the perfect accent. Dark woods also work in combination with white painted cabinets.
When remodeling an older kitchen, some homeowners look to tear down a wall to tie the cooking and dining spaces together. An underutilized dining room will then become part of the most active living space in a home. Dark wood cabinets help to integrate dining furniture pieces into the space if your dining set is cherry, mahogany, walnut or teak.
4. Add a “splash” of color with recycled glass tile.
Recycled glass is eco-friendly and adds sparkle to a kitchen when used for a backsplash. Tile is made from melted bottles. The most common colors of recycled glass tile are greens, browns, ambers and clear.
5. Light up the kitchen with creative lighting design and fixtures.
Spend some time thinking about illumination in your kitchen. Pendant lights work well over islands and peninsulas. If you are planning an open floor plan that will tie a kitchen to a dining room or family room, track lighting can be used to define the space. Under-cabinet lighting will help to light up spaces where you use small appliances. If your plans include cabinets with glass doors, install puck lights to display and illuminate the contents. Use dimmers to save on energy and create ambience. Talk with a kitchen designer and an electrician to create a functional lighting plan for your project.
What are your thoughts about kitchen design trends for 2012?
The following article is the last in a series by long-time customer Mary Karpinski. With photos and her elegant writing style, Mary describes her major kitchen remodel - from design to completion. Read all of Mary's Kitchen Remodel articles.
By Mary Karpinski:
After 12 weeks of demolition and construction, our kitchen was finally finished just in time for Christmas! Lead carpenter Jim Welsh installed the last of the appliances on December 23rd. We made it! Jim is a skilled and gifted craftsman who devoted his attention to every detail. The kitchen is exquisite and functional. The true test was when my husband Steve and I, assisted by our daughter Nora, who is a culinary chef in training, served Christmas dinner to our family. Most of our guests gathered in the kitchen. Check it out!
A wall was removed to open the kitchen to the dining room. White cabinets create a bright kitchen and the cherry island and peninsula integrate the kitchen with the formal dining room. The peninsula is topped with a Cambria quartz countertop that resembles marble (“Torquay” is the finish). The same surface is on the island.
The island includes a narrow end cabinet for storage of vinegars, oils and spices.
A beverage bar with sink and undercounter refrigerator was added to serve both the kitchen, dining area and adjacent sunroom. A wall oven and microwave located near the island ease baking.
A dual fuel range stove with a commercial hood that includes a shelf and warming lights was a splurge but well worth the investment. The beveled white subway tile and green/blue glass and marble mosaic tile complement the perimeter countertops and the countertops of the island and peninsula.
A pull-out food pantry was one of my “must haves” for the kitchen.
Full height cabinets create a butler’s pantry.
A flip-down flat screen television was one of Steve’s “must haves”. The perimeter counter is Cambria in a pattern that is hard to distinguish from granite (Praa Sands). Glass cabinets display my collection of “Polish Pottery”. The molding in this kitchen is incredible. Thanks, Jim. A silgranite sink by Blanco, Moen gooseneck faucets and brushed nickel Top Knob hardware complete the updated look.
~Mary
Please send me your comments and questions.
Below are the Top 5 Blog Articles from our Home Remodeling blog in 2011. If you haven’t read them, today may be a good day to dive in and review the ideas and information that turned out to be the most popular amongst your fellow readers of our blog.
5. 4 Entryway Storage Ideas for Families On-the-Go
4. 2011 Remodeling Cost Vs. Value Report
3. 10 Awesome Basement Storage Ideas
2. Our Picks for the Best Bathroom Design Trends for 2011
1. 10 Hot Trends in Kitchen Design for 2011
From our analysis of nearly 100 blog articles we’ve written over the past two years, the most popular articles have these themes in common:
- Design trends and ideas
- Kitchen remodeling
- Bathroom remodeling
- Storage ideas
- Skylights
- Cost vs. Value
The least popular blog articles have been about:
- How to repair things (do-it-yourself articles)
- How to check or inspect things (more do-it-yourself tips)
As we plan our blog articles for 2012, we want to know what you want to read about most. So here’s your chance. Please take our short survey below and tell us.
Happy holidays!
This year was one of change and milestones for us. One of our valued employees, Jim Pitts, whom you’ve come to know and trust, retired after 17 years service. We wish Jim well, and a long retirement, as he travels across the country in his RV.
We also hired seven new employees during the year as demand for our services continues to grow. For this we add a big THANK YOU to our many loyal past customers and especially those who became new McClurg customers this year. Thank you! Thank you!
Yesterday, the McClurg Team and families gathered to celebrate the holiday season. It’s always a festive occasion.
As a special note, this year Scott McClurg became involved helping a former colleague, retired Syracuse Fire Department Deputy Chief Dave Johnson, his wife of 38 years, Diana, and their family of 17 children (3 "home grown" and 14 adopted). In February, Scott was part of a community group that nominated the Johnson Family for the ABC television show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”. The Johnsons were nominated because of their service to the CNY community and their advocacy for and adoption of children in need. When ABC did not select the Johnsons for the show, Scott and some of his friends from the Syracuse Fire Department decided to renovate the Johnson home as a community project, which hopefully will take place this spring. Learn more about the Johnson Family Home Project.
We thank all of our customers who have trusted us with their projects this year. We truly value your continued business and hope the New Year will bring good things to each and every one of you.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
~The McClurg Team
The joy of the holiday season is that we celebrate these otherwise gray and cold early winter days in the warm presence of family and friends. We thought we’d share two home design ideas, one sentimental and the other practical, to help brighten your décor as you plan to open your home and heart to those you love.
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Trim a Christmas tree with family memories. If you visited the Everson Museum’s Festival of Trees your head is probably spinning with great decorating ideas! One of the best ideas however, is very simple. Decorate your tree as if it is a scrapbook with family photos and keepsakes. It will bring a tear to the eye and warm smiles every holiday season. Items to hang on the tree could include:
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Framed photos of family members. Look for small frames for those wallet-sized photos that are part of the school photo packages we all end up buying from year-to-year. Include photos of pets and the family on vacation. Make copies of treasured family photos from the past and size them for small frames. You can make your own frames with scrapbooking papers and cutters. Glue a ribbon onto each frame for hanging the photos on the tree.
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Children’s gloves and mittens. Children’s gloves are brightly colored and the perfect size for hanging on a tree. Just add a wire hook or string a piece of ribbon through the mittens with a yarn needle for an ornament that will be warmly remembered. Single gloves, where a child has long ago lost the mate, are the perfect ornament.
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Holiday school craft projects. When you add these items to the tree for the first time or unpack them in later years, your child’s face when he or she proudly presented it to you as a gift will be forever etched in your mind. Always pack these precious keepsakes with the utmost care because they are often delicate and made from paper, clay and glitter.
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Baby shoes, booties and infant caps. Children grow out of these items far too soon and they never see wear or tear. Hooks or ribbons give them a new purpose on the tree.
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Christmas cards and letters. Do you store away Christmas photo cards of family members? Why not add them to the tree? Special letters or cards received from a family member in the military with wishes for those at home can be hung on the tree to share the greetings with all who gather to celebrate the holiday.
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Antique ornaments passed from one generation to the next. There is something very special about remembering “Christmas Past” during “Christmas Present”, knowing that these keepsakes will be part of “Christmas Future”. Departed family members seem to come alive again in the spirit of the season when you hang items that you remember sharing with them during the holidays.
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A child’s cherished toy. A thread-bare stuffed animal or a much loved doll will shine again on a Christmas tree.
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Deck the halls, doors, walls, mirrors, and mantles with Command hooks. Before Command hooks, indoor holiday decorating meant carefully hammering nails into wood and walls to hang wreaths, stockings, lights and garland. Command hooks can be installed temporarily without leaving a nail hole when removed. They hold items on glass surfaces, such as window panes and mirrors, too.
We only recommend products that we think work well. It’s hard to imagine decorating for Christmas without these hooks and too often hardware stores sell out of them during this time of year. We found a coupon online good until 12/31/11 if you want to give them a try.
What are your tips for decorating for the holidays?
The following article is submitted by one of our long-time customers. Please read her previous kitchen remodeling project articles and follow her kitchen project on our Facebook page.
By Mary Karpinski:
When I started my kitchen remodeling project I knew that I would be making a lot of choices. I LOVE to shop! But I am also cost conscious and look for quality and value. Aside from appliances, all of the great ideas I saw in magazines and on Websites didn’t include information on pricing.
I had an “adviser” in the process of making selections, McClurg Project Consultant Vince Petralito. Vince’s tastes and vision for the kitchen were a bit different than mine but together we went on a shopping expedition and found the right elements that met my expectations and introduced fresh changes that I wouldn’t have considered on my own. Here’s what we found:
Cabinets
Cabinets were the most expensive item on my shopping list. I was a few steps ahead of Vince and had priced some cabinet lines on my own at Home Depot and Lowe’s. The quotes I received were pricey.
Vince suggested that I look at a line of cabinets that McClurg sells, Jim Bishop Cabinets. I never heard of Bishop before. I looked at samples in the McClurg offices and found colors and styles that met my expectations and budget. The cabinets are well crafted with dovetailed joining and full extension glide drawers. The style I selected was Jim Bishop “Quakerstown” in maple. The perimeter cabinets are white and the island and peninsula are cherry.
Countertops
I love the look of granite countertops but the cost can bust a budget. Vince suggested quartz. I cringed because the quartz samples I had seen in recent years really didn’t appeal to me. Maybe I could afford granite for the island and use another surface, i.e. laminate, for the perimeter counters.
Vince and I went to Busch Products twice in search of countertops. On the first visit, we looked at some gorgeous slabs of granite and I took home a few samples. Weeks later we went back and found a brand new line of Cambria quartz counter surfaces that look so much like granite and marble that I couldn’t tell the difference. This line of Cambria countertops took center stage at the 2011 CNY Parade of Homes because of the look and ease of maintenance.
My choice, Cambria “Praa Sands”, for the perimeter looks like the granite I desired. The sheen, movement and “sparkle” are remarkable. For the cherry island and peninsula I chose Cambria “Torquay” which looks like white marble without all of the hassle (marble is porous and easily stains). Quartz is impermeable and wipes off with a wet cloth or paper towel. While at Busch, I selected a Blanco Silgranit sink in Biscuit and a 16” stainless bar sink.
Backsplash Tiles
Armed with a couple of Cambria samples, Vince and I headed to Best Tile to look for wall tiles. Best Tile has the ultimate showroom with an incredible number of displays. I knew I wanted classic white subway tile for the backsplash but “with a twist”. We set down the quartz samples on a table and began to search through tile boards looking for accent tile. A small board with glass and stone mosaic tile caught my eye. Vince grabbed some white tile from the shelves and we laid it out on a table with the quartz and mosaic. Bingo! It was the right combo.
Something else caught my eye in the showroom – a hand painted Italian ceramic relief tile of a rabbit standing in a garden. Vince kept his thoughts to himself as I admired it and discussed using it in the kitchen. The rabbit will be the signature piece for my kitchen.
Faucets and Light Fixtures
Our next stop was Ferguson’s Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery. Since I had selected the sinks, I could now choose faucets. We found a set of matching Moen gooseneck faucets for the main and bar sinks.
While at Ferguson’s a 3-lamp hanging fixture caught my eye. I had looked at pendants but this linear fixture would provide excellent task lighting for the six foot island. I later chose two matching ceiling mount fixtures from the same line for the pantry area.
Hardwood Flooring
Flooring was my easiest choice. In Central New York, with our fluctuations in temperature and humidity, one of the best options is 2-½ inch oak flooring. While I love wide plank flooring, it can shift as a result of expansion and contraction caused by humidity and heating during winter months. I chose select red oak and Brazilian cherry for a border in the dining area. WOW! What a difference from the old beige wall-to-wall carpet that we tore out.
I can’t wait to see everything together as the kitchen takes shape. I plan to take photos of all the details, especially the hand painted Italian ceramic standing rabbit relief tile.
~Mary
When we meet with homeowners to discuss their remodeling ideas, they often tell us that they need more storage space. To help you find solutions, we have developed a guide based on our 30+ years of experience. “Homeowner’s Guide: Storage Design Ideas and Solutions for Every Room” is the fourth in a series of consumer guides we have developed to help answer your basic questions about home remodeling and renovation, and to share information to help make your project a great success.
Storage is always a concern for homeowners and one of the primary reasons for remodeling. This new guide discusses storage problems room-by-room and provides solutions that will add both function and value to your home. If you are planning a remodeling project, you will find ideas that will help you determine how to optimize storage for the items you use and display.
We have included online links in each chapter so that you can browse for some of the best products on the market as well as for more information and ideas about current trends in designing functional storage space.
The Guide addresses the following:
- How to Organize Kitchen Storage
- Universal Design – Kitchen Storage Ideas
- Create More Bathroom Storage Space
- Bedroom Storage and Closet Organization
- Storage Ideas for a Welcoming Entryway
- Storage Ideas for Families On-the-Go
- Family Room Storage Ideas
- Taming the Laundry Room
- Basement Storage Ideas
- Garage Storage Solutions
- Useful Attic Storage Ideas
- Adding An Outdoor Storage Shed
And, please download our other free homeowner’s guides:
We hope you find this information helpful as you plan your next remodeling project.