{three key steps before you hang wallpaper}

Wallpaper is back in a big way for 2010, and even better, it’s an easy way to update your home while staying on budget. I spoke with Leanne, decor manger of Hirshfield’s Maple Grove location, to get her three top tips on hanging wallpaper correctly:

• Ask Questions: People often overestimate their ability or underestimate the scope of a project and end up frustrated. Make sure that you ask plenty of questions before beginning your project, and you can always give your local store a call for help.
• Preparation is Key: Make sure you prep the wall correctly by removing any nicks, paste, etc. from the surface. It’s important to apply sizing – a barrier between the wall and the paper — to allow for ease of hanging and removal.
• Make Sure to Measure: Have accurate measurements of your space to help determine how much paper you need. A double roll generally covers approximately 50 square feet, but this can vary from paper to paper, so make sure to have measurements before you purchase the paper to help determine exactly how much you’ll need.

{tips for making the most of your space}

No matter how large or small your living space, it seems there are always areas that aren’t used efficiently.  Whether your have a guest bedroom that no one enters or a dining room where no one eats, think about ways you can creatively use the space where you dwell.

• Use Your Furniture: One way to better utilize your space is to buy furniture that has multiple functions.  For instance, benches or ottomans with hidden storage are perfect for people short on storage space.  Maybe you find a beautiful antique trunk that you love – it can store off-season clothes, house bills or other files, or collect childhood mementos.  Another way to sneak in extra storage space is to buy long, shallow bins that fit under the bed.  Armoires can work in any room, whether they store TVs and electronics in a living area or linens and toiletries in a bathroom.

   

  

  Ottomans with hidden storage, like this one from Target, can be great for clearing up clutter.

{hirshfield’s hosts benjamin moore color expert doty horn}

Last week, we hosted Doty Horn, Benajmin Moore’s director of color and design, for two nights at Hirshfield’s Design Studio. Doty, a renowned color trends expert, offered insight into Benjamin Moore’s predictions for color trends in 2011. She believes that the overall theme is balance, saying, “the emerging color palette reads more organic than ever before.” Here are her predictions on the influences for 2011:

• The Farm: Doty predicts a shift back to basics – think textures and patterns such as gingham checks, plaids, hopsack and burlap. The color palette is likely to include hues reminiscent of milk, hay and earthy tones, such as Benjamin Moore’s Oat Straw and Grassy Fields.






• Order: The chaos of the past decade has created a desire for structure and balance, which will present itself in the form of geometric shapes, stripes and definitive outlines and borders on design pieces. The black, white and gray scales, including Black Tar, will balance bold primary hues, like Utah Sky.

{is black the new brown?}

This fascination I have with dark walls started back in April, and it’s still going strong. Apartment Therapy has a great dark wall round-up I’d like to share with you. Make certain you scroll to the end of the article as they have additional photo montages. Pay attention to the sheen of the paints used on the surfaces. I have been seeing a lot more high gloss sheens in shelter magazines. In the past, this would have been a decorating NO-NO. Well, NO more.

House Beautiful

Are Midwesterners at all interested in this color trend? Reading AT’s comments, it appears their readers are embracing the darker colors. I’ll be using some black accents in my soon to be remodeled bathroom, but I’m not brave enough to go black on all four walls.

Here is a short Q & A with the editor-in-chief, Stephen Drucker, of House Beautiful on the subject of dark walls.

What say you? Is this influenced by the vampire craze?

Benjamin Moore photo

{trade secrets: prep & paint}

Painting may seem like a simple job, but in truth, it can be almost an art form to paint well.  Here are some tips from Mark Masica, manager of Hirshfield’s Edina store, to make sure you’re getting the most out of your paint job:

• A paint job is only as good as the prep work beneath it: It takes more than a great color to create a beautiful room.  According to Mark, “Filling holes, cleaning, dusting and wiping down the walls are all important prep steps to ensure a clean paint job.”  Light fixture and hardware should be removed before you begin painting, so if you later change them out, the unpainted area won’t show.
• Paint ceiling and trim before walls: Though it can be tempting to start painting the walls of a room first — a common mistake for first-time painters — Masica suggests starting with the ceiling.  “Even the most careful painter runs a risk of getting some of the ceiling paint color on the walls.   If you paint the ceiling first and have a little misstep, you don’t have to re-do a wall you’ve just finished.”
• Paint trim with a brush, not a roller: This might seem like a simple change, but it can have a big impact on the overall look of a room.  Using a brush to paint trim allows you to be more precise and creates a more polished look.

{tips for brightening your home}

I was invited over to my friend’s home the other day to help her come up with ways to brighten and update her first floor. The holidays are upon us, and with entertaining, we all become critical of our home’s décor! We started to discuss what was bothering her the most so we could try to zero in on where to focus, and she kept repeating the phrase “brighten up the place.”

Her home was built in the ’80s and has dark oak throughout the house: baseboards, crown molding, staircase, kitchen cabinets, wood blinds – you get the picture. Over the years she had complimented her dark wood with darker furniture and maroon paints. While her home looked nice, it didn’t have the bright feel she now desires. When I asked her if she was willing to paint her wood, she immediately exclaimed, “No!” While she knew it wasn’t ‘in’ anymore, she couldn’t imagine ‘ruining’ it with paint, since she had heard that you can still see the grain of the wood through the paint. She suggested painting the walls a lighter color and update the throw pillows on her couch with lighter fabrics. While these are all great ideas, I thought there were some additional measures should could implement that would help achieve the lighter, brighter look she wanted.

If you have a house with dark wood or inadequate lighting, the house will feel dark, no matter what you do to the paint colors or fabrics. Here were my suggestions:

{best basement remodels}

In my family, basements used to be referred to as dungeons – dark, musty and old! It was all we knew – both among friends and family.

Then, with the onset of a new century, two kids and a promotion, most of our friends moved from their starter homes to bigger houses with walk-in closets, built-in cabinets AND an unfinished basement.

What opportunity, I thought as I looked around my own unfinished 1,000 square-feet of untapped dreams. The kids were little back then so naturally the space became a playroom — the place for large toys, loud kids and scratches on the wall. But I itched to make it something more; something that beckoned guests to sit a while.

And with the passing of time, my basement transformed from a messy playroom to a gameroom with a pool table, big screen television, a spot for the Wii and a refreshment area complete with a fridge, sink and microwave. And just like the playroom worked with our lifestyle a decade ago, this area is now a welcoming and inviting space for our teenagers to entertain their friends.

But after visiting basements in this year’s Remodeler’s Showcase, I realized that my own basement is lacking in a few areas. If I could do it all over again, these are the elements that I would include for a perfect remodeled basement:

{best uses for bright paint}

Are you paralyzed by the prospect of putting bold or unusual colors in your home? Are you wavering between one neutral shade and the next, wishing you could take the plunge and go for something more unusual?

Well, I have to say, I am not afraid of color – but I am afraid of BAD color! Over the years, I have had to do my share of repainting, either because I was too eager to paint or I chose poorly. And since I love bright and different, I have taken my share of risks in that department –and then once it’s on the wall…well, like I said, I have repainted many a room.

Since I attended the school of hard knocks, I learned many valuable lessons. Now I can use unusual colors, yet avoid the disasters that can come with the territory.

Lesson 1: Try it first!

Hirshfield’s sells smaller quantity, lower cost samples of their colors. Buy a pint, quart or big swatch of the color you love, take it home and paint a patch on your wall to see it – before you buy the whole gallon and waste your time and money. It is also a good idea to look at it for a few days before you actually paint the whole room. You will know if it fits your décor and home after looking at it for a bit, and avoid the do-over. Additionally, there’s an added benefit of motivation to get the project done sooner, since now your wall has a big unmatched patch on it. (Tip: Don’t test before a big party – you might rush a decision that will land you in repaint land!)

Lesson 2: Look at what others are doing.

If you have seen a friend utilize an unusual color and you want to do something similar, ask them if you can use their color. Then you’ve seen how it looks in a whole room! You can also find unique colors used well in many catalogs – and then ask your local Hirshfields store to help you match the one you love. When I was painting the exterior of my 20-year-old house, a friend suggested looking in some new construction neighborhoods for current, unique exterior colors. I took pictures of the ones I loved, and it helped me get out of the rut and bring my house into the 21^st Century.

Lesson 3: If you love it, you’ll love it!

I used to have a red dining room, and I was looking for a change. I fell in love with a purple/blue color and was scared to make the switch. A friend and I were consulting on this decision and she gave great advice: “If you love it, you’ll love it in your room.” I kept trying to talk myself into something more practical, but in then end I continually came back to the color I fell in love with originally. Then I knew…it had to be mine. I have had more compliments on that room color than any other in my home!

If you heed these valuable lessons, you might just be able to avoid the “repaint blues” when you are ready to jump off the deep end into fabulous and unusual colors. You can still be bold, but spend less time and hassle!

{red: hot or haute? }

Red: Hot or Haute?

When thinking of colors in terms of their color temperature, red is at the top of the scale for being a really warm hue. It is commonly referred to as the color of fire and flame and it sizzles in terms of sensuality.

Red is a romantic valentine or a sweet smelling rose on one level — and a feared rash or sunburn on another level. There is nothing wishy-washy about red. It makes a statement no matter how it is used. Red says “stop” one minute and can indicate “come hither” the next.

This color has risen in the ranks of popular colors rather quickly in the last few years. There was a time when a paint dealer sold a quart of red a month and now they sell it by the gallon on a daily basis. Why is this? What happened to make this hue move to the top like the mercury in a thermometer?

One factor in its move to the top is the preponderance of do-it-yourself television shows using red as a makeover color. The one thing a makeover show wants to provoke is a reaction from their participants and their audience.  Whether it is a good or bad response, it needs to be controversial to be memorable. Red enjoys this love/hate reputation that no one can deny is dramatic and thought provoking. Because red was highlighted so often in these shows it gave confidence to consumers that they could achieve dramatic results in the easiest, least expensive method:  a gallon of red paint.

Our connection to certain colors is based on our memories of past experiences or recollections of objects featured in that color. We may have had loved a color because it is the hue of a favorite flower.  You may hate it because it was a color overused by a not-so-favorite neighbor. Looking for the most common, pleasant memories is significant in the selection of colors for products. Because of this packaging often uses red to boost the sales of certain products.  Red can’t and won’t be ignored and will remain in the limelight for years to come.

Used judiciously, incorporating red into your home decorating can be an inviting showstopper.

Here are our favorite picks.

by Pat Verlodt, CMG, Color Guild International for Hirshfield’s

{best uses of yellow in your home}

Yellow was one of the most popular colors of 2009, and with good reason – it is considered to be bright and cheery, and who couldn’t use some cheering up every once in a while? Here are some of the best ways to use yellow in your home and some things to consider when doing so:

• Liven Up A Cold Room: Yellow can be very effective in a north-facing room, adding warmth to a space that might usually feel cold due to the lack of natural sunlight. It also works great on the walls in a lower level to help warm up and bring life into the space.
• You Are What You Wear: It can be tough to find the right shade of yellow to adorn your walls, so a good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t wear it, you probably won’t like it on your walls.
• Natural is Best: When contemplating using yellow in a room, think natural – shades like straw, butter and sunshine yellow are best. I love Hirshfield’s Good Looking (#0918), and Benjamin Moore’s Safari (AF335) is a great butter tone.


Hirshfield's Good Looking



Benjamin Moore's Safari




• Accent Pieces: Yellow is a great accent color to liven up a room without making drastic changes or overwhelming your senses. It’s amazing what bringing in just a touch of yellow will do for a room — think pillows, art and fresh flowers.

Also, remember that when you look at colors online, they’re always a little off, so it’s best to check out samples in the store to determine what shade is perfect for your home.