Trade Secrets: 4 Ways to Transform your Space with Paint
Well, it's groundhog day and apparently we have 6 more weeks of winter. Honestly, no matter what the furry rodent says, we in New England KNOW that winter weather is capricious right up to (and sometimes into!) May. But spring is coming...eventually!
The good news? Trapped inside during winter is the perfect time to spruce up your house in time for the spring flurry (no pun intended) of activities. And one of the most effective ways to make changes is with paint.
There are many places where new paint will make a big difference:
Cabinets
Transform dated kitchen or bathroom cabinets completely with a coat of paint and new hardware. If you are happy with the layout and construction of the cabinets and it is only the finish that is tired, paint is the very best rescue! White and cream remain at the top of the popularity chart for kitchen cabinets, so if you are thinking of resale, this is a safe choice. But there are many other interesting neutrals that can work - greys or taupes for example. Greens or blues can make a very pretty choice as well. And if there is an island, that is an excellent opportunity for a bold accent color. For bathroom cabinets, black or charcoal or an accent color can be a terrific choice to add some sophistication or personalization. Paint finish for cabinets should typically be a semigloss or gloss, though there are exceptions depending on the look you are after.
This very dated harvest gold bathroom was salvaged by painting the cabinetry and millwork black and the walls with a tone on tone stripe in shades that matched the existing tile.
Millwork
Freshening up millwork (baseboards, moldings, door and window casings, doors, built-ins) with paint is always an instant lift in a room. Our favorite white millwork colors are Benjamin Moore Decorator's White for a bright white and White Dove for a softer white that still isn't ivory, but there are thousands of shades of white to choose from and what will work best depends on the other elements in the room. Another alternative is millwork darker than the walls. Gray with white walls has a very current urban chic farmhouse vibe, or black can add drama and glamour in the right setting. Painted millwork in a color picked from a rooms patterned wallcovering can be a perfect pairing. Or a glossy dark color matched to dark walls can create an intimate cocoon-like welcome. Paint finish for millwork is almost always a semigloss or gloss.
Ceilings
Most people forget about the ceiling in their room, but it is a large surface that should not be ignored and paint can be used to add drama, visually correct proportions, or bounce light around the space. There are many more options than "ceiling white". Rooms taller than they are wide can benefit from a darker color on the ceiling. To visually raise a low ceiling, a glossy white reflects light or a pale sky blue adds an open air feel. For sophistication and a soft glow, a metallic ceiling finish is fabulous - especially in foyers, dining rooms or powder rooms with a chandelier that bounces light off the metallic finish!
Walls
Obviously. If these walls could talk, they would beg for some attention...well they can talk, in a way. They can say energetic and warm when painted in a color like Caliente (the saturated red that is Benjamin Moore's color of the year), or Millenial Chic in pretty much ANY shade of grey. Blues and greens and blue-greens are generally calming and serene, and warm yellows and creamy tones are perpetually sunny and happy. You must consider many things about your room when choosing a wall color; natural light exposure, artificial light choices, other permanent room features... For some insider tips on choosing the perfect paint color, check out THIS post. The most common finish for wall paint is flat or eggshell, although we have used gloss to great effect in certain instances. The higher the gloss the more any imperfections will show, so walls in questionable shape are best served by flat paint. Benjamin Moore's Aura line has a really nice velvety flat paint that holds up well even in high use areas.