The Effects of Color

Did I say I'd have that armoire "after" posting the day after Part I?! Silly me. I should know by now that "the best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry (Robert Burns)"! Seriously, I thought I'd have it up and posted by Saturday, but the unexpected happened. I'm done but a little behind getting the post up. So, I thought I'd share an example of how profoundly people are affected by color. I had an awesome example pop into my head today as I frantically tried to get from A to B to C to D....without falling off the hamster wheel (lame, but exactly how I felt!).

If you have read much of my blog, you know I am a "market research analyst" in an unofficial capacity these days and one of my favorite topics is color and how it impacts people on both the conscious and sub-conscience levels. I try to carry that over into my furniture and room makeovers when possible ...because this is a business as well as a passion of mine.

Here's a perfect example of how color has more impact than most people realize:

V8 Fusion Strawberry/Banana vs. Blendz Strawberry/Banana

 

They are essentially the same product made by different labels. Being a mom of picky kids who'd rather starve to death rather than eat anything healthy, I've hunted for every possible option to sneak in some vitamins where ever possible. V8 Fusion has been one of my standbys even though they are getting a pretty hefty dose of natural sugars as well.

I thought I'd try switching it up on them. I found the same basic product for about a dollar less per bottle called Blendz by Nature's Nectar at Aldi's. I slipped it into their glasses at dinner.

Blendz on the left, V8 Fusion on the right.

Big Guy commented on how much he liked it and asked what was different. Middle Guy decided to try it having no idea it wasn't the same old thing. I messed up and put his in a clear glass. He and Big Guy  immediately noticed that the Blendz wasn't the bright red of the V8 Fusion. It is more brown (natural). Immediately the nose turned up and he decided he didn't like it...without even trying it! Following suit, Big Guy suddenly didn't seem so keen on it either...all over the COLOR! Amazing! Funny thing is they taste almost identical. One is just muddier looking:)

Translate this info to your home. See how profoundly a rooms color can impact people?! Color choices can make people want to stay or run. And, it's actually not usually the color so much as the hue that gets messed up. Getting the right tone or shade of a color makes all the difference.

Here's a classic example - yellow:
 

via purehome.com
Barry Dixon does yellow right!



Yellow gone oh, so wrong!


See number 330E-3 Sensible Hue on the color chart below? That would be the soft YELLOW that is on my family room walls!

via materialsworld.com



Family room when we moved in...too intense and gold!



That's that tan looking color on the chart! Amazing. Sooooo much better and restful!

 Perfect example of how color can change drastically from how it looks on the small paint chip versus a large expanse of wall. When in doubt, always go for more muted, grayer, muddier tones and a shade lighter than you actually think you want. Muted colors are softer/more livable and stepping up a shade will keep the color more what you envision versus overpowering.

That doesn't mean be overwhelmed or scared of getting it wrong. Paint is one of the easiest and cheapest things to change in a room that has the greatest impact. So you get it wrong once in a while. We all do. Need some help picking that color(s)? Look at a fabric you love and along the selvage is the printing color test for each of the spot colors. A built-in palette! Or ask the guys behind the counter at a good paint store like Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams...not at Lowe's or Home Depot (turn-over is too high). They know what the most popular colors are and if it's popular, there's usually a reason! Check out House Beautiful's website. They list colors designers love in each shade.

There you go. A quick example of how important color is. Take your time. Pick carefully, but don't stress over it. Get help if need be and if you have to redo it, just remember....EVERYONE has had to redo paint at least once!

Movin' on in!

Today is going to be busy! I'm getting my hair done in an hour and that makes me feel like a princess for the rest of the day:) It's nice to be pampered some...especially when you are the only girl in a house of men (even the dog!). Men aren't much into pampering...in case you've not noticed.

Then, it's to the garage to work on Smokey Bear and finish up two of my other pieces. Hopefully, tomorrow or the next day I can get a couple of them on here to show you some afters! I'm not sure I'll ever tackle another smokey piece. Talk about a chore! I love a good challenge and this has been a good one, but extremely time consuming...which is not something I have any extra of these days. In fact this looks a lot like me today:

Moving along. I figured today would be a good day to take you on into the family room of my house. We're getting more comfortable with each other which means you can come sit down on the couch instead of just standing at the front door looking in. Notice I said sit, not plop. You can plop when I start showing you the hidden dust bunnies and Goldfish crumbs:)

This was the view from the front door when we bought the house.

On to the living/family room (no one can agree on it's name around here). When we bought this house, the absolute first thing I did was rip off that ridiculous looking molding seen here over the fireplace mantle. What in the world were they thinking?! This is a testament to how I am willing to TRY just about anything involving some level of skill with my hands. Chemistry or math, not so much:)

I'd never done sheet rock repair of this magnitude. There was a TON of joint compound slathering and sanding going on in this room for the next two days (and sneezing, coughing, and washing of hands)! God was good to me. You can't even tell it was ever there now:) I also had to lighten up this gold wall color. It is now the same color as the foyer above the chair rail...my "happy accident" color. Closet match would be Behr's Sensible Hue.


See how much better it is WITHOUT that "architectural detail"? That's not something that will usually come out of my mouth!

 See the toy pail there? Moroccan, solid hammered copper. I found it yard sailing last fall for $5.00! Sold!

This is a hard room to shoot with my mid-line camera. That's another thing on my "list" to upgrade soon.

The bamboo matchstick blinds were on clearance for about $5.00 a piece! The lamp was a brass Goodwill find I painted black years ago and the curtains were more of my remnant finds. Those green pillows on the sofa were what I impulsively matched for my dining rooms walls - so uncharacteristic of me to do that with color!



These colors are more accurate.

See the little white wine table and brown chair on the right? Those were my grandmother and grandfather's. The Barcalounger we bought (discounted floor model) for me to sleep in during the last stages of my second pregnancy. It's now "Daddy's Chair". The little table on the left was an outdoor plant stand I screwed a scrap piece round cutout on and spray painted white.

The little telephone table behind the sofa was my grandmothers and the lamp shades were clearance finds for about $5 a piece. I love this seagrass rug. I had it custom made about 7 years ago at a company in Charleston, SC for $600. It's 10'x14' with a thick urathane backing and it's been put to the test! Did you know you can steam clean these babies? I would know:) Three boys and two dogs have each made their presence known at some point.

That ottoman was my second attempt at furniture making (first was a round ottoman on casters). It's made from a board, foam bench pad, batting, remnant fabric and fence post caps! My kids LOVE this thing. I made it when it became obvious the glass topped coffee table was a disaster in the making with boys around:)  It's been laid on, jumped on (when they didn't think I was watching!), played on, etc. It's sturdy to say the least. That poor sofa was our first furniture purchase 11 years ago as newlyweds. It's been a work horse and has held up remarkably well. I still love the color of it. It's a olive khaki green and very versatile. It is time to retire it though. I need a microfiber one these days  - or I could do like "Ma" on Everyone Love's Raymond and just get me a plastic couch cover!

Loved that show:)

Hope you enjoyed your visit. I did! Let's do it again soon. Need any help getting off that sofa? It's a great napper:)

Miss Bee