a classic combo: blue and white

   

a color journey.

  

 

  

 

 

the old days & puppy painting partners

I used to share a lot on this blog.  Well, a lot is an overstatement.  But I used to use my own life as inspiration for posts trying to find cute tie-ins to paint and ways to share both color and bits of my life with you.  Lately, it's been all about the paint.  I think it is because my life is also all about the paint these days.  As a girl, I used to dread going to work with my mom who was doing a lot of decorative painting those days.  I hated it.  I would do it, but I mumbled and grumbled the whole time.  I spent entire summers heading to job sites with her and learning to create custom finishes.  I worked the low sections of the walls while she worked high above me on a ladder.  Once a wall was started we couldn't take breaks because heaven forbid an edge dry out.  The whole wall might have to be redone.  This meant we worked fast and hard and I usually left for the day with paint not only covering my hands and legs, but usually in my hair from my mom's drips from high above.  We like to laugh about this now:  how much I hated painting and how my life revolves around it now.  

While I hated it, I learned a lot not only about paint, toxins and color - but also about how strong and brave my mom was (is)...  although I never would have admitted it then. 

These days things are different.  Our paints don't give me a headache or take a wire brush to remove from my skin.  I still don't love painting (GASP), but I've come to appreciate the process.  It's the single easiest and most cost-effective way to make a huge change in your space.  I love seeing the transformation and my house (much to the boy's chagrin) is my testing grounds and constantly changing colors. 

Since the weekend is just hours away and I find it hard to concentrate on composing a meaningful post on paint and color for you today,  I just thought I'd share all these somewhat random thoughts and make you a promise to start including little pieces of my life here again.  Starting Now...  

As you know, I work from home.  This is both wonderful and problematic at the same time.  There are days I forget to shower until 5 pm and realize the boy will be home shortly.  There are days I forget to eat because I've been wrapped up in some project and am too covered in paint to organize food.  On the contrary there are days when I eat ALL day because you know, I'm home and my house is full of yummy food and it should be eaten right?  There are days I don't leave the house once and feel like I'm going to go crazy.  There are days I feel lucky because I don't NEED to leave the house in the snow/ice/rain/cold and can instead work wrapped in a sleeping bag without judging eyes.  There are days when I am super productive without the distraction of others.  There are days where I am not so productive with the distractions of laundry, cleaning, the ocean down the street.  But mostly there are days where my only companion (aside from the emails and phone calls which don't really count as personal interaction in my book) is my pup. 

And because of this...  we've become close.  

And she has become my painting partner.  And while she isn't super helpful when it comes to the painting...  she is always there to keep me company. 

you can find her on any drop cloth, dangerously close to open paint containers... 

Or lounging around during photoshoots:

During this project for Good Homes, she stayed from the start...

to completion.  She's dedicated to the job. 

Can I get any closer to the action?  Here she helped me paint the bookshelves...

And stuck around to be in the resulting photoshoot... I swear she can see through those bangs...  sometimes. 

Sometimes she gets a little too curious and ends up with paint on her nose.  The boy likes to think he helped paint the living room and uses this picture as proof.  I would just like to state for the record that the small triangular space he is painting in this shot is the only area he painted.  Does that count??

And there you have it...  It sure is nice having a pup (and the boy) around. 

updated classics: sweet color combos

I hope you've been having a fun week.  Ours has been full to the max with painting which is why we've been a little quiet here on the blog...  but we are back today and want to talk about sweet color combinations.  When we think of the word sweet in terms of colors, we often turn to the classic pink and white combination.  And while, yes - this can be sweet, I'm here to show you there are other combinations that work just as well without limiting yourself to that classic combo. 

Rather than pairing a pretty pink with just white, try adding a natural color to the mix like this sandy neutral.  And don't forget about the accessories...  curvy letters and pretty birds add to the sweetness of the space.  (photo from ticking and toile)

Try the following palette to get this look in your space without toxins:

perch and petal.

How sweet is this little kitchen?  The teal with a nice warm white and light blues is perfectly sweet.  

To get this look try:

torn skirt, cuddle, and pool. 

Sweet doesn't have to mean girly.  This little boy's room is perfect in it's combination of colors, textures, and patterns and is definitely sweet.  (photo from leotinelinens)

Try the following colors to get the look in your space:

 perch, sea glass, bolt.

To me, sometimes subtle is the best way to achieve sweet.  These soft colors are the perfect example of that. (photo from the lettered closet)

Try:

whisper, mist, puff, and porch

On the flip side, sometimes sweet can be achieved with bolder choices like these dark (but warm) gray walls paired with the classic combo of pink and green.   (photo from elle decor)

Try:

fedora, petal, sprig.

I hope you are enjoying your Wednesday! 

Top 5: updated bunks

We love bunk beds, bunk rooms, bunk houses.  Today we are sharing with you our top five favorite bunks from around the web...

1. This custom built-in bunk is adorably cute, sweet and perfect for a little girl.  And that "drawer" that pulls out to be a step - brilliant!  Try our colors cuddle and touch to get this soft pink, dreamy look:

These built-in-bunks make the most of the available space and the bright white makes it perfect for a guest space... something about white speaks to cleanliness - always a plus with the guests.  And that touch of turquoise on the top rail?  Love! (from here)

Try our bright white whisper with a touch of torn skirt for this look:

I love this one.  It's a new take on the classic boy's bedroom with hunter green great lighting. Try our color Minnow to get this look:

Oh stripes, how I love thee.  The pop of yellow is perfect on these toe to toe bunks. (from here) Try perch, whisper, and buzz:

and finally, a pop of our favorite bold color: orange.  (from here)

Try our color Jump to get this look:

things are looking up.

Warm weather, sunny skies, weekends full of fun and weeks full of, well, paint have my spirits high.  This time of year always gives me a renewed sense of purpose.  Why I live in a part of the country that really only has weather worthy of t-shirts for three months I'll never know.  Why I love it here, I'll also never fully understand... but perhaps it has something to do with the fact that after long months of shivering, the first hint of warm weather puts everyone in a good mood.  Things sure feel like they are looking up on this warm day...  and so with that in mind, today we share with you some beautiful color in high places so you, too, can look up.

What a beauty. Am I right?  The creamy-white cabinets, the warm wood floor, the marble and oh yeah.. that ceiling.  I would happily spend my mornings, afternoons and nights in this kitchen.  (via decorpad)

Try: 

Whisper and Cusp for a similar look. 

Another kitchen.  Another color.  What I love about this space is how happy it feels.  The yellow on the ceilings just shines down cheeriness on the space.  (from escapade)

Try:

Cuddle and Bee for a similar look. 

Talk about a fun room for a little girl.  Stripes on the ceiling is a great way to make a space feel fun.  (found on indulgy)

Try:

bloom, pout, and sprig for a similar look. 

If you are a real color lover, this is great trick for you.  Pick your wall color and then punch it up a notch by using one or two shades darker on the ceiling.  It will envelope you in color.  (via houseofturquoise)

Try:

pool and torn skirt for a similar feel. 

This dining room is stunning.  Using black on the ceiling defines the space and make it feel just a little glamorous.  (source unknown sadly)

Try:

vintage tux and cuddle

And finally, let's end on a sweet note.  This room feels soft and lovely with the pale grey-blue ceiling. (via decorpad)

Try:

Whisper and Breathe for the look....  

And that's it folks.  What do you think?  Color of the ceiling - yes or no?

Teeny Tuesday.

Good Homes India Shoot: Paint it Pretty

We have a special treat for you today: a shoot featured in Good Homes, India all about our paint and how you can use it to make even the most challenging space shine. 

Good Homes is a wonderful magazine out of India!  We worked with them to create a few spaces featuring our paint in transformational ways...

Like this attic.  The angled walls of this guest room made it impossible to use traditional headboards.  Instead, we used paint to create bold blue versions which follow the angle of the ceiling line and really spruce up the room. 

Here is a before/after shot:

Those painted headboards make a big difference against a fresh coat of Whisper.  The blue is our color Ballgown (AND we used chalkboard paint!).  That lamp is also a Quiet Home Paints color: Pool.  

I just love this room now. 

Good Homes also published this "window treatment" we did to show that there are no limits to what you can achieve with a simple coat of paint:

Here our color Pond was used to create this unique window.  It couldn't have been easier... 

What do you think?  Something you would consider in place of the traditional?

And finally: a geometric, city-inspired wall:

Here we used our color Torn Skirt on top of Truss to create the city-scape.  

It's as simple as taping out the design (a series of vertical and horizontal lines) and then filling in with paint. 

What you do think?  I encourage you to check out the whole article (here's a link to the PDF)...  and the rest of the magazine for that matter.  We may be biased, but we think they feature some really spectacular stuff!  Special thanks to Good Homes for doing such a beautiful job featuring our paints!

teeny, tiny personal space.

Ever wonder where we are when we write these posts to you?  Or where those samples that show up in your mailbox come from?  Well, today I am going to show you around my teeny, tiny attic home office where these things happen.  We also do a lot of meetings/brain storming sessions from Lisa's studio, but this is where the bulk of it happens.  It may be small, but it is so nice to walk up a flight of stairs and be able to lose myself in the day's work.  As a start-up we save where we can so it makes sense to work from home since we have the space...  do I dream of a big, loft-like space?  Sure...  but for now, this works just fine:

Here she is in all her glory.  Some things to note:  The back wall is painted in our color hyacinth.  The large canvas hanging is (hopefully obviously) a just started and far from finished piece of art I'd like to complete sometime in the next decade.  I had this idea to paint a cow's face. Really large. I love cows. I grew up having them in the backyard and often discuss the possibility of getting another with the boy.  Their faces are the most loveable things. I'm not sure he agrees.  Since we are a long way from having enough land for cows, I thought a painting would suffice in the meantime.  Anyway, you can see I just blocked out the shapes so far...  I'll keep you posted if I find the time to keep working on it.  That yellow though?  That is a combination of bee and buzz. 

On the left wall is this table.  This table is my working space where everything from painting and cutting samples to addressing mailings happens.  The cubbies are really functional and store everything from inspiration and tools to samples and paint. 

Speaking of paint.  Here are all of colors in quart form.  I use these every day...  Quiet Nursery Collection on top, Quiet Home Collection on the bottom.  It's fun having every color at my disposal... makes it easy to do impromptu DIY projects... 

like this chair:

or this lamp:

or this knife block:

Anyway.

On this desk lives one of my prized possessions:  an antique white bread box given to me by my mom, Lisa, on my last birthday.  It lives just to the left of the to-be cow's nose.

Inside you won't find bread:

But paintbrushes of all shapes and sizes, tape, artist's paints, and other tools that I use on a daily basis. It's my catch all. 

On the other side of the room is my desk made out of an old door.  Man, I should really paint the power outlet (added to today's to-do list). Anyway. this side of the room is where I write emails, blog posts, and all other computer-related business items.  I spent a lot of time swinging back and forth from one side to the other.  

There isn't anything too exciting to see on the right side of the room.  I do tack up inspiration from time to time...  From the top:  my two fav little kiddos who grow oh so fast, a graphic post card, pinks and neutrals, a chickadee study, niagra falls and more samples....

You'll also usually find one (or 4) of these on my desk. 

Now... It's time to get back to work. 

I use this piece of poster board to keep my table from getting too messy...

and paint the day away...

These will turn into beautiful samples of shutter...

Have a happy day! 

walk on the wild side

Today we have some very daring wall treatments to show with you that really express a wild side:  animal print. 

(found here)

Now, it is not something that I would think to do in my home immediately, but there are always ways to take something bold and dramatic and make it more understated by choosing the right colors.  Many of the photos we will share with you today are wallpaper.  And while we love wallpaper, we wanted to show you that you can totally get this look (with a lot more freedom on color and style) with paint.  So today, we will share with you some inspiration for wild walls and tomorrow: the tutorial.  (I wonder what the boy will think when he comes home to animal print on our walls tonight).

First stripes, then spots:

Here, a beautiful, bold zebra print in navy blue.  I love the bold choice of navy and white and how they kept that color scheme going in the graphic art choices.  What a great, modern space.  But you can do animal print without being quite so bold... (from here)

This room uses the same inspiration of zebra stripes, but manages to feel understated and elegant by using a soft, taupey gray with a warm white. (from here)

If you like something in between the two, try stripes on the softer side played up with a bold color in an accent area (like these awesome green chairs). (from here)

Moving on to the spotted:

Talk about drama.  These leopard spots look like the real deal.  (from here)

But these are slightly less dramatic (although still quite the statement). I love the simplified look of this wall compared to the previous one. (from here)

And again, these spots make a great backdrop for something bright and fun.  (from here)

Stay tuned for the tutorial on how to get these looks without wallpaper in your home tomorrow.  We will share color tips, painting ideas, and show photos of the whole process.  How wild are you?? 

See you then!