Feeling Overwhelmed By Choices?
You or you and your mate have reached the breaking point in disgust and boredom.
No, you're not going to divorce! You just cannot stand another moment seeing your living room look the way it does. There are loads of things wrong, could be better or just depress you about this space. You've decided to spend an allotted amount of money for the overhaul. That couch! It's so uncomfortable! That television has got to go! The carpet in there is beyond cleaning...it's got to get ripped up and replaced! The coffee table has always been too low and long; you knock your shin on it every time you round the corner.
As you move ahead plowing through the shopping list of things you need and want...
Have you considered on of the most important factors (and yet ironically one of the cost effective in terms of bang for your buck...)
Color!
Not only will hue set the tone for the space, but is essential in terms of choosing other elements such as the selection of materials for floors, soft furnishings and everything else that goes into creating a well designed space with purpose.
A common scenario plays out like this in the renovation process...
It's time to paint and your contractor or you, if you're painting yourself, need a decision on what color to buy. Down at the paint store there is an overwhelming gamut of choice on display. This blue..."Pool Party", looks nice...yes, I'll get it...yes, it'll be fine, right? Okay, I'll do it. Go up to the counter... two gallons of "Pool Party" paint please. The technician asks, "what sheen would you like?" Caught off guard, you answer, "Ummm, I don't know, what do most people get?" Well, it depends, flat doesn't show imperfections in the drywall but doesn't clean easily so it's mostly used for ceilings...eggshell is a low sheen and cleans better, satin is good for high traffic...You cut them off, "OK, eggshell".
Note: What you didn't understand when you agreed to eggshell is that the sheen will make the color you choose on the chart appear darker and rather than absorb light as with a lower sheen; reflect it, affecting its overall appearance. I digress, we'll follow the story.....
Returning home laden with $65 of paint, the work begins...
The color goes up. What looked like a lovely jewel like paint swatch in the store now seems like a football team's color on steroids. You go back to the store, sure that you absolutely did not like that color but not sure exactly why...okay, here's the plan, you decide blue is the problem...let's try green! This time just get a sample...in fact maybe a few different samples of green and try them on the wall.
Many sample pots of paint later your walls look like patchwork quilts, covered in all shades of many hues. Your eyes are beginning to overload...which one was that one? It's okay, but on that wall it's horrible. You're having a color meltdown. Panic sets in when you realize you're not going to be able to give the contractor an answer today or maybe this week. You're stuck.
Here's the thing, it's all about color. You're stuck because you realize color is important and you are exhausted with trying or overwhelmed with starting. Color is the first element that needs to be considered. Let's build a road map around color that will be your guide for all the important choices and purchase you will be making. Based in Los Angeles.
