Well, according to www.decoratorsecrets.com, the color for 2010 is YELLOW. Yellow is the color that makes us think of warm sunshine and bright happy spring days. Yellow is a primary color, one of three primary colors and when mixed the primary colors will make up the basis for the other colors in the spectrum.
Light lavender is another color being recommended for bedrooms. Since purple is often associated with royalty this may be a "trick" to try and help all of us in this slow economy feel better when we go to sleep in our purple bedroom.
Gray has made it on the list again. I am pretty sure, I saw this mentioned last year somewhere also as a new neutral color to try and replace the beige color that has been around forever. Most people still prefer beige, it tends to blend better with wood furniture and greenery.
Another one of my favorite sites for color advice is MyPerfectColor.com and this site reports Benjamin Moore HC-35 Powell Buff as the top selling paint.
This color certainly looks like a beige to me!
Going with the latest color trend is never really the best advice when you are staging a home. Since most home owners paint their walls every five to ten years (my opinion), you need to make sure when you suggest a wall paint color that your client can live with this color for the next 5 years.
Before you pick a wall paint color, there are a few thing to consider:
1.) The size of the room. In a smaller room, you will want to go with a lighter wall color to make the wall appear to recede.
2.) The amount of natural light in the room. Sunlight is reflective, so a room with six very large windows may need a paint color that is a little darker.
3.) The ceiling. I like to paint ceilings a lighter shade of paint as the walls as long as the room is large enough to support an added design element such as this.
4.) The style of the furniture in the room you are painting. The wall paint color needs to complement your decor.
5.) The adjoining rooms. The wall paint color needs to also complement the paint in the adjoining room, this is how you create a well put together home.
6.) The taste of your home owner - if this is an interior design job. If your home owner is planning on living in this home for the next 10 years, she/he can basically paint the walls any color they want to. Remember, an interior design job is completely different that a staging job and should be based on the home owner's unique taste's.
When in doubt of the color you want to select, you should paint color boards and look at them during different times of the day and in different lights. I recommend NEVER to paint directly on a client's wall, why leave a mess on a client's wall when you can use a paint board. You can order small boards on the MyPerfectColor website, and use blue painters tape to secure it to the wall or ceiling.
I do not see beige going anywhere in the home staging world, it is such a nice neutral that is a better option than a stark white wall.
What are your thoughts?
-Kate
Kate's Home Staging and Redesign now sells semi-custom window coverings at discount prices. Our window coverings include roman shades, Levolor and Dynasty blinds, faux wood blinds, bamboo blinds, woven wood blinds, cornices, valances, sheers, and drapes. Our roman shades can be ordered in 100% pure silk, linen, cotton, or designer fabric. We also offer Benjamin Moore color consultations and test color boards, interior decorating, home staging, and redesign. Please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com for more info or call 845-538-3623. All window covering appointments include a free 30 minute design consultation for the same room. We serve Passaic County and Bergen County of New Jersey. We are an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors.
Well I am glad to see this - My walls have been Ralph Lauren Blonde for years. It is my white so glad to know I will be hip this coming year!
Good information to use before painting. When I was a little girl I envisioned my kitchen painted in yellow.
Speaking of color, I posted a blog Color-Test yesterday, its an exercise for the brain that you may want to try, its fun check it out.
Hi Kate- Thanks for the color update. I love yellow. When we lived in the Chicago area, yellow helped us keep the faith that twe would one day return to the land of sun! --Sara
Courtney ~ see, you are already in style for the new year!
Dee ~ My kitchen walls are an off-white with yellow color. You definitely need bright colors for the kitchen.
Sara ~ I am glad the color for next year was Yellow and not a really bad color. A pale yellow can go almost anywhere.
Thanks for stopping by...
Kate, I LOVE yellows....it's my favorite color and goes with so many different colors. I used about 20 color boards on my own home to find just the yellows I loved :)
Carole ~ I think the color boards are great, this way you do not leave a mess on anyone'e walls. Thanks for stopping by.
Hello Kate,
Terrific post! Thanks for letting us know what colors are in for 2010 & the great tips to consider before picking a paint color! Have a great weekend!
Rita
I hate yellow. There is no good yellow. Now purple I love. Luckily I won't stage with either of them.
Kate,
Thanks for letting us know what's coming up. Yellow??? Hmm. This can be a tricky color as it varies from buttery sunshine to crime scene tape. I would caution homeowners attempting to switch to a yellow, would do well to hire a designer for guidance.
I love the site you shared and have added it to my favorite designer sources.
Thanks for the post,
Mel
Yellow is definitely a tough color to stage with, but I have used yellow on a basement bedroom in the past. It gave the room the "light" it needed and the yellow was not to bright. This was a difficult room since the windows were very small and there was not really any natural sunlight.
Thanks everyone for stopping by.
As we said - yellow is tricky! We don't want this look!!!
Mel
Wow! Now that is a seriously yellow room! Too much yellow!!
I actually recommended a gold yellow paint last week for a room that had dark wood floors, I cannot wait for the after pictures. Hopefully, I will get called back for the after pictures so I can post them.
kate, please help!! Just put down dark hardwiid floors in lr, dr,hallway and kitchen, my furnitur is a blonde wood and taupe linen matrial with marble top tables and chaise lounge. my walls are now antique white with white trim....help with color for walls and drapes...leave this color or do something new? hope to hear from you very soon with expert advice
Judy,
I like a gold color on walls with a dark wood floor. Stick with earth tones such as yelloe or sage green, it should work well. Kate