Will Get to your Questions

Ah, computers. I’m having some technical difficulty answering your questions on the blog, but we’re working on it. If you have the painter standing there, you can email me.

-Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

What I Do and Why

Hi Bloggers:

For those of you wondering why I answer your questions for free, it is simply that I really enjoy helping you solve your color dilemmas. It’s fun and it helps me see what issues are out there, what decorating styles are like around the globe, and what I need to do to stay current. It also keeps my visualization skills sharp. I do have a paying customer base here in New England, but when I’m between projects I can turn to your decorating questions and help you out too.

Yes, I do have college tuition bills on the horizon so I may have to limit my blogging time. I’m sure many of you can relate to that. In the mean time, thank you for sharing your decorating projects with me.

    Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

It’s All About the Windows

Whether we’re all craving light or fresh air, who knows, but the focus these days is on windows. And we’re not talking about the old standard white replacement models anymore, that’s for sure. Now we have choices from black to almond to green and even red. And whatever the shape of your space, we have a window to fit into it. Awhile back the trend was to update the interior lighting plan with recessed cans and spotlights, uplights, downspots, and all the specialized lamps you could imagine for your space. Now we’ve moved on to creating unique window plans to suit the house: clerestory, stained glass, enormous picture windows, and different styles of window mullions to fit the style of your house, from Colonial to Victorian to Mission. Even new homes can be made to look old — well sort of.

Word of caution: If you have an historic home or a home with a very definite style, you should try to repair the original windows before resorting to a replacement. There’s very good information at the following link to help you with windows in historic homes. Or any window decisions, for that matter.

http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Sandbar/5574/windows

If you have old wooden windows, paint the window sash and mullions a coordinating color (black looks spectacular) to add life to your home.  Those of us stuck with white vinyl are jealous…

It’s Friday!

Hi Bloggers,

I have one appointment this morning and should be back answering your many questions by this afternoon. Thanks for posting!

-Barbara

Your Home & Color Coach

Back from the Birthday

Hi Bloggers,

It must be spring as everyone has home renovation projects to get started. Lots of blog posts to respond to. I’ll work my way through them and will answer EVERYBODY’S  questions. If you don’t see your question posted yet, stop back again. I post them as I respond to them.

Thanks for visiting my site.

-Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

Dad’s 99th Birthday Party

Hi Bloggers,

I’m off to NY to celebrate my Dad’s 99th birthday on the 31st and will be back blogging on Wednesday night, April 1st (no fooling, really!).

More soon. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

-Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

Color Your Spirits Bright

For years decorators have ignored an entire section of the paint color fandeck, labeling these colors as garish, for children only, or just simply in bad taste. Not anymore. Now colors like Mellow Yellow (Ben Moore’s 2020-50 that’s hardly mellow) and Bermuda Teal (2044-50) are making a fresh new statement of uplifting optimism in the design world. A splash of Marmalade (2016-40) or just a smattering of Sherwin Williams’ Gladiola (SW6875) cannot help but lift your spirits. Behr’s wonderful yellow green called Carolina Parakeet (410B-4) is such a happy color that even the name makes me smile.

I wrote about this topic months ago when we started to watch our savings go down the tubes, etc, etc, (no need to drag us through a rehash of events), and today’s Boston Globe has a great article entitled “What is the Color of Hope.” Here’s the link:

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/house/articles/2009/03/19/what_is_the_color_of_hope/

Even if you’re not planning any massive redecorating projects this spring,  adding clear happy color as an accent either on a wall, backsplash, or pillows on the sofa may actually improve your mood, enhance the good feelings in your home, and help you cope. A note of caution: If you decide to paint with these bright colors, be sure to mix in lots of white in trim, furniture and accessories not only to bring out the color but give the eye a little rest if needed.

Happy Spring!

Excited for Spring Spruce-Ups

Hi Bloggers,

It’s been ages since I posted although I’ve been busy answering your questions both on the blog and via email. Keep them coming. I’m happy to help you prepare for spring painting projects.

I’m working on a big basement re-do at the moment and I’ll have photos to post as we go along. I also have some new photos of the chocolate brown bedroom. Check back again.

Thanks for visiting.

-Barbara, Your Home & Color Coach

Over the River and Through the Woods

We’re off again to visit the family in Northern New York until New Year’s. I will check the blog as often as I can get to, yes, the library to use the internet. Might as well be in Siberia — my apologies to Siberia.  But, hey, it’s home.

Have a wonderful holiday and let’s blog in 2009.

-Barbara, Your Home and Color Coach

Color Your Spirits for the Holidays

Remember when the Grinch stole Christmas? All the trees, lights, stockings, and gifts –  the trappings associated with a wonderful holiday celebration– were suddenly gone? They had vanished during the night while everyone down in Whoville slept. What happened next in this wonderful Dr. Seuss tale was even more remarkable for its simplicity. Despite losing everything, Whoville didn’t seem to care. All the Whos down in Whoville celebrated anyway.

Of course, the story has a happy ending, but for many people this year,  the heartwarming bedtime story has led to a nightmare from which they cannot awaken fast enough. This year it truly feels a little like the Grinch has been here again. With the world-wide recession, job loss, and home foreclosures, many of us around the country are struggling to find that holiday spirit that we used to have and that we desperately want our children to experience in the midst of all this mess.

If you’ve had to cut back this year from your more typical shopping, decorating, and holiday festivities, you are not alone. Keep in mind that gifts can be simple (like homemade cookies), acts of kindness can mean more to people than more stuff,  and spending time with our kids is ultimately the gift they’ll remember long past any particular disappointments on Christmas morning.

And to lift our spirits and with the festival of colors inspired by a child’s gingerbread house, let’s all go a little crazy with color this Christmas.

Dig out that snowman sweater from the back of the closet and wear it. Often. It’s going to bring a smile to somebody’s face and that’s a good thing.

String a row of colorful neckties, like garland, from one end of the wall to the other. Your kids will think you’re nuts but who cares?

Fill a big bowl with scraps of colorful ribbons and little balls of leftover yarn and a few silvery mismatched ornaments and display it in the middle of the coffee table. Now you’re getting the idea.

The holidays don’t have to be the way we knew them as kids. Times are different now. But you don’t have to spend much, if any, money at all if you dig deep into your hope chest of creativity for some colorful decorating ideas that will raise your spirits and everyone else’s too.