I'll Have A Blue Friday...

In honor of this week's play off game, I thought I would highlight a little thing we like to call Blue Friday here in the Seattle area.

And before I get any comments... please know I am not saying your house should be painted this color (in fact if you do, the design police should visit you), but if you want to show your team spirit, there are appropriate ways to pull these colors into your celebration!

These colors come from my friends at Benjamin Moore - Go Hawks!

October Color Watch

It's the first of October and it seems as though the colors of fall are popping out all over.  There is something beautiful in watching how nature changes with the seasons.

A dear friend let me borrow this picture she took on a recent cycle trip here in our beautiful state of Washington.  So many beautiful autumn colors to choose, but these vibrant colors from Sherwin Williams seemed to pop right out of the picture!

Tell me your favorite colors of this season below!

Picking the Right White

It's time to pick your trim color and you know you want to go white, but you get to the paint store and what was suppose to be a quick trip to the paint store becomes an overwhelming decision as you wonder.... WHICH WHITE do I choose?

The following 6 examples are just one of many to choose from at Benjamin Moore and then you have just as many at Sherwin Williams to name 2 of my favorite paints.   See the colors below?  ALL of them are classified as white, so it's important to choose carefully by the color - not the name!

Tip #1 - pick your white with the other colors you are painting because it will influence the color of white.

Tip #2 - If white is your main color, keep your inspiration close at hand to get your pallet started.

Tip #3 - ALWAYS get a small sample and try it out in the room before committing to any color.



Do you have a favorite white?  How did you pick just the right shade?

Color Stories.....

A couple of months ago, I was invited by Mallory Paint Stores to participate in a event that introduced the new Benjamin Moore color line called "Color Stories" to designers and bloggers in the greater Seattle area.  It was inspiring to hear the speakers from Benajmin Moore talk about these colors and the inspiration behind each of the different 240 colors.

For me, what really made this paint line unique is that none of these colors are mixed using black or grey, making them each a specific color in the gallery rather than shades and tints of a base color.  Each one, whether light, dark or someplace in between has a richness to it that comes out in any light.


Color Gallery

I left with a bag full of goodies and look forward to putting those to work and some paint on the walls!

Tell me.... if you could repaint your wall this weekend, which color would you choose out of these amazing 240 colors?


VALA - Eastside

VALA-Eastside

I have recently accepted a board member invitation for the newly formed non-profit organization, “Venues for Artists in the Local Area, Eastside”  - this organization will work to create venues in the eastside community for artists to have their work shown and appreciated by the public at large.  I’m excited about the planning and look forward to sharing more about those plans and events as they are scheduled.

The first event will be on September 14th where VALA-Eastside will be the Featured Entrepreneur at ThinkSpace in Redmond, WA - this will be our first event where we will provide a venue for a few local artists!

 To find out about volunteer opportunities, or if you are an artist that would like to learn more, email me and I will help get you plugged in!

 Here are some other ways to learn more about VALA-Eastside...

Website: http://www.valaeastside.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VALA-Eastside

Twitter: @valaeastside

Finding Summer....

In a year where summer doesn't seem to want to show up, it becomes more important to make summer happen, wherever and however you can....  Creating an inviting out door space that can be used, even on the coolest of summer days, can help create the moments and memories to last all season long!  Here are a few of my favorites...

Bringing a little Southern living to the pacific northwest with a screened in porch!

This small outdoor area is cozy even before the western theme was added!

How do you find summer when it doesn't want to show up?