CasaSugar

Are You Offended by This House's Paint Color?

CasaSugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:16 -0700

Some communities have ordinances against certain paint colors, and others wish they did after the fact. I personally think that anyone who owns a house should be able to paint it as they please. Some of these New Jersey residents, however, would disagree with me.

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Ask Casa: Looking For Banana Republic's Gray Shade

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:15:12 -0700

Hi Casa,
Thanks again for your awesome recommendations for Mansour Modern rug lookalikes. I actually have another question for you! I am totally in love with gray walls with white trim, especially the gray on the walls of every Banana Republic store I've walked into! I have tried to replicate this color (which is sort of a medium putty-ish gray) without any luck. Every gray I choose ends up being too blue, too purple, or too dark, and nowhere near what I see in the stores. I tried contacting customer service but I doubt this is in their area of expertise. Do you have any idea how we can find out the actual paint color? Thanks - you're a doll!

Glitterbug

To see my answer, just read more

Dear Glitterbug,

I forwarded your question to a friend with contacts at Banana Republic, and he wrote me back saying that he'd chatted with an architect at Banana Republic corporate about your query. The answer he came up with? The color is balanced beige in eggshell finish from Sherwin Williams. Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Casa

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Casa Quickie: Strain Paint With Pantyhose

CasaSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:50:16 -0700

After painting a room, it's a good idea to keep the can around for touch-ups. But you might find that the old paint gets lumpy over time. To get the lumps out, try straining the paint through pantyhose. Just stretch a pair of old tights or hose over a clean, empty paint tin. Then, pour the paint from the old can through the hose and into the new can.

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Dark and Stormy Homes

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:15:43 -0700

To kick off the spooky month of October, I thought I'd take you on a tour of houses around the world that have been painted in a black palette. While I doubt that any of you currently have a black-colored home, you might be surprised at how chic many of these exteriors look. Take the tour, and then tell me if you'd ever consider a darker paint job for your home.

View Slideshow ›

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:13 -0800

When do you start your holiday decorating? - Simply Stated
What do you think of these wall drawers? - AT:LA
Go typographic with your coasters. - Craft
Get grain sack style. - Re-Nest
How do you hang pots and pans? - Shelterrific
Check out decorating tips from the Crosby Street Hotel. - ShelterPop
Peruse these interior painting tips. - This Old House

Ask Casa: Help Me Choose Paint Colors

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:19 -0800

Hi Casa,

My boyfriend and I are about to move into our first house and I couldn't be happier! I can't wait to get in there and start putting our touch on things! The only problem is that I am having a tough time picking a paint color for the living room.

A few years ago, I bought a set of three prints that I absolutely love. I want to hang them above the sofa in our new place, but I'm having a tough time finding the right paint color to highlight them. When we first bought the prints, our living room was white and they popped beautifully. But now I'm a little sick of white and want to add some color, but I'm not sure what direction to go. The living room in our new place opens onto the dining room, so whatever color we choose will have to continue into the dining room too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help,
KatieMise

To see my suggestion for KatieMise, read more.

Hi Katie,

Great prints! I love them. This isn't a tough one. When choosing a wall color for a wall with artwork, my rule of thumb is always to choose a hue that's an accent in the art piece, but not the primary color. You should choose a complementary color, too. In this case, the background colors of two of your prints are a greenish-blue and a true blue, and in all three prints there is reddish detailing. So, I think a red or watermelon hue would really make your prints pop. Not only are they on the opposite side of the color wheel from those greens and blues, but reddish walls will make the red detailing in your prints pop!

I made a couple of mock-ups to give you an idea. But the best thing to do is head to your paint shop and grab a few samples in these colors, and then bring them home to see what works with your prints. Then, test the paint on your walls before you paint the whole thing. If a whole room in a red color is too much for you, you can always just paint an accent wall and then leave the rest of the walls white. I think it works with the artwork, too, because red is a really important color in Asian culture.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Casa

Hvenbnd's House of Juicy Color Continues

Casa Community — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:19 -0800

Su Casa member Hvenbnd is continuing her home painting project. Check out her latest post on her progress:

Take a moment to check out my pics! We are still a work in progress . . . Diane at Inspired Designs is amazing and well, I am a gutsy woman who loves color, color, and color!

View 10 Photos ›

Working on a decorating project at your house? Be sure to post photos and tales in our Su Casa group!

Midday Muse: Front Door Fun

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:56 -0800

I spotted this hallway look over at House to Home and was impressed with the statement the rich coordinating reds make. Most don't take into account the color of their front door when decorating the foyer, but it speaks wonders! The hallway of this 18th century Georgian house is otherwise quite simple, but its neutral backdrop and matching color palette allow for its original features to shine.

Obviously, if you rent, painting your front door to match your decor palette is often out of the picture. But for those of you who own, it's worth thinking about. Would you ever paint your interiors to match your front door?
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Casa Quickie: Mix Your Own Paint

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:00:41 -0800

If you're an enthusiastic home renovator, chances are you have several cans of paint that are nearly empty sitting in your garage or storage space. You could donate them to a recycling center, but why not try using them for your next DIY project? As long as you have some flexibility in your color scheme, you can indulge your inner creative and mix. Start with the lightest color, and gradually add other shades until you have the shade you want.

I actually did this when painting a living room in an old rental house, and my friends were shocked when they found out that the color had been an experiment! Sometimes, the results are just that good.

Have you tried this technique at your house?

Home Away From Home: A Skate-Inspired Hotel Suite

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:30 -0800

Skateboard label Etnies is rolling into the world of hospitality. The California-based brand has designed a skate-inspired hotel suite in Laguna Beach's Casa del Camino. But you won't find any Etnies logo monogrammed sheets here. "We didn’t want to make it look like a trade show," said VP of marketing Don Brown. "We focused more on the culture of skateboarding, taking the movement, curves and shapes and injecting that into the design."

Elements include wheel tracks on the ceiling, a mirror framed with skateboard wheels, mounted skateboards for guests to use, and "Go Sk8" artwork in the bathroom. My favorite piece is the God Father Lounge Chair, a leather chair and ottoman inspired by Eames's iconic Lounge Chair, made of pieces which remarkably resemble a skateboard deck. It's part of the Skate Study House collection, which I wrote about back in 2008. Continue reading.