{february color of the month: awakening 0560}

In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently – a sort of jack of all trades. Hirshfeld’s February’s Color of the Month is just that. A color our employees go to when customers don’t want a gray and they don’t want a beige, but they want a neutral.

Awakening 0560 is a chameleon color.  It looks gray or it looks beige depending on the lighting in your home.  Some of our customers want to go gray (“because gray is all the rage, you know”) but can’t commit to a true gray without spending a lot of money changing their entire decor. Awakening is an excellent choice for hinting at the gray color trends.  You can see in the photo below it’s also a very flattering color when used with taupes, grays and browns.

Awakening 0560 is the backup singer allowing other design features in the room to take center stage – Bachman’s Ideas House

Cindy (Hirshfield’s Maple Grove) says it’s a color that should satisfy EVERYONE! Pay attention all you “I-don’t-know-what-color-I-want” people! This is the color for you.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

 

{trendwatch: how to create a hygge home}

Have you heard of Hygge? It’s a Danish word that doesn’t have a direct translation — although coziness and hominess are close — and it’s certainly becoming a big thing in the states.

Huffington Post says, “Hygge is about feeling calm, feeling connected to your own sense of wellbeing, and above all feeling cozy.” There are even two new books devoted to the Hygge lifestyle: The Book of Hygge by Louisa Thomson Brits and The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking.

What is Hygge?

It’s pronounced “hoo-ga” or “hue-ga,” and it’s the style and lifestyle that helps the Danes get through their long, cold winters (yeah, we can relate).

According to the Observer, Hygge is best described as “a living room where the fireplace is roaring, candles line the room, no one is looking at their phone and you’re all under blankets eating home-baked cookies and drinking mulled cider.”

{holiday deals: hirshfield’s labor day paint sale}

Labor Day. It’s the traditional end of summer. And the last chance to get out and have some fun — or get your projects done. That’s why we have our own tradition — Hirshfield’s Labor Day Paint Sale.

Whether you’re working inside or outside, with paint or stain, you’ll find a deal to help. Here are some of the highlights:

Hot Deals

• Sikkens SRD Transparent Wood Finish — Save $11 on Gals. (with sale and mail-in rebate) Offer expires Oct. 15
• Cabot Exterior Stains — Save $13 on Gals. (with sale and mail-in rebate) Offer expires Sept. 11
• Storm Wood Care Systems — Save $9 on Gals. (with sale and mail-in rebate) Offer expires 12

{friday finds: freshly painted home for military family}

After a 400-day deployment, a Minnesota soldier will return home to find his house in much better shape than he left behind. And we’re proud to tell you how Hirshfield’s was able to help.

The St. Paul Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Network identified a family that needed help and Hirshfield’s was happy to team up with Protect Painters of Twin Cities, North Metro Minneapolis & Saint Paul to provide it.

{battling the elements: painting the methodist hospital helipad}

If you’ve ever tackled an outdoor painting project, you understand some of the challenges facing the crew that painted the helipad at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.

Hirshfield’s Rust-Oleum representative Paul Kiminski and Lindee Construction dealt with the uncertainty of Minnesota weather along with the unique circumstances surrounding a hospital helipad.

According to Kiminski, the challenges included:

• Working around the constant threat of rain.
• Closing down the Emergency Room and diverting helicopters to other hospitals.
• Shot blasting off the existing coating.
• Detailing and taping off all the different lines and graphics.

{four things you need to know about Minnesota PaintCare}

Have you ever noticed the fee that’s tacked on to your receipt when you buy paint in Minnesota? That is the PaintCare fee — ranging from 35 cents up to $1.60, depending on the size of the container. PaintCare is a program for recycling stains, topcoats, or house paint that has been funded by that fee in Minnesota since November 1, 2014. So, what do you get for your money? Here is what you need to know about PaintCare:

Recycling paint is free.

That fee you paid when you purchased your paint isn’t a deposit — you don’t get it back, but  it applies to much more than the paint you just bought. Those fees keep the program running. But you can drop off any household paint, even if it’s been sitting in your basement for thirty years.

PaintCare accepts architectural paint products.

That includes house paint, primers, stains, sealers, clear coats, shellac, lacquer, and varnish.

{muted color palettes}

Color schemes don’t always have to be bright or bold to make a statement. Subtle, muted color palettes can provide a timeless beauty and create a clean slate to incorporate whatever new design trends come in the future. Here are 5 examples of style and sophistication with muted color palettes.

Interiors by Jay Nuhring House Styling and photography by Spacecrafting

Jay Nuhring, Home Stylist, worked his magic with grays, greens and creams, and accessorizing with color, creating a light and airy vibe in MyHomeSource’s beautiful model (#248) in the Spring Parade of Homes Tour.

{lake home and cabin show preview}

Minnesotans love our lakes. In the summer, we can’t wait to get to the cabin for the weekend (or hopefully more).  In the winter, we look for ways to make that lake home or cabin even better. That’s why the Lake Home & Cabin Show is such a popular attraction every February.

The 12th annual Lake Home & Cabin Show runs from Friday to Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and  a team from Hirshfield’s Shop at Home will be there to answer your window treatment and decorating questions. We had so much fun last year we’re doing it again this year!

The show offers a stimulating three-day lifestyle experience with more than 250 exhibitors showcasing everything you need and want for your lake home, cottage or cabin. Exhibits include furnishings, furniture and décor, real estate, builders, remodelers, architects, finance, recreational products, boats and marine products, landscaping and lakeshore products and services, unique accessories, gifts and a host of other items specific to the second home lifestyle. There are also free interactive features, demonstrations and educational seminars on the Cabin Living Stage.

What to Expect

The Lake Home & Cabin Show is for people who own or are interested in buying second homes and those people who simply want to decorate their existing homes in lake home, cottage or cabin décor.  Here are some of the things you will find at the show:

• Rustic and Specialty Furniture & Furnishings
• Architects, Builders & Remodelers
• Real Estate & Finance
• Sporting Gear, Outdoor Equipment & Marine
• Landscaping & Lakeshore Maintenance
• Custom Products, Accessories & Publications
• How-To Seminars & Demonstrations

Schedule

The Lake Home & Cabin Show runs Friday-Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

• Friday, February 19    2 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Saturday, February 20    10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Sunday, February 21    10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Stop by Booth 433 to see what’s new this year and to check out the Show Specials.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

{friday finds: historic christmas letters}

For many people, the holidays are a time for reflection. For others, a time for tradition. At Hirshfield’s, we like to review the following exchange of Christmas-time letters as a symbol of both. We look back at these letters, written during WWII, and see the remarkable bond between our Hirshfield’s family and an employee serving overseas during the war.

The letters — one sent on Christmas Eve, 1943 — were written to a friend and colleague named Gilbert, who was serving in the army’s medical corp, eventually becoming a POW. When the war ended, Gilbert came home and came back to Hirshfield’s — where he continued to work into his 80s.

These letters give us a glimpse into Hirshfield’s history, and that of our country. When you see a reference to “Mrs. Hirshfield and the Doctor,” they are referring to Hans’ grandfather, who not only ran the business but was also a physician. Apparently this surprised some of his patients who, when they noticed the doctor’s paint-splattered shoes, questioned the validity of his credentials.

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.

{how do you paint brick?}

Tricks for Painting Bricks

Painting brick isn’t for everybody. But if you don’t like the color or texture of your brick, deciding to paint over it can open up your design choices, as we explored in our last blog. So, once you decide to paint your bricks, what are the tricks? Whether you’re working indoors or outside, you’ll need to start with a good scrubbing. And you’ll need to leave plenty of time for drying, because bricks are porous. They soak up moisture and require extra cleaning attention.