Professional Painting Tips for a Spring Spruce-up

March 25, 2016, 10:31 pm

Whether it’s your walls, ceilings, front door or furniture, paint is a great way to spruce up your home this spring.

{Design by Katherine Crosby}

Interior designer Katherine Crosby of Jenkins Baer shares her expert advice with La Mer Concierge, to help with the daunting process of choosing the right paint color from the endless options.

“After all, white is not always simply “white” and grays can have green, blue, and lavender hues.  A look at any paint manufacturer’s paint decks illustrates the conundrum well, there are myriad options.”

{Design by Katherine Crosby}

When determining paint color for a space, Katherine recommends considering all of the following:

The type of light the room will receive

The direction the sun will be coming from

What colors will be reflected from outside?

Is the landscape green, tonal or urban?

What artificial light is in the room?

“So many factors come into play. If you are working with a professional, it is definitely in your best interests to defer to their experience with color. If that advice is not at your disposal, you may want to start with painting large pieces of poster board. Place it on various walls in the room to see how the light bounces off of it. And be sure to hold it up against your trim color. The way two colors come together affects both colors tremendously.”

{Design Katherine Crosby}

Many designers have preferences for particular paints, and she happens to prefer Benjamin Moore’s Aura paints. “It is a wonderful lustrous consistency that is easy for painters to work with.”  Two other favorites are Donald Kaufman and Farrow & Ball, two high-end manufacturers with incredibly nuanced color palettes.
Donald Kaufman Color is devoted to realizing the energy of architecture, to illuminating the visions of architects and designers, and to ensuring that private and professional clients may recreate the luminosity and expansiveness experienced outdoors.

{Donald Kaufman}

A pioneer in the field of architectural color, Donald Kaufman Color creates unique palettes and special pigment formulations based on more than thirty years of research on the equation of color + space + light.

For inspiration and color ideas visit the Donald Kaufman website.

Once the color choice has been made, what sheens do you use?

Walls – Flat or eggshell. The eggshell sheen is a good go-to for families since it is easier to wipe clean, but doesn’t look shiny.

Ceiling – Flat

Baseboard – Satin or semi-gloss. A subtle sheen difference between the baseboard and walls is always pretty.

Cabinets – Typically a satin finish.

Andy Powers, of Andy B. Powers Inc., stresses the importance of hiring a qualified person with the experience and product knowledge to assure the job is done properly. “You don’t save money by going with the lowest price. To avoid costly mistakes and problems, hire the right person the first time.” Andy has been painting for 30 years and with his impeccable reputation, has more work than time and doesn’t advertise. He says “Curtis and Duke are doing things right. They take care of the vetting process up front and offer quality contractor referrals.”

La Mer Concierge works with several designers and professional painters and can help you with scheduling and contact information for Andy and other professionals. Call us if a home design project is in the works and we are happy to provide referrals.

Katherine Crosby can be reached at 410-727-4100 or katherine@jenkinsbaer.com.