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The focus in on Red!

Energizing, passionate; communicating intensity and warmth; advancing, into the space… and on the other hand sometimes overly heavy, drab, imposing, oppressive…just a few of the characteristics of this color that can make reds hard to use.

Red, as a paint color
This week I’m featuring the rich, warm, essence of a very livable Full Spectrum red paint color: EcoHues—Venezia Rose. Most red paint colors include black in their formulas. The true beauty of any color red comes through in Full Spectrum formulas. The rich, atmospheric quality of true full spectrum paints also makes them easy to decorate with since so many other colors are included in each paint color mixed this way.

“Red” is a color that has enjoyed a great popularity in homes, in particular when used in a dining room or often in a bedroom. Red is often applied as what we who do decorative painting refer to as “straight paint…” meaning, out of the can, not as a glaze or other special treatment.

Red, Faux Sure
Red is also a great color to develop in layers, for “faux finishes” or Venetian Plaster or other special translucent or textured effects. Red can be used in many different settings, however: commercial spaces, home kitchens, and other areas.  I often have recommend that clients consider a layered finish when they want to see red in the best possible way.

Layering colors allows the decorative artist a way to bring light into the surface, literally. A light-infused finish helps avoid the feeling of heaviness that can accompany a red wall color.

A few different examples follow, of finishes I’ve developed to take advantage of the drama of red in a variety of spaces.

This waxed, pigmented plaster finish has depth and richness that play well in any time of day or night.

Samovar Tea Lounge, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco

Powder room walls, private residence, Boston area. Can you guess the colors used?

This multi-layered, multi-color red glaze finish glows with warmth and mystery.

Rusty-Red kitchen walls have interest without pattern.

Kitchen walls, a soft, rusty red glaze without pattern. Kitchen design including custom cabinet design, by Carolyn Anderson /Anusara Home.

Tasty Reds

Delicious Summer Strawberries at Powisset Farm CSA!

Apples offer a perfect study in complementary colors

Red Underfoot
Three new colorways in Red from Silk Road Weaves: LOOPY/Gems, hand knotted Tibetan rugs.
I developed these new custom rug colorways at a client’s request for specific colors. Combining 3 different reds with aubergine in various ways, using wool and silk, here they are together, and separately.

Three new red colorways in LOOPY GEMS, from Silk Road Weaves

LOOPY Gems: Red wool background, aubergine silk design lines

LOOPY Gems: Aubergine wool background, red silk design lines.

LOOPY Gems: 2 colors of red in the wool + silk background, with red silk design lines

As with any color, but most noticeably with a red, yellow, or other strong colors, the brightness of the color and the effect of the actual space and lighting has a tremendous effect on the appearance of the color.

Please share your own favorite reds, with a note about how you’ve used them!

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Creating a cohesive feeling throughout an entire home is what I and other color consultants are often called upon to do. Typically, the goal is to create what’s referred to as “flow.”  It’s an overused expression that is not really specific, and often results in “boring.”  But in my view, even with subtle colors it’s far from monochromatic, and certainly not monotonous. In fact, creating “flow,” means to introduce harmonious colors—often in adjacent rooms and sometimes even in the same room—that are not in the same color family at all.

An Example
The beautiful home that’s the subject of this post is a Victorian house in the Boston area. The owners, an energetic young couple, had done most of the groundwork for renovating by themselves, and it was time to select the interior paint colors. The emphasized their desire for a warm and restful palette that would emphasize and complement the lovely architecture of their historic home, without dominating the spaces.

The Story: A Whole-House, Full Spectrum Palette
The owners were excited to use colors from EcoHues and Ellen Kennon throughout the house. They loved the idea of “No Black,” and complex color formulas, even in colors that are what we’d typically call “neutral.”

As we selected the colors, I provided them with actual 8″x10″  painted color cards. I particularly enjoyed hearing their exclamations of enjoyment in seeing how the colors complemented each other.

The resulting palette is soft, harmonious, yet interesting. Because full spectrum paint colors by definition are so complex and mutable, it was possible to keep the actual number of colors to a minimum—with maximum benefit—considering the size of the house and number of rooms throughout.

Ceilings throughout were done with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal.” The walls in the master bedroom are Ellen Kennon’s “Gustavian Gray;” the master bathroom is Ellen Kennon “Pumice,” and the nursery is Ellen’s “Dusk.”

The foyer, kitchen, stairwell, sunroom and 3rd floor walls are EcoHues “Dune.”  Ceiling in the foyer and in the mudroom is EcoHues “Spring Showers.” Living room walls are EcoHues “Fieldstone,” and the dining room is EcoHues “Blue Grotto.”  First floor powder room walls and ceiling–along with 2nd floor bathroom walls–are EcoHues “Pacific Mist.” The 2nd floor office walls are EcoHues “Perfect Taupe.” On the 3rd floor, the walls and ceiling of the small bathroom are EcoHues “Spring Showers.”

Start the Tour!

EcoHues "DUNE" - Foyer, kitchen, up the stairs into 2nd floor sunroom/hall area

EcoHues “Dune” is a versatile color for many areas!
Standing in the entry, you look up the stairs, and also see into the dining room straight ahead. At left is the kitchen, with the living room to the right of the foyer.

View 1 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house. Foyer is at left.

View 2 into kitchen. EcoHues "Dune" on walls, Ellen Kennon "White Opal" for ceilings throughout the house.

Dining room
I suggested using EcoHues “Blue Grotto” for a rich, sophisticated wall color that would create a bit of drama in the dining room while creating a cool focus for the more earth-toned adjacent rooms. Visible from the dining room, through the entry to the pantry, is the same granite counter top material as used in the kitchen–a beautiful, very deep blue-green with iridescent flecks.

View from dining room, EcoHues "Blue Grotto," into foyer, EcoHues "Dune."

“Blue Grotto” wall color is the perfect choice to highlight this unique oil painting.

On the other side of the dining room, this oil painting is framed by EcoHues "BLUE GROTTO."

Living room
“Fieldstone” creates a warm, earthy feeling for the living room. It’s a lovely complement to the white and gray  marble fireplace on the other side of the room (not shown here).

View into living room from foyer. Ecohues "Fieldstone" on walls. Ellen Kennon "White Opal" on ceilings.

Upstairs: 2nd Floor
Going up the stairs we enter the 2nd floor sunroom. Off the sunroom are the master bedroom, the nursery, an office, and a bathroom. The sunroom, painted in EcoHues “Dune ” as are the first floor foyer, kitchen, and stairway walls, is a warm hub for the adjacent spaces.

Sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE," view into bathroom, EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

The tiles were an inspiration for using “Pacific Mist” on the walls, a perfect fit.

Closeup view: EcoHues "PACIFIC MIST"

Nursery
Being right above one end of the kitchen, the large, airy nursery has the same wonderful, historic curved windows (see the kitchen closeup view). On the other side, the nursery opens into the sunroom.

Nursery: Ellen Kennon "DUSK" walls, view into sunroom, EcoHues "DUNE"

Office
What could be better than a perfect taupe wall color for this home office? We used EcoHues “Perfect Taupe,” with Ellen Kennon’s “White Opal” on the ceiling.

Office: EcoHues "PERFECT TAUPE"

Turn around, and look into the sunroom…
Through the opposite door is the master bedroom with Ellen’s “Gustavian Gray” on the walls.

View: Office, into Sunroom, where walls are EcoHues "DUNE" abd ceiling is also Ellen Kennon's "White Opal."

3rd Floor
“Dune” continues up to the 3rd floor, where there is one still-unpainted, very large room and a small bathroom. This small bath has a very luminous feeling, where  EcoHues “Spring Showers” was used on the walls and the ceiling, too. This very pale gray with lavender tones creates an airy space and is a lovely complement to the marble mosaic floor and warm wood cabinet.

Wall and ceiling are EcoHues "SPRING SHOWERS"

The Client’s Story
“My husband and I had spent the last 3 years renovating our Victorian house and were finally nearing the end.

Deciding on what colors to paint the walls felt overwhelming.  Barbara arrived with beautiful paint samples (with incredible names) and together we quickly made selections for most of the house.  From Gustavian Gray in our master bedroom to Dusk for the nursery to Spring Showers for the ceiling in the foyer, it all came together perfectly.

The paint colors are perfect for each room and we couldn’t be happier with the results.  Barbara also helped with selecting the exterior trim color to complement our new shingles as well as the incredible blueish-purple color for the ceiling of the front and back porch.

Working with  you was a great experience. Thank you Barbara!”

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Why wait for “color of the year?”
Introducing “Color of the Week,” something to keep you going throughout the year!

Just as colors do not exist in isolation, nor do they function in isolation. So, this feature will sometimes include colors in combination, not just single colors. As a color consultant I have wonderful opportunities to help create beautiful environments, both interior and exterior, using a variety of materials. Not just paint!

I look forward to offering many enjoyable and inspired pairings of colors—as paint colors with each other; paint colors and “faux finish” colors; and, paint with tiles, rugs, and other materials.

Because where I live it “almost” feels like Spring, I wanted to start this feature with the color of warmth, sun, and new energy.

Viburnum flowers offer a welcoming, golden yellow.

A friend’s garden offered the inspiration for a number of the colors of my new EcoHues full spectrum paint palette. As with all the EcoHues Full Spectrum paints, there is no black or gray in the mix and they are NoVOC, No Odor as well. The Viburnum flowers translated into the paint color “Viburnum,” a richly saturated yellow but one  that will be very enjoyable to live with.

Viburnum: digital images are always approximate, so see it in person, get a sample.

Coming up: Colors in combination, and paint colors paired with other materials!

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Any chance that I have to offer information from other design professionals is a great opportunity to share material that is beyond—and usually very different from—my own experience.

The subject of photography is one that I personally enjoy, and appreciate.  So, I am grateful for the permission from Boston-area photographer Lynne Damianos, of Damianos Photography, to be able to offer her selection of tips for getting ready to photograph an interior.

Interior Residential Photography Prep List

Architectural/interior photography is a careful balance of anticipating  potential challenges, and adapting—before they happen.  Damianos Photography educates clients and property owners about how to prepare for photography to maximize their time on location. In this article, Lynne concentrates on interior residential photography.

The checklist below is a great tool to use when planning your next photographic project so your photographer can spend more time photographing and less time staging and cleaning.

Photo by Lynne Damianos. Kitchen by David L. King Architects, Inc.

Interior Residential Photography Prep List

• Try to schedule photography the day after house cleaning occurs
• Walk through rooms to determine which to photograph and from which angle
• Turn on all lights and replace burned out bulbs
• Straighten artwork on walls
• Position all window shades and Venetian blinds to match
• Straighten drapes
• Remove excess knickknacks and family photographs (optional)
• Straighten furniture
• Hide light fixture cords
• Align furniture cushions and straighten pillows
• Straighten fringe on rugs
• Set place settings in dining room/kitchen
• Remove unwanted objects seen through windows (garbage cans, grill, shovels)
• Add light-colored logs to fireplace

Thank you, Lynne!

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