Home is more than four walls and roof. Home is a door opening to you, your family, your pets, your lifestyle, your neighborhood, your community, your city. It’s all encompassing on so many levels.
The Colors of My Life
Colors are so powerful when it comes to setting a mood, selling or buying a house, or capturing a feeling…
All My Colors (in order): My house exterior, My house interior, the velvet blue furniture I’m dreaming of, the black that comes with the Aston Martin, and Valentino red I love to don as frequently as possible.
You know when you’re dreaming and something catches your eye and it leaves you with such a desire that you want it to become part of you? That’s how I feel about color. I’m sure all you design freaks are in the know that Pantone chose not one, but two colors of the year for 2021. I guess since 2020 was such a dull grey that had to spice things up. Funny enough they chose Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray, how contrary and a good depiction of the past and future.
“Sherwin-Williams sets revenue records as DIY paint sales jump during pandemic.”
I’ve always found yellow to be an abhorrent color. I felt the only places it looked good on were lemons, bananas and the sun, but I’ve started to warm up a little to certain shades. Anyone who is familiar with my brand, knows I am a color loyalist — red and black will most likely be my go-to when choosing representation and clothing. My mother hated my goth phase in high school, “You know in Panama prostitutes wear black!” It gave me great satisfaction putting a sole red bandana in my hair to satisfy her discontent. I did however go through a strong purple phase, especially with hair colors (mom loved that). Each time I wear red I am complimented highly. It suits my passions, my culture, and my eye. Black, well, black says bold, it makes a statement that is serious, yet chic and I like that. I think after my obsession of wanting to fit in, becoming a slave to the United Colors of Benetton, it only seemed logical that my rebellious side take over, leaving black as my only option to convey how I was feeling (angsty) and besides, what color displayed The Cure and Depeche Mode better?
The memory of color is etched in my brain. I can remember the shade of green our 1970’s leather living room couch wore and I remember the electric blue hot pants my neighbor wore on her first day of high school. I recall only choosing the Midnight Blue crayon to shade my Fashion Plates’ designs until it diminished, unusable, and wished they had more than one in there. I still love that color to this day. I know I cringe at the sight of pastels, and coral seems to incite a certain gag reflex in me. I met a girl once who had Synesthesia and I was so fascinated that every time she would see or think of numbers it was a different color. I giggled as I asked her what painting by numbers was like. When I used to see gold in homes, it used to make me think of chintzy, gaudy things, now it has become a marketable trend. I think it’s safe to say that colors can remark an era of time, think turquoise and yellow kitchens of the 1950s, but who knew that a shade of pink could define an entire generation?
Color invokes emotion, memory and sets a mood. It is a factor in why some houses sell and others don’t. If I do a walkthrough for an upcoming listing and the walls are painted with an unattractive color, I tell them they need to paint. I’ve had clients pass on a bid because they didn’t like the color of the house, even though they could very well paint it the color of their dreams. I showed a house once that had a beautiful dining area with Emerald green accented walls accompanied with vintage wallpapering. I had to remind my clients to see the rest of the house before putting an offer, they loved that room so much.
We, as Agents, tend to steer listers towards neutrals, but I don’t hesitate to add color as a future option for my purchasers. It helps them set an individual tone to their home and envision what it could be. We are currently in a moody, vivid trend with home paint colors, which I am loving. I like to see a bathroom that’s painted black with brass fixtures, or a dining room that has a darker shade of blue on it’s walls. I think it pops and creates a unique atmosphere. When I lived in New York, I painted the living room this burnt sienna color and had warm hues and textures adorning it, think Morocco. We never had a guest who stayed awake in that room, there was always at least one person who fell asleep peacefully in a room full of people. I was proud to create that reaction because it meant my home was that comfortable.
Photo by: Homes & Gardens
Trends or no trends, color is an important aspect to home. It helps us express who we are and how we want others to feel. It’s powerful in it’s aesthetic and what it does to your psyche. I view color the way I view art, I feel it. If I walk into a room and I see Drunk Tank Pink, I’m going to instantly hurl. As you can deduce, pink is not my favorite color. Technology has made it so easy to create colors that are one of a kind or mock that of a bird or a classic car you love. So much inspiration, so little space! So, as the weather starts to warm up and you’re making your list of home improvements this Spring, think about how you want your house to look, inside and out. If you are thinking about selling this year, it’s a perfect time for you to be picking out your curb appealing shades. In the meantime, enjoy the blue skies, golden sun, and budding greens we are currently having, we’re due for a more colorful kind of year, no?
If you are thinking about selling your home and need some help guiding you through the process, please feel free to contact me. I’m more than happy to help you get the best value for your property and as quickly as possible.
Well, Color Me Quarantined
While the walls close in, it might be some time to add some color to this dim quarantined life we’re livin’…
Written by: Jo Ann L. Breaux
If you are adhering to the Stay At Home mandate, then you, like many others are taking advantage of this time to do home improvements. Time to bring some color while the world is in a dim place. I’m calling it the “Quarantine Period”, A New Dark Age. Time to put that partner to work on the many projects that have been put off because there’s been a lack of time. Let’s start by brightening up our homes! Whether it’s going to be put on the market after all this, or it’s just to improve your current surroundings, here are some of my picks for color trends happening in 2020!
GLORIOUS GREEN
I have a rediscovered love for green. I recently showed a client a home with Victorian fireplaces surrounded by Emerald Green tiles. It was quite beautiful. I always associated green with institutions or peas for some reason, but I’m seeing a hint of it in recent renovations and I have to say, it’s a welcome hue to the grays that have been so popular in the last few years. You’re sure to create some envy with these shades.
Check out my Pinterest Board for other ideas!
I love a lusher green. Current Mood looks great with creams, golds, coppers, and über light pinks.
I like this green in the kitchen, but it works everywhere and gives a nice calm and collected feel.
I love this green for an organic neutral and works well with pops of color.
Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues
It’s always been a dream of mine to have a deep blue dining room. Blues create coolness and the moodier the better. There’s a reason Midnight Blue was always missing from my Crayola box. Your rooms will sing serene, mysterious, and command attention.
Blue Danube is the perfect hue to drama up your entryway or bring a sophisticated statement to your dining area.
Naval is the perfect color to add mystery and richness to your interiors and bring out golds, yellows, and reds.
Light blues are going to be trendy this year as well. Cauliflower blue, pale blue, and powder blues will be adorning walls in 2020.
Moody, Lush, and Coy.
As we see Mid Century “I’m cool and own an Eames chair” Modern take a seat, I do believe we will be seeing more Art Deco and 1920’s accents in interiors as well as deeper colors that create mood and mystique. You’ll see the starkness of blacks and whites making bold minimalistic statements as well. Millennial pink is still dominating with trends in brass fixtures, I’m seeing some trends in Oceanic serenity and ‘come to my caravan’ romance. I hope these will inspire you to take on your quarantined home improvement project and add some color to those all too familiar walls.
