color

Awhile back I shared a wonderful meditation nook I discovered on a “girls spa weekend” in North Carolina (see post here). Simply put, it was a bed placed at the end of a hall for guests to relax in while in-between treatments. Of course the vibrant drapes and oodles of comfy pillows added to the experience.

So here was my “inspiration room” for a retreat area in my own home:

I decided to use a nook in our bonus room, which serves as our play room, guest bedroom and upstairs family room. This is the nook before I got ahold of it – looks like a daycare!

By switching things around, I used what I already had and created my own version of the retreat using lively colors that matched the spirit of the play room.

But after awhile, I tired of the kiddo vibe. After writing the Color Trends for 2011 post, I started thinking about how I could use color to change the impact of my retreat (and reclaim it from the kids!). Plus, remember…this is also a guest room when needed.

I was really drawn to both the “escape” and the “tribal” trends – I wanted something with an organic earthy feel, but that felt light and full of possibilities.

So I did a couple (very inexpensive) things:

I updated the bedding to something very neutral and soothing (and yes, “on sale”).
I added roman shades for texture and to add privacy for guests (very easy project – they hang on regular curtain rods)
I recovered the body pillow with a playful giraffe pattern (which ties in with the chocolate brown sofa on the other side of the room), and switched out the pink pillows with other ones I had in storage.
I simplified the wall art to be serene and relaxing.

Overall, I spent less than $200 (just for the bedding, shades and curtain rod). Now we finally have a space that is more comfortable for guests, and I have my little corner of the world where I can relax.

Who knew…color really is that powerful!

{Next step – add a soundproof curtain in front of the nook that makes me invisible to the kids while they’re playing Wii across the room. Yea, wish me luck on that one!}

How have you used color to change the feel of a room?

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Have you noticed that when you go to the store to buy toothpaste, there are so many choices that it’s overwhelming?

Do you want whitening, tartar control, fluoride, sensitive, gel or paste, sparkles, or one of my favorite…”pro-health night toothpaste” (huh?). And the price points are varied as well, anywhere from $2 to $5 – quite a dramatic range for a simple tube of toothpaste. Seriously, it’s too much! Lol

Paint is confusing as well. Paint manufactures are trying to differentiate themselves on quality, ease of use, environmental friendliness, value and color trending.

For most homeowners, color selection is the most prominent decision point. It doesn’t matter how well the paint goes on and stays on if the color is wrong. Companies like Benjamin Moore and Valspar have been successful in becoming opinion leaders in color trends.

I was recently approached by Glidden to sample their new reformulated paint. They are so confident in the quality of their product that they asked me to compare it to the popular Benjamin Moore Aura paint. Here’s the kicker, the price did not change, just the product.

So of course, I had to see for myself.